In a a few hours’ time, I’ll be loading up on a few Red Bulls and braving the wee hours of the morning to take in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” as will thousands of other movie-goers who have apparently broken pre-sales records across the country.
In the meantime, however, I thought I’d offer up a list of the all time greatest Joker stories, in honor of the late Heath Ledger and his portrayal in the film.
Here’s my take (no time for explanations…I want to get a nap in at some point tonight):
10. “Wildcard!”
By Marv Wolfman and Jim Aparo (Batman #450-451)
9. “Slayride”
By Paul Dini and Don Kramer (Detective Comics #826)
8. “Soft Targets”
By Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Gotham Central #12-15)
7. “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge”
By Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams (Batman #251)
6. “Mad Love”
By Paul Dini and Bruce Timm (One-Shot)
5. “The Man Who Laughs”
By Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke (One-Shot)
4. “Batman vs. the Joker”
By Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson (Batman #1)
3. “The Laughing Fish”
By Steve Englehart and Marshall Rodgers (Detective Comics #475)
2. “The Killing Joke”
By Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (One-Shot)
1. “A Death in the Family”
By Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo (Batman #426-429)