The Villains Steal The Show
The Joker, Venom, Carnage, Deadshot and Deathstroke — the books where the villain is the main character.
9 picksGrab any pick — one click
Tap Buy to open the store, or the title for the full review.
- 1Batman: The Killing Joke DeluxeThe definitive Joker story in a proper hardcover.Buy
- 2
Batman: Three JokersA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 3
Harley Quinn: Mad LoveA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 4
Maximum CarnageA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 5
Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 1: RexA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 6
Deadpool Kills the Marvel UniverseA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 7
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year OneA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 8
Deathstroke: The ProfessionalA definitive collected edition — real print, real cover, straight to your shelf.Buy - 9
Pop! Joker (Leaping)The shelf-army staple — a real Funko Pop! Joker (Leaping) for your collection, photographed from Funko's official catalog.Buy
Why this packRead the explainerHide
Why these picks belong together
Superhero stories are only as good as the people ruining them, and these are the books that hand the villain the wheel. They're grouped together because they all do the same trick: take a character you've only ever seen lose, and make you understand why they keep coming back. Perfect if the heroic stuff has started feeling samey.
How to start
- 1
Start with the Joker books — they're the most famous and the shortest.
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Move to the anti-hero picks when you want a villain you can actually root for.
- 3
Finish with a Joker Pop or statue for the shelf. It's the whole aesthetic in one piece.
Pack FAQ
What is the The Villains Steal The Show?
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The Joker, Venom, Carnage, Deadshot and Deathstroke — the books where the villain is the main character. It's a hand-picked shelf of 9 picks — root for the bad guy.
Where should I start with the The Villains Steal The Show?
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Start with the Joker books — they're the most famous and the shortest. On this page the picks are listed in recommended order, so "Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe" is the one to buy first.
Why do these picks belong together?
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Superhero stories are only as good as the people ruining them, and these are the books that hand the villain the wheel. They're grouped together because they all do the same trick: take a character you've only ever seen lose, and make you understand why they keep coming back. Perfect if the heroic stuff has started feeling samey.
Do I need to read anything else first?
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No. Every pick here is beginner-friendly and reads on its own, so you can start with any of them without prior reading or continuity homework.
How much does the The Villains Steal The Show cost?
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Picks start from around $15 and cover comics, collectibles. Prices change often on Amazon, so each item links straight to its current listing — buy the whole shelf at once or work through it one pick at a time.
Where do these links go?
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Every pick links directly to its Amazon listing. Explaining Superheroes earns a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you — nothing here is paid placement.
Explainers & hubs behind this pack
The lore, the reading order and the hero pages that go with these picks.
- Who Was the First Superhero? The Real AnswerHistory · 6 min
- Why Kryptonite Is Superman's Weakness (It Started on Radio)Explainer · 5 min
- How Batman Beats Superman: The Argument, ExplainedPower scaling · 6 min
- The Speed Force, Explained: Every Rule, Retcon and LoopholeDeep lore · 12 min
- BatmanDC · 181 picks
- JokerDC · 23 picks