5 reasons Birds Of Prey was DC’s most underrated TV show

4. Clown Prince of Crime’s Last Stand

Though captured and off-screen mostly, Mr. J (voiced by Mark Hamill yet again) kept his presence felt and his schemes active, by proxy and with a couple of his own bullets.

Despite his organization getting “crushed” — at least according to Barbara — by Batman’s efforts, New Gotham was spared little of his chaos and madness in the end. Joker set in motion two acts of extreme vengeance against the Bat-family to get the last laugh in his truest fashion before he was ultimately apprehended and locked away forever.

First, he sends Clayface — who was strictly a petty criminal and hitman that could change his face but showed no sign of his usual range of abilities — to murder Selina Kyle in the street in front of Helena.

Then Joker pays a visit to Barbara Gordon personally. Knocking on her door, he shoots and paralyzes her much like in The Killing Joke, except he knows she’s Batgirl. He punctuates his dastardly deed with a knock-knock joke that classifies Barbara’s superhero career as “past tense” and his signature, maniacal cackle ensues.

Say what you will about the show as far as quality, the number of accurate renderings of the Joker’s arguably most heinous act ever has been few. The Birds of Prey TV series is one of the ones surprisingly to get it right.