11 Most Intense Performances In Comic Book Movies

3. Mark Hamill - The Joker (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm)

Mark Hamill's Clown Prince of Crime is the best onscreen version of the Joker, and he's at his best in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

Released in cinemas in Christmas 1992, Batman: The Animated Series' first and only theatrical release didn't manage to draw in a big audience, but it was fantastic, and holds up today as the best Bat-film ever released.

For anyone familiar with BTAS that statement won't come as a surprise, and while there are plenty of impressive performances to note in the feature, including Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne and Dana Delany's Andrea Beaumont, Mark Hamill's Joker still takes the cake. He's just at his maniacal best, with the actor turning in one of his best laughs ever (which yes, is a big statement), in a story that divulges a whole lot about the character's once guarded origin.

There's also his performance in Return of the Joker, which is just as frightening in parts, but Phantasm edges that one out by showing the character at the pinnacle of his career.

In any case, there's no denying that Hamill's turn as the Clown Prince will go down as one of the all time great comic book performances, equal to his live action counterparts.