The Joker's 10 Most Sickeningly Twisted Moments

by Joel Harley

1. The Murder Of Jason Todd

Batman Jason Todd Robin
DC Comics

A predictable one, perhaps, but worthy of the top spot simply for its sheer audacity, even today. It's not many Silver Age supervillains that can boast beating a teenage boy to death among their achievements. The iconic 'A Death in the Family' storyline by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo saw the Joker inflict the deepest cut of all to Batman and the Bat-family: the brutal murder of Robin, boy wonder.

Okay, it was the fairly disliked Jason Todd who bit the bullet, but the murder of a teenage boy is still the murder of a teenage boy - Robin, no less. Repeatedly bludgeoning Jason about the head with a crowbar before leaving him unconscious next to a rapidly ticking explosive device (and his own estranged mother) the kid was blown to smithereens, not rescued in the nick of time by Batman, as all surly expected. Perhaps his greatest failure, the fallout from this crime still looms heavy over Batman, even today.

Sure, Jason Todd was since resurrected (in 'Under the Red Hood') and remains alive and (relatively) well today, but all involved remain haunted by the Joker and his most iconic crime. The punchline? Robin's demise was the result of a public vote, the outcome leading to either his death or survival. Who, then, is the real monster? The answer being the Joker, obviously. He did just bludgeon and explode a teenage boy to death, after all.

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Contributor

A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.