The Zodiac Crimes The Zodiac Crimes "The Zodiac Crimes" is the 71st episode of the "Batman" television series. It first aired on ABC January 11, 1967 in its second season and repeated June 14, 1967. The first of a three-part story, it was dubbed a ""Batman" special", simultaneously celebrating the show's one-year anniversary and helping to open ABC's "second season." It featured both Cesar Romero as The Joker and Burgess Meredith as The Penguin (dubbed as an "Extra Special Guest Villain"). The Joker pays a visit to Commissioner James Gordon's office at Police HQ and swipes a rare art map. Alerted, Batman and
Batman: The Killing Joke Giordano's invitation led directly to Bolland working with writer Alan Moore to create a plausible background story for the Joker. He recounted, "I thought about it in terms of who's my favorite writer at the moment, what hero I would really love to do, and which villain? I basically came up with Alan, Batman and the Joker". Although the story takes pains to stress that it is merely one possible "origin story" for the Joker, it has been widely accepted and adopted into DC continuity, and a central mutilation of a long-running character had to be specially approved by editor