The Joker: 10 Totally Different Characters He's Been
8. The Man Who Loves Batman
Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns promised to get under the skin of the cultural icon and his rogues gallery of villains like never before. Having retired from crime fighting for years after the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, Bruce Wayne finds himself dragged back into his old cowl because Gotham is collapsing, and he misses beating people up. Part of the examination of Batman and the connection to his enemies was the implication that none of them would exist without the Caped Crusader being around. Two-Face has plastic surgery and is cured of his insanity...until Batman returns, and he falls back into old habits. The Joker, meanwhile, has been a docile Arkham patient this whole time. Until he sees Batman on the telly, and is knocked out of his catatonic state. It's a very different Joker: even more psychotic but also apparently in love with Batman. Darling, he calls him, smiling and putting on his lipstick.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
