The (post-Crisis) Joker Chronology

[Emanresu]

Hi!

I thought it might be fun to create a post-Crisis Joker reading order. The list isn't complete by any means and I wanted to share to see if anyone could point out what may be missing, what's out of order, etc.

The list is pretty solid from the beginning through "Joker: Last Laugh" but then gets pretty sketchy. Help!

The following sites were fantastic sources…

https://www.jokeruniverse.com/?page_id=409

https://therealbatmanchronologyproject.com/

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

(Notes - First chronological appearance of the post-Crisis Joker; the last two pages occur after Batman: Confidential # 25)

Batman: Confidential # 22-25

(Notes - This storyline is an interquel to The Man Who Laughs, taking place before the last two pages of that book; Gordon is referred to as "Lieutenant" throughout but is actually "Captain"; page 7 of issue # 22 must be omitted entirely)

Batman: The Long Halloween # 3-4

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 105-106

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 65-68

(Notes - Joker escapes at the end of Legends # 106 and is still on the loose at the beginning of Legends # 65, tying these storylines together nicely; ignore the beginning of issue # 65 when Batman states he's fought Joker twice and Joker's "died" twice)

Batman: Confidential # 29-30

(Notes - again, Gordon is "Captain" or even "Commissioner", not "Lieutenant" as he is referred to throughout)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 200

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 162-163

(Notes - Joker escapes at the end of Confidential # 30, is still on the loose at the beginning of Legends # 200, escapes at the end of Legends # 200, is still on the loose at the beginning of Legends # 162 which ties this up as an acceptable trilogy)

Batman: Batgirl # 1

Batman # 251

Batman # 408 pgs 1-6

Detective Comics # 475-476

Legends of the DC Universe # 26-27

Superman # 9

(Notes - Joker escapes at the end of DC # 27, and is still loose at the beginning of Superman # 9)

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

World's Finest # 1-3

(Notes - This book is published two years after Joker cripples Barbara Gordon and kills Jason Todd but because there is zero mention of these events within the story, it fits here nicely)

Justice League International Annual # 2

(Notes - Joker escapes at the end of WF # 3, and is still on the loose at the beginning of JLI Annual # 2)

Batman: The Killing Joke

(Notes - At the end of JLI Annual # 2, a newspaper article states The Joker has been apprehended and is back at Arkham but a few moments later it is revealed Joker is still on the loose, which Batman finds out when he visits "fake Joker" at the beginning of Killing Joke)

Batman # 426-429

Detective Comics # 617

Batman # 450-451

Robin 2 # 1-4

Detective Comics Annual # 5

Batman Annual # 16

Batman # 491

Batman # 494

Batman # 496

Showcase '94 # 1-2

Detective Comics # 671-673

Wonder Woman # 96-97

(Notes - Even though it looks like Diana straight up murders the Joker in issue # 97, it's stated that Joker escapes in issue # 98; this story can come before or after Shadow # 37-38 but because Joker says "Batman's gotten mean", I'm going to assume he is referring to Az-Bats whom he faced in Detective # 671-673)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 37-38

Action Comics # 714

Deathstroke # 58

The Joker: Devil's Advocate

Action Comics # 719

Aztek: The Ultimate Man # 6-7

(Notes - One of the few times the Joker is on the loose at the beginning of an issue and I don't know how he got there)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 142-145

Azrael # 27-28

The Spectre # 51

Batman # 544-546

Batman: Joker's Apprentice # 1

Impulse # 50

(Notes - The comic states this issue takes place before the quake, so I'll put it directly before the quake)

"Interview: The Joker" excerpt from Batman Villains Secret Files # 1

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness # 1

Detective Comics # 726

Catwoman # 63-65

Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 80-82

Batman: Harley Quinn

Batman # 570, Detective Comics # 737

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 126, Batman # 574, Detective Comics # 741

Anarky # 8

Birds of Prey # 15-17

Action Comics # 765

(Notes - This issue takes place somewhere between Birds of Prey # 15-17, and even references issue # 16, but makes most sense after # 15)

Superman: Emperor Joker # 1, Superman # 160-161, Adventures of Superman # 582-583, Superman: The Man of Steel # 104-105, Action Comics # 769-770

Harley Quinn # 1

Robin # 85

Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files # 1, Joker: Last Laugh # 1-6

DC 1st: Batgirl/Joker # 1

Harley Quinn # 25

Batman # 614

Outsiders # 3

Gotham Central # 12-15

Batman # 650

Detective Comics # 826

Batman # 663

Detective Comics # 833-834

Birds of Prey # 121-124

Batman: Cacophony # 1-3

The Brave and the Bold # 31

Batman and Robin # 13-16

Detective Comics vol. 2 # 1

Batman vol. 2 # 13-17

Batman vol. 2 # 35-40

[Tzigone]

There's also dcuguide's chronology, though I have never looked into the Joker's.

[ngroove]

Where's Batman #408 (June 1987) , in which he's "killed" (actually only severely injured) Robin (Richard Grayson) enough for Batman to "retire" it, until Jason Todd?

[Emanresu]

I left that out because Joker only appears for the first 6 pages.

However, this issue is important in the fact that it shows the impact Joker has on the Bat family. In addition, there are zero Dick Grayson as Robin/Joker stories on this list, and since this also acts as an origin for JT, I will put this and 409 back in.

This will be placed between Batman: Batgirl # 1 and Legends of the DCU # 26.

Thanks! Anyone else?

[Emanresu]

Some issues are part of a larger storyline but I chose to include only the issues where Joker is featured heavily.

I feel comfortable with the Long Halloween issues being included without the main storyline, but I wonder about others.

For example, Joker is heavily featured in the final issue of "Under the Red Hood", so that's the only issue I included. Would it be better to include the entire arc?

[ngroove]

A true Joker chronology is and should be one that includes Joker in ALL then-continuity appearances, including cameos of him sitting in Arkham Asylum.

Let's see - how about - Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins (1998)? Not only mainly an awesome book that had a chockful of Who's-Who-like profiles, but also has an entertaining two-page interview with Joker, that cleverly ended with Joker killing the interviewer via knowledge of his nut allergies. Never accept brownies baked by Joker, hahaha.

[bat39]

Legends of the DC Universe # 26-27

(Notes - A post-Crisis Joker story that is a direct sequel to the classic pre-Crisis Joker story "The Laughing Fish". Still, "The Laughing Fish" will have to be omitted from this list but if you really want to read it anyway, Detective Comics # 475-476)

Why would "The Laughing Fish" be off the list? To my knowledge, Pre-Crisis Batman stories were still in canon, unless explicitly retconned out. I think Steve Englehart's run would mostly have still been in canon.

(It certainly was in canon in the New 52, since it was referenced by Snyder in Death of the Family.)

[ngroove]

Why would "The Laughing Fish" be off the list? To my knowledge, Pre-Crisis Batman stories were still in canon, unless explicitly retconned out. I think Steve Englehart's run would mostly have still been in canon.

(It certainly was in canon in the New 52, since it was referenced by Snyder in Death of the Family.)

That would be a question on "Overall Picture, what still fits". It's easy to say, whenever Doctor Phosphorus shows up, he came from Detective Comics #469-470. Black Mask, his first battle may still stick as Batman #386-387, Detective Comics #553. Even Penguin, since he never really had a definitive "Year One" encounter against Batman to say otherwise, may still be as back as Detective Comics #58.


But, every era had its own mythology. And every Crisis, Flashpoint, Rebirth, many things start over.

This, the topic, should be New Earth, Post-Crisis Batman, DC Universe, from Man of Steel #1 (July 1986) to all comics, cover dated August 2011. And during that period, Post-Crisis Batman has had LOTS of stories to redefine his past, what he is. And so did Post-Crisis Joker, as his origin was reclarified on "The Killing Joke", first showed a card of clue of his presence at the end of Year One, Batman #407, and many of their rewritten early battles went across Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and Batman: Confidential, along with maxi-series Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

[bat39]

That would be a question on "Overall Picture, what still fits". It's easy to say, whenever Doctor Phosphorus shows up, he came from Detective Comics #469-470. Black Mask, his first battle may still stick as Batman #386-387, Detective Comics #553. Even Penguin, since he never really had a definitive "Year One" encounter against Batman to say otherwise, may still be as back as Detective Comics #58.


But, every era had its own mythology. And every Crisis, Flashpoint, Rebirth, many things start over.

This, the topic, should be New Earth, Post-Crisis Batman, DC Universe, from Man of Steel #1 (July 1986) to all comics, cover dated August 2011. And during that period, Post-Crisis Batman has had LOTS of stories to redefine his past, what he is. And so did Post-Crisis Joker, as his origin was reclarified on "The Killing Joke", first showed a card of clue of his presence at the end of Year One, Batman #407, and many of their rewritten early battles went across Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and Batman: Confidential, along with maxi-series Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

True. But there's nothing suggesting that "The Laughing Fish" wasn't still in canon...especially considering that, as you pointed out, it had a sequel story set in Post-COIE continuity.

The Post-COIE retconning of Batman's past largely concerned his early years - from Year One up until the arrival of Robin and Batgirl. The 70's/early 80's era stories were never explicitly erased from continuity - apart from Jason Todd's origin, which was completely rewritten.

[Emanresu]

Sorry it took so long to get back to this!

After reading Laughing Fish, I decided to add it to the list. Though Batman specifically speaks of Joe Chill in one of these issues, which doesn't make sense in post Crisis history...well it's the Joker so why should it make complete sense? Lol.

Also went ahead and added the pre Crisis Batman 251, "Joker's Five Way Revenge", because it's pretty great and doesn't seem to conflict with anything post Crisis.

I inserted both of these tales after the "Legends" and Year One type appearances, but before his late 80's reign of terror.

What else are we missing?

[bat39]

Sorry it took so long to get back to this!

After reading Laughing Fish, I decided to add it to the list. Though Batman specifically speaks of Joe Chill in one of these issues, which doesn't make sense in post Crisis history...well it's the Joker so why should it make complete sense? Lol.

Also went ahead and added the pre Crisis Batman 251, "Joker's Five Way Revenge", because it's pretty great and doesn't seem to conflict with anything post Crisis.

I inserted both of these tales after the "Legends" and Year One type appearances, but before his late 80's reign of terror.

What else are we missing?

Well...if it helps, after IC, Joe Chill was back in continuity!

[Genius LeMat]

Re:
Batman # 426-429
Detective Comics # 617
Batman # 450-451

Detective Comics 617 does not go there as the Joker app is a flashback to 3 years earlier, also you omitted 'A lonely Place of Dying' where although technically he doesn't 'appear' he is communicating with Harvey Dent via a radio and should take the place of Detective Comics 617 in the chronology, cheers.

[FBarnhill]

Can we get one for the Riddler?