DC's Giant Anime Leap: Joker "Laugh Riot" and Absolute Batman Series Are Coming!
DC is reshuffling the deck in the world of animation and lining up massive projects that will excite fans. With an announcement made at the "World's Finest Animation" panel held at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the first solo anime series starring the prince of crime, Joker, titled Joker: Laugh Riot, was officially confirmed. Produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Animation, DC Studios, and SOLA Entertainment, this production aimed at adults will explore the most iconic villain in the DC universe from a perspective we have never seen before.
Joker: Laugh Riot invites viewers into a highly shocking and subversive story. At the center of the series lies the murder of Batman; however, the person who committed this murder is not the Joker. Having lost his greatest rival and the meaning of his life, Joker embarks on a savage and ruthless hunt in Gotham's underworld to find Batman's killer. During this process, the character's transformation from a villain into more of a vigilante and his confrontation with the question "Who am I really without Batman?" will be explored. The series is directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, known for his work on the film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Another major bombshell of the festival was Absolute Batman. Adapted from the comic book of the same name, which is one of DC's most successful publishing initiatives in recent years and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide, the series will be an animation aimed at adults. With the original comic creator Scott Snyder serving as showrunner, this production will depict Bruce Wayne in an unconventional way: as a working-class hero without his mansion, inheritance, or technological toys. In this new reality called the Absolute Universe, we will see Batman engaged in a much tougher and more physical struggle.
These moves by DC show how strategic their anime journey, which previously began with productions like Suicide Squad ISEKAI and Batman Ninja, has become. The panel also announced a new Krypto series for children, which will be directed by C.H. Greenblatt, the creator of Chowder. While Joker: Laugh Riot is currently in production, the Absolute Batman and Krypto projects are in the development phase. For DC fans, the coming years will be quite active with both dark psychological dramas and action-packed animations.
