Quote Originally Posted by godisawesome View Post
As someone who digs the idea that Joker was already a competent and dangerous thug/hitman before donning the original Red Hood and falling into the acid, I’ve generally liked the idea he’s an experienced brawler and killer with a high threshold for pain and some very real strength in spite of his age and leanness. Batman is still clearly better to an almost hilarious extent, but Joker’s up for a scrap, and is someone you don’t want to get a free shot at your head with a wrench, or at your back with a knife.

Harley had a career as a gymnast in college, I believe, and I could easily see someone retconning in a few self-defense classes when she was still sane and cautious about Arkham.

Punchline, as a Joker fan girl of a different type than Harley, I could see having taken some classes specifically so she could be a deadly combatant.
I would personally love to see a Joker that was like the original overall.

I'd love a Batman animated series that was a period piece actually set in the 20s and 30s, and I'd love the Joker in it be the Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson version.

IE an evil clown who looks terrifying, is a little bit more calm and composed, rather than constantly laughing. Despises Batman, is completely mysterious, is smarter than Batman and can beat the crap out of him in a fight.

I'm not saying that version of the Joker is better than all the ones that came after to be clear. Nothing worse than a comics snob LOL. However I think we have been oversaturated with the 80s and 90s version, IE the nihilistic version who has a philosophy about madness, obsessed with Batman, who prefers to fight Batman rather than kill him, is a crazy and unpredictable fighter, but as you say still outclassed by Batman.

Added to that the silly silver age Joker has been represented in Romero, the Brave and the Bold, and the Mark Hamill Joker in some episodes like Make Em Laugh. The tragic Joker meanwhile was represented in the 2019 movie, and the Killing Joke animated movie. Finally the goofy but still dangerous 70s Joker was represented in the Jack Nicholson film and the Hamill cartoons. Hell even the modern idea of the Joker being a legacy was represented in Gotham with the Valeska brothers.

The original horror movie Joker however has never been represented in any animated or live action movies yet. I suppose Heath Ledger came close in regards to the mystery, but even then he went down more of a 80s/90s Joker model of being a nihilist.

I'd never want to see the original Catwoman however. I think Catwoman is a character who has benefited from being changed over the years. "Papa Spank."