In 2025 we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker! Batman Beyond started as an animated series and made the jump to comics in 1999, then the direct-to-video animated film came out along with a novelization in the year 2000, and a comic adaptation in 2001. For the occasion, we’ve made this audio drama, inspired by both the animated film and its novelization, bringing the story to the world of audio storytelling.
Step back into Neo-Gotham and experience the chilling return of Batman’s greatest enemy in a brand-new way. This audio drama combines the original screenplay and official novelization based on it, with the performances and music of the film, preserving deleted material, extended character moments and cut scenes that never made it into the final movie. As a result, the project is an expanded, uncensored, uncut, complete story experience.

You can also listen on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAN_K5koF1zgwuFiis-wTafIEJ_6j9AD6&si=_9VLwawIfEutfNpC

Chapters:
00:00 Prologue
02:16 Chapter 1
13:52 Chapter 2
22:06 Chapter 3
31:13 Chapter 4
40:30 Chapter 5
52:15 Chapter 6 (incl. cut scenes)
1:02:16 Chapter 7
1:11:18 Chapter 8
1:19:53 Chapter 9: 35 years ago
1:33:03 Chapter 10
1:44:07 Chapter 11
2:00:34 Chapter 12
2:15:10 Epilogue
2:20:08 Credits

Novelization by Michael Teitelbaum
Based on the original script by Paul Dini
Original story by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami

Animated movie produced by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami and directed by Curt Geda
Characters voiced by 
Will Friedle as Terry McGinnis / Batman
Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne
Mark Hamill as The Joker
Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn
Angie Harmon as Barbara Gordon
Tara Strong as Batgirl
Dean Stockwell as Tim Drake
Mathew Valencia as Robin
Melissa Joan Hart as Dee Dee
Don Harvey as Chucko
Michael Rosenbaum as Ghoul
Frank Welker as Woof
Henry Rollins as Bonk
Rachael Leigh Cook as Chelsea
Teri Garr as Mary McGinnis
Ryan O'Donohue as Matt McGinnis
Lauren Tom as Dana Tan
Vernee Watson-Johnson as Ms. Carr
Mark Jonathan Davis as V.R. Newsman
and Mary Cheer as Mrs. Tim Drake 
Original voice performances directed by Andrea Romano

Music from the Batman Beyond series composed by Lolita Ritmanis and Michael McCuistion
Return of the Joker soundtrack composed by Kristopher Carter, featuring a performance by Kenny Wayne Shepherd

“Crash” song written by Mephisto Odyssey, Wayne Static and Julien Morris, 
and performed by Mephisto Odyssey featuring Static-X

Original sound design by Robert Hargreaves 
Original foley by Gary Marullo
 
Novelization adapted by Z. Nikolaev and read for you by Benjamin David
Audio production, additional sound design and sound editing by Z. Nikolaev
Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation 
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker novelization originally published by Scholastic Inc. 
Batman and all related titles, characters, and indicia are trademarks of DC Comics.

Thank you for listening!

You can follow Ben’s YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@bdavidstudios/videos
and the Above and Batman Beyond podcast here:
https://linktr.ee/aboveandbatmanbeyond


Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Audio Drama (FULL)

I'm a Bulgarian music producer, sound designer, podcast and audiobook editor.

Mr. Z

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