No other comic book writer has really got under the skin of The Joker as well as Alan Moore, whose Killing Joke features not only the greatest ending of all Batman comics, but also the most fiendish acts committed by the Dark Knight's most iconic foe, and chiefly the brutal torture of Barbara Gordon. And if that wasn't enough, he takes pictures to show her father later.
6. The Hero Gotham Deserves - The Dark Knight
Undoubtably one of the coolest and most memorable endings to any film ever, Batman or otherwise, the final moments of The Dark Knight finally bring the caped crusader full circle - having pinned himself as a wanted man, Bruce Wayne's transformation into the Bat Man is complete. As he speeds off, Commissioner Gordon delivers that now infamous speech: "Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight."
5. Red Hood Blurs The Divide Between Good And Evil - Batman: Under The Red Hood
Under The Red Hood is probably legitimately the greatest Batman animation there has ever been, out-stripping even The Dark Knight Returns, and it's chiefly because of the weighty issues and conflicts it explores, with Batman's non-lethal agenda put under strain, and Red Hood's assertion that he is willing to do what the Dark Knight isn't to rid Gotham of crime.
4. "I'm Batman" - Batman
When we're first introduced to Batman in Tim Burton's gritty 1989 adaptation of Batman, he's already wearing the infamous suit and is prowling the streets of Gotham, dispensing justice on unsuspecting thugs, ensuring that when they go home to bed they'll be waking up having nightmares about him. Given that this was the first time audiences were acquainted with a Batman who wasn't campy as hell, then, the moment he tells a quivering thug his name ("I'm Batman") with that now iconic growl in his voice is arguably one of the most important in Batman movie history.
3. The Robbery - The Dark Knight
It would be ridiculous to suggest that there was another villain introduction as brilliant and downright accomplished as the Joker's in The Dark Knight: simply put, it's a mesmerising sequence from start to finish, directed with all the style of a Michael Mann flick and Nolan's trademark precision. As we hear a bunch of hired goons talking about the elusive "Joker" during a job, we realise that he's meticulous instructed them all to off one another, revealing himself only at the end when the mission is complete. It's a flawless scene that acquaints us with the villain through whispers and speculation. And who can forget that reveal: "I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you stranger."
2. The Pencil Trick - The Dark Knight
Is there any scene quite so memorable as this one from anywhere within the entire Batman movie canon? Heath Ledger blew audiences away with his unique and throughly demented take on the caped crusader's arch-nemesis, of course, but it was this particular scene... the one where he makes a pencil disappear by jamming it into an unsuspecting goon's skull... that stuck with us the most. "The Pencil Trick - "as it has come to be known by fans" - showcases Ledger's Joker at his most hilariously efficient - from the moment he enters the room, purposely overdoing the psychotic laughter, we're mesmerised by this crazed individual. When he actually makes it out of the room alive and totally unharmed... well, we're terrified. And genuinely impressed, too. What a character.
1. The Bat Is Broken - Batman: Knightfall
In the history of iconic Batman images, this surely has to rank as most people's number one. Not only was it the moment Batman was hurt properly for the first time, but it was also the biggest reinforcement that the caped crusader is vulnerable, despite his commitment. With one crushing blow from the almighty hulking figure of Bane - far from the bloated mess that Joel Schumacher made him in Batman Forever - Batman is destroyed, and somewhat unthinkably, the deed was done not by the Joker, but by an entirely different foe. What is your favourite Batman moment? Share your own picks in the comments thread below.
