# Batman Dark Knight Returns animated movie: Why is Joker so young?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 13, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234 "2013-02-13T23:51:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/1 "2013-02-13T23:51:36Z")
So I’ve been watching the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns animated movies. Just started part 2 - and I’m not understanding why Joker is a kid. Batman is an old guy, so is the Commish, in fact, he’s retiring, but joker looks like he needs to be in doing his homework on a school day.
What gives? Is there another animated movie I missed?
I did watch another one… don’t remember what it was called, but it was terrible anime BS, so I never finished it.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/2 "2013-02-13T23:58:03Z")
Most of the DC animated releases have been pretty good, and I really enjoyed TDKR part 1. Thanks for the headzup that part 2 is out. Will comment on Joker age issues after viewing.
Part 1 got the “awakening” of Joker in Arkham dead-bang scary.
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### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/3 "2013-02-14T00:29:55Z")
I’m hoping Netflix puts up the original animated series for streaming at some point.
That’s some amazing stuff. And the voice work - those are the canonical voices for me, personally.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/4 "2013-02-14T00:48:18Z")
[Adam West and Casey Kasem?](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062544/)
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### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/5 "2013-02-14T01:02:03Z")
Oh god no!
> **[Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series 1992–1995) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103359/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm)**
>
> Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series 1992–1995) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/6 "2013-02-14T01:08:16Z")
If it were in the Arkham video game continuity, I’d say that
Sandman was trying out a new look and wanted the benefits of youth.
(Spoiling the [second] game for those who don’t get it.)
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### Author:  [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/7 "2013-02-14T01:09:43Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> So I’ve been watching the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns animated movies. Just started part 2 - and I’m not understanding why Joker is a kid. Batman is an old guy, so is the Commish, in fact, he’s retiring, but joker looks like he needs to be in doing his homework on a school day.
>
> What gives? Is there another animated movie I missed?
He’s as old as Bats under the make-up; I didn’t think he looked young at all. He wasn’t a mess like Catwoman, but he certainly didn’t look like a kid. People say you look younger when you smile…
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### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/8 "2013-02-14T02:34:34Z")
> [@epbrown01](#):
>
> He’s as old as Bats under the make-up; I didn’t think he looked young at all. He wasn’t a mess like Catwoman, but he certainly didn’t look like a kid. People say you look younger when you smile…
No way.
Looky here:
[ ](https://thebatmanuniverse.net/image/Movie/News/02-Animated/16-The%20Dark%20Knight%20Returns/Screenshots/Joker%201.jpg)
[ ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6awHR5sbOk/UN8eCoG5zlI/AAAAAAAAYO8/3EdYoWSpspg/s1600/dvd-batman-the-dark-knight-returns-part-2-joker-wallpaper.jpg)
For contrast: Commishhioner Gordon: [http://images.wikia.com/batman/images/0/08/Commissioner\_Gordon\_in\_Batman-The\_Dark\_Knight\_Returns\_Part\_1.jpeg](http://images.wikia.com/batman/images/0/08/Commissioner_Gordon_in_Batman-The_Dark_Knight_Returns_Part_1.jpeg)
Old fat batman: [http://fwooshflix.com/files/2013/02/Batman-in-Batman-The-Dark-Knight-Returns-Part-2-2013-Movie-Image-e1359766803359.jpg](http://fwooshflix.com/files/2013/02/Batman-in-Batman-The-Dark-Knight-Returns-Part-2-2013-Movie-Image-e1359766803359.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/9 "2013-02-14T02:59:02Z")
Maybe being catatonic for a decade helps your appearance - no worry lines and such.
The Joker’s not a “kid” in the movie. Think of it as an artistic fail that they didn’t convey his age properly, if you must.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/10 "2013-02-14T03:42:48Z")
In the GN, Miller’s Joker is visibly a correspondingly-aged person, though the look varies depending on his situation and IMO he actually looks older in the scenes where he does wear make-up:
At Arkham: [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/radical\_jojo/ComicScans/whatkindofbombs.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/radical_jojo/ComicScans/whatkindofbombs.jpg)
On a Media Tour: [http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/841/841564/dark-knight-joker-close\_1197658250.jpg](http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/841/841564/dark-knight-joker-close_1197658250.jpg)
[http://jaypgreene.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/joker-on-dave.jpg](http://jaypgreene.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/joker-on-dave.jpg)
Vs. Selina: [http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/378/12745306661e347d99e9b39.jpg](http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/378/12745306661e347d99e9b39.jpg)
Fighting: [http://bigotherbigother.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/inking-05.jpg](http://bigotherbigother.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/inking-05.jpg)
(And through that entire work Miller doesn’t bother to stay too closely on-model, since the overall style involves switching from merely stylized to caricaturesque and back from panel to panel…)
I suppose that the animation intended to show him smoothed over with pancake makeup , and they decided to be more restrained with signaling it through increased angularity of features, but because of flatness of rendition you don’t get the whole look.
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### Author:  [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/11 "2013-02-14T04:58:42Z")
I’d have a much bigger problem with Gordon, who looks pretty much the same as always. They pretty much had Bruce catch up with him, rather than have him get older. If he used some Grecian Formula he’d look pretty much like he did in Batman: Year One with his first wife. Within the constraints of animation and mimicking Miller’s drawing style, eh, the Joker looked older to me.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/12 "2013-02-14T13:29:23Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#):
>
> In the GN, Miller’s Joker is visibly a correspondingly-aged person, though the look varies depending on his situation and IMO he actually looks older in the scenes where he does wear make-up:
>
> At Arkham: [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/radical\_jojo/ComicScans/whatkindofbombs.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/radical_jojo/ComicScans/whatkindofbombs.jpg)
>
> On a Media Tour: [http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/841/841564/dark-knight-joker-close\_1197658250.jpg](http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/841/841564/dark-knight-joker-close_1197658250.jpg)
> [http://jaypgreene.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/joker-on-dave.jpg](http://jaypgreene.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/joker-on-dave.jpg)
Oh man, I had completely forgotten that he appears on the David Letterman (Endocrine) show in the graphic novel. Complete with Paul making terribly lame jokes.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/13 "2013-02-14T14:57:13Z")
Watched this last night, and thanks again for letting me know it was released.
I think the biggest problem is Joker’s voice sounds much too young, but I didn’t have any impression that he was significantly younger than Bats/Bruce.
They did rearrange the ending a little - a bit disneyfied in spots - but got a huge amount of the effort just right. I’m pleased with it. Maybe someday they’ll redub it with Conroy and Hamill. 😃
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### Author:  [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/14 "2013-02-14T20:33:13Z")
> [@NitroPress](#):
>
> Watched this last night, and thanks again for letting me know it was released.
>
> I think the biggest problem is Joker’s voice sounds much too young, but I didn’t have any impression that he was significantly younger than Bats/Bruce.
>
> They did rearrange the ending a little - a bit disneyfied in spots - but got a huge amount of the effort just right. I’m pleased with it. Maybe someday they’ll redub it with Conroy and Hamill. 😃
When Miller wrote it, he pictured Clint Eastwood as Bruce Wayne/Batman - I wish they’d gotten him to voice it.
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### Author:  [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-dark-knight-returns-animated-movie-why-is-joker-so-young/650234/15 "2013-02-16T05:40:47Z")
> [@epbrown01](#):
>
> When Miller wrote it, he pictured Clint Eastwood as Bruce Wayne/Batman - I wish they’d gotten him to voice it.
That’s just about the worst thing I can imagine for that role. I don’t want my Eastwood mixed up with my Batman. It would give me _Bat with No Name_ weird-ass nightmares.