Batman vs. Joker—the epic design evolution of cinema’s most iconic rivals

With Joker: Folie á Deux about to hit the big screen, there’s no better time to dive into the wild, ever-changing design evolution of Batman and the Joker. Over the years, these two have gone through more style transformations than a runway show—from dramatic theatrics to gritty realism. But one thing stays the same: their epic rivalry.

Batman’s aesthetic has morphed from gadget-packed camp to serious, brooding darkness, while the Joker? Well, he’s perfected the art of chaos, with every version oozing unhinged humor and that signature brand of madness. So, how can these iconic styles inspire your creative projects? Let’s take a trip down Gotham’s memory lane, exploring the color palettes, fonts, and killer design elements that make Batman and the Joker the dynamic duo of cinematic style.

The storylines, aesthetic choices, and levels of disturbing humor between Batman and the Joker differ throughout the many different ages of Batman comics. The overall uneasy atmosphere formed from Batman and the Joker’s twisted relationship stays the same and is reflected in their key character details and branding. While early Batman comics sport lighter humor and brighter colors, the backgrounds in later comics get darker in themes and colors.

The Batman aesthetic stands out regardless of the era due to his consistent costume complete with pointy ears, a trusty utility belt, the Batman logo emblem, and the Batman color palette: a dark cape and a gray, blue, or black suit.

The Joker aesthetic is characterized by a white clown face, green or black hair, a purple suit, a yellow or green shirt, and an unusually vivid blood-red smile.

Playing cards, broken glass, and ominous cityscapes work well with the speech bubbles, onomatopoeia, and panels typical in comic books.

Full of campy props, costumes, and shenanigans, Leslie H. Martinson’s Batman (1966) starred Adam West as Batman and Cesar Romero as the Joker. This rendition of Batman closely mirrors the ridiculous vibe of the original comics. Similarly, the bright yellows, vibrant magentas, queasy greens, and deep blues tie the film to the original source through their shared color scheme.

Props such as the red rotary phone, total dehydrator, and super molecular dust separator support the comic feel, with even the camera angles aimed at recreating comic book panels. Last but not least, we can’t forget the classic onomatopoeic words BLURP!, SOCK!, ZOWIE! and more when reminiscing about the 1966 Batman. Try these assets to recreate that maximalist design style.

Batman (1989) directed by Tim Burton was the darkest version of Batman when it came out. Gritty, iconic, and with a nod to ‘60s humor, this variation is considered a turning point towards more frightening themes in the Batman and Joker universe. Set against a dreary backdrop of harsh architecture, the Joker color palette stands out, drawing attention to his trademark outfits and making him a major focus of the film.

His purple hat and purple suit—paired with his green hair, clown makeup, and acid flower—create a garish tension with his surroundings and with Batman, in his classic black suit and neon Batman emblem. Meanwhile, the renowned Batmobile’s slick, streamlined design matches the dark, sleek mood of Gotham.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) is often regarded as one of the best Batman movies to date. That’s thanks to an impressive combination of detective noir, comic-book adaptation, and the culmination of the momentum from the first season of Batman: The Animated Series.

The film centers Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming Batman rather than the Joker, and it brings back many of the original Batman elements such as the bat signal, the black and grey suit with a blue sheen, and his gloves with shaped edges. Reflective of ’90s animation, the softer all-around Batman color palette let the colors meld well in each shot and made way for the Joker’s acid-spewing flower to be bright pink.

Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) features Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger portraying an entirely new Joker. The roles of hero and villain dissolve into a field of moral grays as the movie explores a world of injustice. Ledger’s Joker aesthetic is messier than we’ve seen before, with limp, greasy hair, runny makeup, and a creepy, lip-licking habit making him one of the most malicious, maniacal Jokers.

A complementary color palette of orange and blue emphasizes the contrast between Batman’s sorrowful attitude and the Joker’s volatile personality in this world of destruction. Police cars and officers, along with incendiary explosions, are recurring elements in the film. The edgy, bleak world is the perfect background for the questions the movie poses about the relative sanity of heroes and villains.

A break from the bleak premises of other Batman movies, The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) is a hilarious, relatable parody of Batman as a whole. Both Batman and the Joker are clever stereotypes of themselves, and their color palettes push this effect further. The return to the bright palette reminiscent of the ’60s Batman film and the early comics reflect the lighter themes with nearly zero consequences. Batman’s color palette stands out as usual as he is the darkest-costumed character.

The Joker’s color palette, on the other hand, thrives on the green brilliance of his hair contrasted with his purple suit. Fast-paced and delightfully choppy, the movie’s mood matches the building-block nature of LEGO.

In Todd Phillips’s Joker (2019), the controversial clown’s backstory and color story deviates from what the general public knows. Moving towards reds and turquoises rather than purples and greens indicates a character change as we follow Arthur on his journey to becoming the Joker. His characteristic purple jacket is now red, and his smile, while only figuratively bloody before, has become truly bloody.

The Joker: Folie á Deux (2024) movie poster further deviates in color palette, tending more towards a cooler red and lighter turquoise. This could indicate a larger departure from what we’ve known about the Joker before. The logos and fonts for Joker and Joker: Folie á Deux embrace the gritty texture of earlier Batman films with a little more blood spatter. Check out fonts similar to the Joker font below!

As the Batman and Joker aesthetics grow over time, they have become a living and breathing mark of the eras they were created in. With Joker: Folie á Deux coming out in a few weeks, there are many elements to explore from the different styles found in Batman and Joker narratives.

For more movie and comic book inspiration, discover how to turn a photo into comic-book art in Photoshop and learn about the Tim Burton aesthetic.