Joker: Laugh Riot is a new animated series following Joker's search for Batman's killer

In the 1993 episode of Batman: The Animated Series “The Man Who Killed Batman,” an unremarkable criminal seemingly kills Batman by pushing him into an exploding gas tank. The Joker doesn’t buy it and decides to rob a museum to see if Batman will show up to stop him. When he doesn’t, the Joker just puts the stolen goods back and laments, "Without Batman, crime has no punchline." Now that setup is being turned into a new adult animated series, announced at the Annecy Festival on June 24.

Image: Warner Bros.

In Joker: Laugh Riot, Batman is murdered and the Clown Prince of Crime goes on a ruthless crusade through Gotham’s underworld to try to find his killer. Joker becomes more vigilante than villain, and has to figure out who he is without his greatest adversary. Maybe he’ll take a page from the Joker in Harley Quinn, who gave up crime for a while to become mayor of Gotham. Yasuhiro Aoki (Batman: Gotham Knight, ChaO) directs the series, with Batman: Gotham by Gaslightand Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths writer Jim Krieg serving as executive producer.

Warner Bros. Animation has not provided a timeline or network for Joker: Laugh Riot or Absolute Batman, an adult animated series based on Scott Snyder’s hit comic book series that was announced at the same Annecy panel. However, Batman fans have plenty to look forward to with Batman: Caped Crusaderseason 2 streaming on Prime Video on July 31 and Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfallreleasing later this year.

Warner Bros. is also working on a slate of other DC animated shows, including the My Adventures with Supermanspin-off My Adventures with Green Lantern, a Mister Miracle show, and an untitled kids' show focused on the superpowered pup Krypto.

Warner Bros. Animation provided Polygon’s accommodations for the Annecy Film Festival as part of a partnership. Polygon paid for its own travel. Read more about Polygon’s ethics policy here.