Joker Solo Movie: 10 Origin Stories It Could Adapt
5. Batman: Black & White Vol. 2
Don't let the obligatory dip in the acid bath fool you, Paul Dini and Alex Ross's Joker backstory in Batman: Black & White Vol. 2 is an origin tale unlike any other.
Dini, the writer behind Batman: The Animated Series, depicted the Caped Crusader's nemesis as completely sane, which rather ironically sounds like utter madness.
According to this 2002 noir classic, Mister J assumed the Joker guise as a carefully calculated means of wreaking revenge on Batman and Gotham City. He wears a mask of madness in the same way Bruce Wayne dons a Bat-shaped one.
Before he was clowning around, the Joker was a cunning mobster who became the city's kingpin through similarly deceptive tactics.
The concept of a sane Joker is a fascinating one that only loses a shred of credibility because it was tabled by a Dr Harleen Quinzel following a series of fruitless therapy sessions at Arkham Asylum.
Using Black & White Vol. 2 as the inspiration for the Joker movie would allow the filmmakers to weave Harley Quinn into the character's backstory, which isn't such a bad idea considering she was one of Suicide Squad's few saving graces.