The Batman vs Joker conflict is one of the most legendary rivalries in fiction. Batman represents order and justice. Joker represents chaos and anarchy. However, both represent ridiculous fashion choices for grown men not attending a Halloween party. Over the years, we have seen the battle between the two archenemies play out in comics, in cartoons, and on the big screen across various versions of Gotham city.
Naturally, their numerous and varied interactions have provided fresh fodder for the internet looking for its next target to immortalize in meme form. Here are 10 hilarious memes about the bat and the clown going at it with each other:
Batman Is The One Who Knocks
Imagine if the Joker tried to tell Batman a knock-knock joke. and you know he must have tried to, at some point during one of their innumerable battles. And Batman's only response is to cut the joke off right in the middle. Because when you're Batman, the identity of the knocker is irrelevant. If you're a villain, you're going to get your ass kicked, regardless of size or gender.
The meme serves to highlight one of the most entertaining aspects of the Batman/Joker relationship: That the most serious and pokerfaced superhero has an archenemy who is literally incapable of keeping a straight face or keep from cracking constant jokes.
The Biggest Question
Why doesn't Batman simply kill the Joker to prevent him from committing more crimes? This question has been asked ad nauseum by fans every time the Joker commits an even more horrifically violent act than before. Finally, Jason Todd, former Robin turned villain after getting beaten to death by the Joker and then resurrected, dared to ask Batman this question in-comic.
Batman then explained that his rigid moral code disallows him from taking a life, even the Joker's, since committing one murder might break Batman's resolve, and lead him on to killing every criminal he spots.
Gritty Vs Goofy
Christopher Nolan's Batman films were famous for finally bringing the caped crusader into the real world, away from his early live-action version whose over-the-top cartoonish shenanigans made Adam West's Batman the coolest caped crusader of the '60s.
This meme reimagines if Nolan's ultra-serious Batman was to meet a Joker from simpler times. Specifically, back when Batman appeared on TV with Robin and the Dynamic Duo were not above using Bat-poles, Bat-shark-repellant and even dancing a jig or two with their enemies in the interests of justice.
The Clown Rehabilitated
The Joker can never be reformed. In his own way, he is as incorruptible as Batman. He is as dedicated to causing chaos as the Dark Knight is to maintaining order. And the few times that the villain has appeared to have turned over a new leaf, it has always turned out be a ploy to cause even more devastation.
This meme reimagines a Joker who has been finally convinced to become a good citizen and get a job as a Ronald McDonald knockoff employee at the burger joint. But you can tell he is still plotting mischief of some kind. That twisted clown smile indicates that there will soon be news of multiple McDonald's customers getting poisoned.
The Joker's Dame
As the movie Suicide Squad showed us, making comments of an indecent nature about Harley Quinn in front of the Joker is a sure shot way to lose your life quickly and painfully. And yet, Batman is probably the one guy who can make that kind of a joke about the Joker's girlfriend and the Clown Prince of Crime can only glare resentfully.
To add insult to injury, Harley often goes out of her way to flirt with Batman in front of Joker just to get a rise out of him. Must make the Joker wonder about those two...
Batman's Sad Party
The Joker and Batman are often said to be unable to exist without each other. In a lot of ways, even though he would never admit it, the Joker is the closest thing that Batman has to an equal and a foe whom he considers on his own level in terms of intelligence and the danger posed by him. Meanwhile, the Joker has no problem professing his undying adoration for Batman to anyone who would listen.
So it makes a twisted sort of sense that Batman's birthday party would warrant a visit from the mad clown. And that would truly be an occasion for the 'Sad Batfleck' meme to make a return.
The Other Clown
Can you imagine how pissed Joker would be if he ever found out that Batman was two-timing him with another psychotic clown that has taken over pop culture recently? Although it would be interesting to see both Batman and Joker dealing with a supernatural threat like Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
Sure, the clown from Derry has superhuman strength and shape-shifting abilities, but he operates on the basis of his prey's worst fears. Batman is completely fearless, while Joker is too demented to feel any fear even in the face of death. This is one fictional crossover match-up that promises to be very interesting.
Batman Does Not Appreciate This Joke
The Joker is always looking for ways to throw Batman off his game. Even if that means stripping off his pants and flashing Batman right through the Batcomputer, probably with Alfred trying hard to look away in the background.
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Nothing would incense the Batman more than trying to talk tough with his arch-enemy while all the time desperately trying not to make eye contact with his nether regions. We're pretty sure Batman would switch the call from video to voice-only as soon as possible.
Goodbye You Impostor
What every current Batman fan wants to see happen. Jared Leto may be an Oscar-winning actor, but everyone agrees his Joker in Suicide Squad was a huge misfire. What was worse was that it was believed that Leto's Joker would be a permanent fixture in the DCEU.
With Joaquin Phoenix stepping into the role of the Joker for his new origin movie, and his performance drawing rave reviews from every critic who has seen the movie so far, fans can only hope that Phoenix's Joker will smack the edginess out of Leto's Joker and send him packing, taking his place in the DCEU.
The Eternal Conflict
It is difficult to imagine Batman without Joker. The two are like the Bert and Ernie of DC Comics if Bert was a psychotic clown and Ernie dressed up in tights to beat him up. We can easily imagine Batman retiring to an old folk's home, only to find that the Joker has somehow wormed his way into the establishment.
Now, the two must continue their deadly dance well into their twilight years, only occasionally taking breaks to have their meds or complain about the modern generation.