Heath Ledger's Joker Is the All-Time Best Batman Villain, Argues New Video Essay

Jared Leto’s take as the new, heavily tattooed Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad may have been divisive — at least, for the scant minutes he was even in the film — but a new 11-minute critical essay video (watch it above) makes the case that comic-book fans shouldn’t be too disappointed, given that they’ve already been blessed with Heath Ledger’s definitive version of the Clown Prince of Crime.

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Lessons From the Screenplay’s Michael Tucker lays out a detailed argument about whyThe Dark Knight’s Joker is the ideal Batman antagonist — and, more so, how it’s his presence that truly elevates Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film to the level of greatness. “The Dark Knight — Creating the Ultimate Antagonist” explores the specific reasons why Ledger’s baddie is so perfectly paired with Christian Bale’s cowled do-gooder — from the Joker’s strategy of using Batman’s moral code (i.e. his refusal to kill) against him (while he has no code himself), to his deployment of various situations (like the kidnapping of Rachel Dawes) that can’t be resolved simply through physical might. Moreover, Tucker argues that this Joker is truly great because he and Batman ultimately covet the same thing: the soul of Gotham City.

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It’s an astute piece of video criticism that uses copious clips from Nolan’s The Dark Knight to underline its contentions; tossing in a not-so-subtle dig at Leto’s recent turn as the DC Comics villain in Suicide Squad — still in theaters! — doesn’t hurt either.

Watch ‘The Dark Knight’ trailer: