Batman: The Killing Joke

The madness begins.

RELEASED 24 Jul 20161h 17m★ 6.6 TMDB

As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.

Why it matters in DC

The Joker's attack on the Gordon family makes his conflict with Batman intensely personal. The adaptation is relevant to viewers exploring how far the character's attempts to justify his actions can reach into the lives of people around his opponent.

Watch these first

4 titles to watch before Batman: The Killing Joke — 6h 26m in total.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League - Cosmic ClashOptional background1h 18m★ 6.3
A separate adaptation of Batman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to Batman: The Killing Joke’s story continuity.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeOptional background2h 32m★ 6.0+1 before this
A separate adaptation of Batman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to Batman: The Killing Joke’s story continuity.
Justice League vs. Teen TitansOptional background1h 18m★ 7.3
A separate adaptation of Batman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to Batman: The Killing Joke’s story continuity.
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League - Gotham City BreakoutOptional background1h 18m★ 6.7
A separate adaptation of Batman and Batgirl; useful for comparison, but unrelated to Batman: The Killing Joke’s story continuity.

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How these titles are selected

Story prerequisites are curated. Likely prerequisites are inferred from sequel numbering or explicit synopsis references. Recommendations are earlier stories in the same continuity; background picks are separate adaptations. Series lists cover whole shows, not an episode-by-episode watch order.

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Where it fits in the DC universe

Batman: The Killing Joke is title 22 of 90 in our Animated Elseworlds viewing sequence. Standalone animated films and separate continuities. Titles here do not form one timeline. This is a collection of separate adaptations, rather than a single continuous story.

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