Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix have taken a unique and, by all accounts, blisteringly impressive look at Batman’s nemesis, Joker. Their film, Joker, won Best Film at the Venice Film Festival and is generating some deafening Oscar-buzz. Phillips and Phoenix have been unflinching in making their take on the iconic character unique, sharing that they have pretty much discarded with the preexisting Joker narratives and origins. Nevertheless, the impending release of Joker has a lot of people asking, who actually is__ the Joker?
There’s no straightforward nor definitive answer to the question because Joker is myriad. The Clown King of Crime's mythology is divergent, and Joker is only going to add to that fact. The twisted and sociopathic character has been reinvented, explored and represented in many comic, TV, film and video game forms over the years.
This wide array of material makes the Joker a very enigmatic and gripping character to explore – so, even though you’ll likely only find more questions than answers, here's some key places to start on your Joker research.
Read Empire’s review of Joker here.
Read Empire’s comic book movie and Oscar discussion here.
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Empire: Who Is The Joker?
1 of 17The Killing Joke, £10.71
Find out all about Red Hood and vats of acid in Alan Moore's Joker origin comic. It's highly regarded within the Joker mythological canon – how could it not be included? Amazon.co.uk
2 of 17Batman: Endgame, £16.48
Following on from the twisted Death of the Family, Endgame features an engrossing story line in which The Jester of Genocide sets to poison Gotham. Big on story, big on fights, big on payoff. Amazon.co.uk
3 of 17Batman Adventures: Mad Love, £19.99
As the adage goes, you can judge a man by the company he keeps. Mad Love tells Harley Quinn's origin story and via her journey, we get a sideways view into the mind of Joker, the power of maddening love and manipulation. Amazon.co.uk
4 of 17Dark Knight Returns, £9
Joker is a twisted character, there's no way around that fact. And his passionate hatred for Batman knows no bounds – Frank Miller's tale delivers a tale of revenge and hate that is as shocking as it is fantastic. Amazon.co.uk
5 of 17Gotham Central: Jokers And Madmen, £15.99
The Joker is a psychopath whose motives are never entirely clear. Batman is used to dealing with his off-kilter ways, but how do the citizens of Gotham approach Joker's crimes? Gotham Central takes a unique route and explores this question by looking at the underbelly of Gotham from the perspective of normal, flawed law-enforcement officers. Amazon.co.uk
6 of 17Arkham Asylum (a.k.a Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth), £6.70
This comic runs with a heavy psychological angle and delivers a groundbreaking tale. The plot, a hunt contrivance courtesy of Joker, is dark, violent and murky. The art style adds to this mood impeccably as it explores the crooked minds of the Asylum.Amazon.co.uk
7 of 17Joker, £11.33
Not only is the beautifully disturbing artwork worth the retail alone, the story, a derivative of gangster plot, is laced with a very, very sinister undercurrent. A compelling standalone read. Amazon.co.uk
8 of 17The Dark Knight, £6.14
Empire's own words say it best: "Ledger's Joker is anarchy in a three-piece, a ruthless villain who cares for nothing, not even himself." Leger's take on Joker was reportedly inspired by both The Killing Joke and his appearance in Batman: The Long Halloween. Amazon.co.uk
9 of 17Suicide Squad, £7.89
Everyone has an opinion on Jared Leto's Joker, but what did Empire think? They considered him a "wild card", with "a smooth, blingy gangsta swagger" offering a "fascinatingly jagged new angle" on the character. Amazon.co.uk
10 of 17Batman, £7.59
A granddaddy of blockbuster comic book cinema in which Jack Nicholson offered up a classic performance. According to Empire, it's about "as unrestrained a performance as he's ever been allowed to get away with, (he) cuts a showboating swathe that pretty much dominates the movie." Amazon.co.uk
11 of 17The LEGO Batman Movie, £4.93
Zach Galifianakis takes up the voice of Joker in this hilarious, irreverent take on the Batman franchise. You won't learn much new about the Joker, or anything relevant at all in fact, but you'll have a great time nonetheless. Empire reviewed it as a "highly quotable, visual treat that's packed with in-jokes but is entertaining enough on its own terms to work for fans and non-fans alike. The best Batman film in years." Amazon.co.uk
12 of 17Batman: The Animated Series, £50
Mark Hamill's vocal performance for Joker in The Animated Series receives great plaudits for its extremely playful yet dark raspy menacing tone, and unsettling contagious cackle. A must watch for anyone seeking to expand their Joker appreciation. Amazon.co.uk
13 of 17Batman: The Original Series, £33.49
Cesar Romero graced our screens as the Joker in the kitsch, bizarre and bright original series, and it's about as far away from the current brooding Batman franchise as you can get. It's light, it's predictable and joyful. Romero's Joker is fondly remembered for his magic skills, poorly hidden moustache and foolhardy behaviour. He also brought the role to the big screen in the 1966 film. Amazon.co.uk
14 of 17Batman: Arkham Origins, £14.34
There's a section of the city which Joker (voiced by Troy Baker) has turned into his own theme park – it's certainly worth an explore to sneak a peek into the Joker's unhinged mind. Empire called it "yet another hugely entertaining entry in the series." Amazon.co.uk
15 of 17Batman: Arkham Asylum, now available for PS4 and Xbox One with the Batman Arkham Collection, £37
Batman is trapped in Arkham Asylum with the criminally insane populous loosed upon the grounds. The scenario is one contrived by, of course, Joker. Mark Hamill takes up the microphone again to voice the archenemy in a game which Empire congratulated for being "brought to life with incredible attention to detail". The game was partially inspired by the aforementioned comic Batman: Arkham Asylum. Amazon.co.uk
16 of 17Batman: Arkham City, now available for PS4 and Xbox One with the Batman Arkham Collection, £37
Hamill voices a Joker being torn apart by the slow-but-fatal Titan serum – which, via blood transfusion, he passes onto Batman. Which is truly, truly twisted. Empire gave it high praise, noting that the game "not only surpassed sequel expectations but crafted a follow-up worthy even of standing shoulder to shoulder with Christopher Nolan's big screen sequel, The Dark Knight." Amazon.co.uk
17 of 17Batman: Arkham Knight
Joker (voiced by Hamill, once again) is not a physical presence in this game. He exists only as a fear-based-presence in Batman psyche. Not only must Batman fight Arkham's street-thugs, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke, Calander Man and Lex Luther (to name but a few), but he's also got to fight his own mind. Empire reviewed the game as "the definitive Dark Knight game experience and a fittingly triumphant finale to the Arkham canon." Also available for PS4 and Xbox One with the Batman Arkham Collection.Amazon.co.uk