Warner Bros. Animation has announced Joker: Laugh Riot, a new adult animated series that reimagines the iconic villain as a detective searching for Batman's murderer. The premise draws inspiration from the 1993 Batman: The Animated Series episode "The Man Who Killed Batman," where the Joker expressed his existential crisis upon Batman's apparent demise. In "Laugh Riot," this concept is expanded, with the Joker embarking on a ruthless quest through Gotham's criminal element to uncover who is responsible for his nemesis's death.
![Joker standing beside a shark in a tank in “The Laughing Fish” from Batman: The Animated Series](/images/5G1poPUzTEb7 "The Laughing Fish" from Batman: The Animated Series)
The series sees the Joker questioning his own identity and purpose without his greatest adversary. This departure from his usual criminal endeavors echoes the direction taken by the Joker in the series Harley Quinn, who briefly pursued a political career as Gotham's mayor. Yasuhiro Aoki, known for his work on Batman: Gotham Knight and ChaO, is directing Joker: Laugh Riot. Jim Krieg, a writer for Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, is serving as executive producer.
While Warner Bros. Animation has not yet revealed a release date or network for Joker: Laugh Riot, it was announced at the Annecy Festival on June 24 alongside Absolute Batman, another adult animated series based on Scott Snyder's comic series. Batman enthusiasts have additional animated content to anticipate, including the second season of Batman: Caped Crusader, which is set to stream on Prime Video on July 31, and Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall, slated for release later this year. The studio is also developing other DC animated projects, such as a My Adventures with Superman spin-off titled My Adventures with Green Lantern, a Mister Miracle series, and an untitled children's show featuring Krypto the Super-Dog.