The Man Who Killed Batman - Bat-May

The Man Who Killed Batman has a great concept, introduces a new character interacting with a handful of favorites, and is one of the best Joker episodes of the whole show. This is a must see episode so sit back as Walter continues his deep dive into Batman: The Animated Series.

The Man Who Killed Batman is an episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It is one of the few episodes that doesn't feature Batman as the main character and instead it focuses on Sidney Debris, a new character created exclusively for this episode. "The Man Who Killed Batman" was the 51st produced episode and the 49th episode aired.


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[joedumas]

This episode reminds me of the Mark Twain quote - “The best swordsman in the world doesn't need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn't do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn't prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot.”

[velociraptoryou]

"Without Batman, crime has no punchline."

*Perfection!*

[toganium]

Definitely one of my favorites.
Fun fact: Harley playing the kazoo made everyone in the recording room laugh.

[Alverant]

The line from an earlier episode where Batman says, "Maybe some punk in an alley who gets lucky!" comes to mind.

[NyGeL_Derey]

J: "Batsy! your ok!"
*batpunch*
J: *cough* "I missed you too..."

[brevonsflicksgames]

Joker’s eulogy for Batman is pure gold. Give Mark Hamill a round of applause!

[angmordagnithil]

This episode is perfection. Just... so many good lines.
"No one's that lucky, or stupid!"
"B-but I am!"

[AgeofGrogu]

There is nothing cooler than seeing Mark Hamill live at a convention (over 25 years ago) speak in the Jokers voice the entire eulogy of the death of Batman, in a room with a full audience listening, a memory that will be embedded in my mind as long as i live.

[geardog]

As twisted as he is, Joker gave one hell of a eulogy.

[Nazo-kage]

One of the moments not mentioned that really surprise me as a kid, Was right after joker realizes that not only is Batman might actually be gone but that there’s no spark to committing crimes without him. Harley shows up happily wearing tons of jewelry wanting to show off for the joker,
he actually tells her to just put it all back.

There’s actually a Batman comic where are the joker thinks he actually succeeded in killing Batman, and Batman is gone for months so he’s sure he actually succeeded in the surprising thing is, he becomes sane. He makes himself look like a normal guy and starts acting like it. Even coming to the point of considering settling down and getting married. But when he finds a newspaper that announces the Batman is back he slips back into his old self.

[DawnOfTheOzz]

Well, that episode was fun! Who's for Chinese?

[IBrowneeI]

_”Without Batman crime has no punchline.”_
Mark Hamill has stated several times that that is probably his favourite line he’s ever said as the Joker.
I agree with him. The amount of pure emotion on display from the Joker in this episode, without him being in the typical sort of ‘crazy’ mode he’s usually in, is really something. Seeing that uncertainty of the situation slowly devolve into the joy and happiness being sucked out of the Joker’s life when he realises (or thinks, in this case) that it’s true, and Batman doesn’t turn up, he’s too depressed to even completely go through with the crime he just committed, telling everyone to put their loot back.

God I’d love to see Mark in the booth for this episode. A lot of the special features show him standing and really acting with his body in front of the mic to bring the Joker out, but how different it must’ve been to see for this episode when he had to bring out a sad Joker for the first time.

[wakeangel]

Remember Batman's depression from a few episodes prior? Where he contemplated how he would go down one day, perhaps even to "some punk who gets lucky?" This is that punk. I choose to believe that Batman totally didn't expect this guy to rip his mask off and was forced to retreat to protect his identity and came up with the idea to use him to get at Rupert Thorne when he looked up and saw everyone praising him.

[silvermknight]

"For it was The Batman who made me the happy soul I am today. How I AGONIZED over the perfect way to thank him for that. Perhaps with a cyanide pie in the face. Or maybe an exploding whoopie cushion PLAAAYFULY planted in the Batmobile."

That is The Joker to me.

[Teifling]

"Without Batman, crime has no punchline" this line stuck with me from childhood and is the crux of who the Joker is in my opinion, regardless of what continuity

[jinpei]

"I served you with a subpoena once. It was a small subpoena." 🤣

[captain]

Today is the day Joker cried.
rest in peace Kevin Conroy

[jinpei]

Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer really left his mark on this episode.

One of Mark Hamill's best performances in his entire career, animation or otherwise.

[aidanhever]

It’s a perfectly told tale of what happens when too much recognition comes to the wrong person, at the wrong time.

- Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic)

[DarthArachnious]

One observation I've heard about the Joker is that he doesn't care about the dead. He likes killing. He doesn't care if Batman is dead. He wants to be the one to kill him. He'll be depressed afterwards, but in that moment he'd be bliss itself.