Ranking Every Joker Origin Worst To Best

3. Case Study

Case Study is another origin inspired by Batman '89, but one that also brings together the considerable talents of Paul Dini and Alex Ross.

Dini and Ross' comic heralds from the same school of thought as Morrison's in that it hypothesises that the Joker isn't insane, and can therefore not be 'cured' of his insanity. It shows the perspective of two doctors at Arkham Asylum and one who has arrived at that very conclusion after glancing at a forgotten report, which also details a version of events that created the Joker we know today.

According to the report, the Joker was once a prominent criminal who eventually created the Red Hood persona out of boredom. He then ostensibly fakes his insanity after falling into a vat of chemicals (again, after being ambushed by Batman), wearing it as a 'mask' as a means of matching the Dark Knight and summarily avoiding any prospective capital punishment, should he ever be apprehended.

The doctors almost seem won over by the theory, until Harley Quinn gets dragged past and finishes the conclusion for them. It was Quinn's thesis while she was at Arkham, and the story relayed to her likely another made up fantasy.