10 Terrifying Joker Stories You Never Read
2. Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?
A very weird book narrated by the deceased Batman, the version of the Joker presented here flips everything we thought we knew on its head.
Seeing Bruce struggle in his early years as the Bat of Gotham, failing to apprehend criminals and prevent their crimes, loyal Butler Alfred devises a plan to focus Bruce, encourage him, and keep him motivated and confident in his crime-fighting endeavours.
Alfred becomes The Joker.
Via the use of elaborate make up and costumes, Alfred presents Bruce with an arch-nemesis, a villain with whom to lock horns and channel his rage.
What questions does this raise about Alfred’s mental state? Does rationalising that he is only doing it for Bruce lesson his disturbing behaviour?
Seeing the merit in this crazy idea, Alfred goes so far as to hire his old actor friends to take up similar outlandish mantles: The Scarecrow, Catwoman, The Penguin.
Against this thespian-shaped whetstone, Batman’s skills are sharpened, his methods honed to he point he actually does become the hero Gotham needs.
Cue Alfred’s most intense actor friend, Eddie Nash.
A method actor to the last, Nash becomes so embroiled in his character - The Riddler - that he kills Batman during a hostage situation.
Alfred - The Joker - in trying to save Bruce, is inadvertently responsible for his death.