08. Joker
Joker is an original one shot graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo. It is a non-canon story focusing entirely on The Joker following his release from Arkham Asylum. Told from the perspective of one of his henchmen - Jonny Frost - Joker is a story about an aging crime lord wishing to return to his former glory after being sent away for a number of years. It is presented in a stylish noir setting and is the first graphic novel to really tell a story from the perspective of an average joe caught up in Joker and Batman's crazy affair. You only need to look at the cover of the novel to see how much work had gone into illustrating the book. It has been commended by several communities for it's advanced story telling techniques and is considered to have one of the most gut-wrenching finales in comics history.