Joker Differences and Influence

Comparing the Clown Prince of Crime.

Comics

Golden Age

Personality

Joker during one of his first encounters with The Batman.

Joker is willing to kill but more interested in over-the-top crimes. He's prankish and playful. He's also more interested in the publicity rather than the crime itself.

Rivalry with Batman

The Joker is a persistent enemy, but more so because of the fact that Batman can't figure out his plan.

Silver Age

Personality

Joker during the Silver Age.

This Joker is much more psychotic than the previous incarnation, having been driven insane by a fight with Batman as the Red Hood. He's also able to fight off Batman, Robin, and Superman working together. He can also even be a struggle for the Justice League.

Rivalry with Batman

The Joker is much more threatening in this version. His past with Batman goes back before he was the Joker and when he was the Red Hood and lept into a vat of acid to avoid Batman, leaving him disfigured and insane. He is also obsessed with getting back at Batman.

Modern Age

Personality

Joker.

The Joker is completely insane, and he's possibly driven to this by a bad relationship as shown in "The Killing Joke" where he was forced to dress up like the Red Hood. He's also extremely sadistic as he beat Jason Todd, the second Robin, to death. He was also overjoyed when Jason Todd came back due to how he had driven a wedge between Batman and his former protege. He's also manipulative as shown when he turned an Arkham intern into his girlfriend and lover, Harley Quinn.

Rivalry with Batman

Batman and Joker's first match.

Joker's obsessed with driving Batman mad before ending him, proving to him that everyone's insane. He also tries to get to Batman through various ways. These include shooting Barbara Gordon, killing the second Robin, Jason Todd, and being overjoyed when Batman is forced to fight the revived Jason, even if it means he dies. Also, during a time where he had Mxyzptlk's powers, he attempted to destroy every Batman in reality before he was stopped by Superman, Batman, and Bizarro.

New 52

Personality

Joker's severed face.

Joker's only made one appearance, so all we know is that he's just as insane as in the Modern Age and most of what he has done, like the crippling of Barbara Gordon and the murder of Jason Todd still happened. He's also crazy enough of have his face cut off, and he hasn't been seen since.

Rivalry with Batman

Batman and Joker.

Joker and Batman only have one scene together, and in that scene, Batman pursues Joker and gets shot a few times before he captures Joker, which leads to Arkham where Dollmaker takes his face off. Batman's the only one who doesn't think Joker's dead.

Martinsonverse

Personality

Joker as played by Cesar Romero.

Joker is largely a parody of himself, merely being a playful, over-the-top criminal. He's also more silly than most normal characters.

Rivalry with Batman

The rivalry is less intense, with Batman treating Joker like most other villains, and Joker seeming to have a good time planning Batman's death.

Super Friends

Personality

Joker during his meeting with Batman.

Joker is a more serious version of the Martinsonverse Joker. He's also able to perfectly mimic anyone.

Rivalry with Batman

While only meeting up once, their rivalry is done well. Batman is able to tell where the Joker is and deduce his alliance with Darkseid just by a deck of playing cards.

Burtonverse

Personality

Joker after his accident.

Joker is very comical with sinister overtones. Even before the accident, Jack was borderline unstable, having shot the Waynes and nearly shooting Bruce Wayne himself until a gang member called him back. After the accident, he goes completely over the edge, killing people for a laugh and having no plan other than just have fun, and get Vicki Vale.

Rivalry with Batman

Jack faces the Batman.

This rivalry goes back to Batman's origin as Joker was the one who shot Bruce Wayne's parents, and Batman continually works to stop Batman, having cracked his code in how Joker was poisoning Gotham with bits and pieces of Joker Toxin. This rivalry ends when Joker grapples Joker's leg to a gargoyle, so that he falls to his death. Joker's effects still effect Bruce in Batman Forever, his death being a factor in why Bruce was reluctant to let Dick become Robin.

DC Animated Universe

Personality

Joker after his return.

Joker is a funny little clown but extremely sadistic and murderous. He can create chemicals to make people die from laughing or else just go into a coma with a hideous smile on his face. He's also extremely manipulative, twisting his psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzell into Harley Quinn. Also, his most sinister scheme involved kidnapping Tim Drake and twisting him into a caricature of himself before he was killed by Tim, defying death through Cadmus technology before being stopped for good by the new Batman, Terry McGinnis.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker faces Batman.

This rivalry begins with the Joker's creation, but he's more interested in his never ending battle with Batman, saving traps specifically for Batman. He also finally just kills Bruce after his return since at this time, Bruce is extremely old and just decides to end the rivalry, though he's thwarted twice by Terry McGinnis.

Birds of Prey

Personality

Joker faces Batman.

Joker seems to be mainly like the DC Animated Universe Joker based on his war with Batman and how he twisted Dr. Harleen Quinzell into Harley Quinn. He also seems to know Batman's Bruce Wayne as he had Clayface kill Selina Kyle, Catwoman, and also shot Barbara Gordon just before Batman finally defeated him.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker shoots Barbara.

Joker's rivalry with Batman isn't elaborated on that much, but he psychologically beat Batman by crippling Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, and killing Selina Kyle, mother of Batman's daughter Huntress, before Batman finally defeated the Joker, ending up driving each other out of Gotham.

The Batman

Personality

Joker faces Batman.

Joker is much more acrobatic and is more exaggerated in his sinister nature and his comedic ideas. It's hinted in an episode that he was originally an office worker with dreams of becoming a comedian before somehow falling into acid and becoming Joker. Also, he's still manipulative, having turned Harley Quinzell into Harley Quinn, though he does seem to actually care about her. He's also as smart as before, using Joker gas on various people and make virtual versions of himself.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker messes with Batman.

Joker's rivalry with Batman stems all the way back to their first combat as Joker does everything in his power to emotionally break Batman. In one episode, Joker actually dresses as Batman to make Batman doubt himself and drive him crazy, which thankfully fails.

Nolanverse

Personality

The Joker.

Joker is chaos incarnate in this universe. While he can make plans, he doesn't have an ultimate objective aside from showing that anarchy is the only true expression of self, stating, "When the chips are down, they'll eat each other." Joker is also manipulative, giving Harvey Dent the final push into becoming Two-Face. He's also smart having planned out a way out of jail and the capture of Dent and Rachel. He also doesn't care if he does as long as it proves him right about his ideals.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker doesn't want to kill Batman. He wants to corrupt Batman as he's the ultimate symbol of peace and order. He also enjoys Batman, having fun trying to get away with his schemes even though Batman stops him. It's unknown how he reacted to Batman stopping Dent and retiring.

Arkhamverse

Personality

Joker during the fight at Arkham.

Joker is similar to various other Jokers, obsessed with destroying Gotham with monsters created from a super-steroid called Titan, a supercharged form of Venom. He also wants to prove to Batman that his view of the world is right. That Batman's as insane as them. Joker even states in an interview with Dr. Quinzell that he is Gotham's true savior.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker just before he dies.

Joker plans to prove to Batman that he's insane, stating that what he's really after overall is for hundred to die because Batman set a building on fire, also wanting to show Batman the world as he sees it, "giggling in a corner and bleeding." He also is worried about both of them dying since then, there can be no more fun. He also chuckles at the end of his life when Batman points out the joke of him essentially killing himself when Batman would've still saved him.

Under the Red Hood

Personality

Joker as he beats Robin to death.

Joker is very intelligent, and he's also extremely sadistic as he kills Robin just to get to Batman and makes jokes about it five years later. He takes even more enjoyment in the fact that Robin had come back as Red Hood and had become an enemy of Batman, causing extreme emotional pain, and Joker's even willing to die with Batman as he views it as perfection.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker talks angrily about how rude Robin is.

When Joker is hired by Ra's al Ghul to distract Batman, he uses the opportunity to capture Robin and beat him with a crowbar before blowing him up with a bomb. He also takes every opportunity to joke about it to Batman before he finds out that the new Red Hood was Robin. Joker then prefers it as it emotionally hurts Batman even more.

Young Justice

Personality

The Joker.

Joker is very intelligent, having created Joker Toxin and using it on Poison Ivy's plants in addition to Kobra Venom. He's also very sadistic and claims to have multiple personalities, often breaking the fourth wall in his, to date, only appearance. He also has a strong sense of humor, taking joy in the plants actions and having fun acting as a puppet master.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker controls the Joker Venom plants.

Joker's rivalry with Batman is heavily vague, though it is established that Joker's Batman's greatest foe.

My personal favorite

Joker during the fight at Arkham.

Now it's time for me to say which is my favorite.

Personality

This category is which Joker just seems like the better character over-all based on what I can gleam from their personalities.

Main Choices

• Modern Age
• New 52
• DCAU
• The Batman
• Nolanverse
• Arkhamverse
• Under the Red Hood

Winner

I'd have to say the Arkhamverse Joker wins this round as he's the perfect blend of all the other versions of the Joker.

Rivalry with Batman

Joker just before he dies.

This cateogry shows which Joker had the best rivalry with Batman.

Main Choices

• Silver Age
• Modern Age
• DCAU
• The Batman
• Nolanverse
• Arkhamverse
• Under the Red Hood

Winner

Again, Arkhamverse Joker wins as he seems to be the best combination of respect and hatred of the Batman.

Winner

Joker dies.

So the Arkhamverse Joker is unanimous. He has the best personality and the best rivalry with Batman in my opinion.

So that's my opinion. What's yours?