It's actually strange to think about how many dark and gritty comic book movies have come out in the past few years because that entire style of filmmaking pretty much originated with the astounding Christopher Nolan cinematic achievement better known as The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight was a complete game-changer for a lot of different reasons, and it's the kind of movie that comic book haters can enjoy almost as much as comic book super-fans because it really is just that good.

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And although now the film and TV marketplace is absolutely flooded with comic book inspired works, The Dark Knight still remains in a class all it's own. Comic and movie fans alike still hold this film up as the gold standard of comic movies. So even though the film has a few years under it's belt now, it is of course still the subject of hundreds of internet memes. And here are ten of the best.

At Least It's Excellent Cosplay

Batman is one of those kind of brilliant superheroes because while he does fit into a lot of stereotypical superhero ideals, he also seems like a complete lunatic sometimes. And Batman's whole character arc in The Dark Knight seems to embody that pretty well. We mean yes, the Joker is obviously a malicious crazy person, but it feels like half the time that Bruce is pursuing him he's only a stones throw (or as the Joker would say, a little push) away from completely going off the deep end.

But at least Mr. Wayne can always say that his cosplay is the sickest of all time.

There's A Reason He's Called The Joker

Look, saying that a penny for your thoughts is an obvious overcharge is rude as hell, but undoubtedly everyone on earth would rather be dragged by the Joker's insults than literally dragged by the Joker. And let's get real, this is the internet.

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You can't charge for your thoughts anymore in a world where things like Twitter exist. Almost everyone on earth with working electricity is now sharing their thoughts for free even if no one wants them to, so anyone who is planning on making a living or even a decent side payout off of their brilliant ideas should maybe rethink their life strategy.

Relatable

How are people still asking other people what their plans for the future are? If we're lucky we'll wind up in a world set on fire by someone like the Joker, but it seems more likely that we'll all be eating cockroaches after a nuclear, robot, or zombie apocalypse. But honestly, the Joker should give himself more credit too.

He's not a big planner to be sure, but he at least has enough personal investment in his appearance to keep up on his makeup and hairstyling. And if everyone is being completely honest with themselves, that still makes him a better planner than half the people on earth.

The Joker Was Undoubtedly A Cat Person

Dogs definitely have the kind of chaotic vibe that the Joker really thrives off of, but they're far too sweet and well meaning to really be the Joker's type of pet. They're the chaotic good of the animal world, while Joker is the chaotic evil of the human world.

Cats aren't so much chaotic or evil, but they do have a clear diabolical attitude along with a misanthropic outlook on life that matches up with the Joker quite well. Plus, there are few things that are more iconic in this world than the greatest villain on earth dramatically petting a cat like a creep.

Maybe No Open Bar Then

There are two types of people in this world. The kind that needs quite a bit of liquid courage to get up and give a speech at a wedding, and the kind who needs to be sequestered from every drop of alcohol on earth before making any kind of public appearance.

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But if everyone is being real, would having an unhinged Joker-like character at a wedding really be so bad? Most weddings are incredibly boring and unmemorable, but if some drunk dude showed up in full face paint screaming about someone called Harvey Dent then at least that would be some solid and memorable entertainment.

You Never Go Full Nic Cage

Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the most beloved and iconic movie performances in the history of film, and with good reason. His willingness to commit to the role was so intense that he really did come close to going full Nicolas Cage. But you never, ever go full Nicolas Cage!

Only Nicolas Cage can go full Nicolas Cage, and even the man himself really shouldn't do it half the time. Joaquin Phoenix seems like the kind of actor with the skill set who can at least avoid paling in comparison to Heath Ledger's Joker, but it would have been interesting to see Mr. Cage tackle that role too.

Gotta Grind Though

You know, a lot of people love the Joker, especially the Joker in The Dark Knight, for a lot of different reasons. But something that the Joker never seems to get his proper accolades for is his pretty solid work ethic.

We mean he talks a big game about creating complete chaos and embracing your inner madness, but he's always making some pretty big moves. And of course, big moves usually require a lot of planning and work. So next time anyone is struggling to motivate themselves then it's always good to be reminded of the fact that even the Joker has got to buckle down and grind sometimes.

So Kat Stratford = Harley Quinn?

Because honestly, Kat Stratford being the alternate universe version of Harley Quinn is an idea we can really get behind, especially considering how dirty Harley was done in Suicide Squad. Don't get us wrong, Margot Robbie is amazing and Harley is too, it's just... her relationship with the Joker in Suicide Squad was lacking to say the least.

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And Heath Ledger's Joker may be a complete maniac, but we don't think he'd be near the level of abusive creeper that Jared Leto's Joker was for Harley. Kat Stratford could truly the feminist icon Harley Quinn that we all deserve.

The Hug-xpert

Okay, while we appreciate anyone's ability to put a good value on their skills and abilities, this particular meme raises a lot of questions. To be more specific, what in god's name is a deluxe hug?

This is actually a beyond brilliant business plan, because two dollars is not a lot to ask and it seems like a safe bet that a lot of people would pay that two dollars just to learn what in the hell a deluxe hug actually is. And maybe that is supposed to be the joke! So this meme has really achieved some meme-ception here. And Inception is also a Christopher Nolan movie so the meme-ception has been meme-ceptioned!

The Sickest Burn

Watching Batman and the Joker square off in The Dark Knight is undeniably one of the most fun experiences that anyone can have in the cinema, and there is a good reason why The Dark Knight is still held up as the be-all, end-all of comic book movies even though there have been dozens of DCCU and MCU films since.

However one thing that The Dark Knight was sorely lacking was a simple game of the dozens, Bruce Wayne versus the Joker. That may have been an unfair fight though, since Bruce is downright humorless and the Joker undoubtedly has decades worth of yo momma jokes saved up for just such an occasion.

NEXT: Every Batman Movie, Ranked By Rotten Tomatoes Score