BATMAN #1 - "The Joker"
The Joker got off to a strong start with not one but two stories in the very first issue of Batman. No clown, he, but a psychopathic thief and serial killer from the very beginning whose murders were nothing short of inventive. The "Joker" playing card is introduced as his symbol. I first read this in "treasury edition" format was I was ten years old.
1st murder: Henry Claridge for the Claridge diamond. The Joker announced on the radio that the murder would happen at midnight. Despite a cordon of police, Claridge dropped dead at the stroke of midnight, his face distorted into a ghastly grin. Actually, the diamond had been stolen the night before and Claridge injected with a dose of "Joker venom" which was timed to act in exactly 24 hours.
2nd murder: Jay Wilde for the Ronker's ruby. Also announced in advance over the radio, this time the Joker hid inside a suit of armor, knocked out the police guards with a non-lethal version of Joker venom in gas form, and killed Wilde with a blow dart.
3rd murder: Brute Nelson, a rival crime boss. Joker walked into an obvious trap and simply shot him, but Batman was stalking the place as well. The Joker defeats Batman in hand-to-hand combat and escapes.
4th murder: Judge Drake for revenge. This time the Joker disguises himself as the chief of police and kills the judge while playing cards. Batman and Robin have the judge's house staked out, Robin in front and Batman in back, but the Joker leaves from the front and Robin follows him to his hideout. Batman trails Robin, confronts the Joker and is again defeated.
5th murder (thwarted): Otto Drexel for the Cleopatra necklace. Batman is the to meet him when he attempts to break into Drexel's penthouse. Joker empties his gun into Batman's bullet-proof vest, then jumps to an adjoining construction site where Robin is waiting. Robin kicks Joker off the scaffolding, but Batman catches him, knocks him out and turns him over to the police. In his cell, the Joker already plots his escape.
Replies
BATMAN #127 - "Batman's Super-Partner"
Accidently gaining super powers from a machine in the Bat-Cave, Alfred wants to use his powers to aid the Dynamic Duo, but he only hinders, not helps, them against the Joker. I don't have this one, either, but here's what Mark Waid had to say about it: "[In Batman #127] the caped crusader was assisted against the Joker by a new, flying super-doer called the Eagle -- in reality, Alfred the butler. Don't ask."
This I hadda see!
BATMAN #136 - "The Challenge of the Joker"
Batman faces the Joker, who, this time, uses the four basic elements to commit his crimes. When I was researching how many time the Joker appeared between 1957 and 1969, I originally came to the (mistaken) conclusion that I had all of them but three reprinted. The more I looked into it, though, the more I found that I did not have. Once I know the source, though, online synopses are pretty easy to find.
The Joker, listening in on a television lecture by Batman, hears the caped crusader mention that ancient science believed in four elements--earth, fire, air, and water--but modern science has rejected this belief, and modern science has made it impossible for criminals to escape the law for long. The Joker, incensed, challenges Batman by mail to a duel of wits, as he commits crimes based on the ancient elements. He sends as a clue to his first crime a bottle of air. Under analysis, it proves to have traces of burned kerosene, leading Batman to believe the Joker intends to rob a plane of its airmail. This proves to be the case, as the Joker scoops up mail at the airport with a giant vacuum cleaner, then reverses the suction to blow the approaching Batman and Robin into the air. They cling to the lines from a passing blimp and are safe, but the Joker makes a clean getaway. Subsequently, the Joker capitalizes on an earthquake to loot an amusement park and later traps Batman and Robin in a ring of fire shot from the mouth of a huge Joker-faced sky-sled. He taunts them with the information that he is to steal the Linden Necklace next, worn by Jenny Linden in her musical comedy-performance of The Arabian Nights. The performance takes place on a floating stage, suiting the Joker's crime-pattern. With an acrobatic stunt, Robin is able to flip over the fire-ring and drive the Batmobile through to convey Batman out of harms way. Then they arrive on the floating stage in time to thwart the jewel robbery and to trap the Joker in a huge genie-bottle prop. Batman remarks that the Joker forgot a fifth element--the element of surprise.
Starting with the next appearance, I have reprints of the next eight in a row.
BATMAN #148 - "The Joker's Greatest Triumph!"
Joker sends a model of the Flying Dutchman to Batman c/o Commissioner Gordon. Batman deduces that the clue refers to the Dutch jewel merchant Hendrik Van Gort, who's flting to Gotham City tonight with a delivery of precious gems. B&R are hand to thwart the robbery. Batman swings from the Batplane to Joker getaway copter, but Joker deliberately crashes, stunning Batman. While Batman is stunned, Joker removes his mask. The next day, Bruce and Dick peruse the paper, expecting to see Batman's secret identity revealed. Instead, the headline reads: "Joker says he will not reveal Batman's identity unless he is captured!" This leads the media to speculate whether or not Batman will really try to capture the Joker.
The next clue is a model of the Titanic, an obvious reference to "a stone figure of titanic size [which] was dug from the ancient ruins above Gotham City!" (Excuse me? The "ancient ruins above Gotham City"? Whatever.) The statue is being transported by barge, and the Joker has staged the theft at a drawbridge ten miles north of the city. Batman and the Joker both try to capture each other, but neither succeeds. Media speculation runs rampant.
Next, Joker sends a model of the Merrimac, the ship that fought the Monitor during the Cilvil War (see Two-Fisted Tales #31). the Batman figures, "It must refer to the famous clown, Merry Mack, who's appearing at tonight's special circus charity performance! The joker's probably after the collection of rare Eastern ivories to be exhibited in the sideshow tent!" Yeah, I'm sure that's it. That night, Joker's men make a play for the ivories, but Joker himself is nowhere to be seen. Batman comes running onto the scene but is snared by a rope dangled by "Merry Mack" himself, obviously the Joker in disguise. Joker removes Batman's mask to reveal a robot. The the real Batman swings in and captures the Joker.
Later, Batman explains to Robin that Joker never saw his face because "apparently, the light of the airport beacon he was facing was too blinding." Batman figured this out on the Gotham Bridge when Joker tried to capture him. "Why should he do that," Batman asks, "unless he was still trying to discover my identity?" Why, indeed. sounds to me more like wishful thinking than deductive reasoning, but nevertheless, Batman was right.
I MISSED ONE!
...(a fairly important one, too) but I'm inserting it here where it belongs.
WORLD'S FINEST #129 - "Jokler-Luthor, Incorporated!"
this story wastes no time depicting the cover scene as Joker heads to Metropolis and teams up with Luthor to pull three crimes in a row, three days in a row at the new outdoor exhibit grounds. First up is a clock show, then a garden show, then a gem show.
Giant props: Clocks at the clock show, flowers and insects at the garden show. Essentially, the first two crimes were a blind for the third, which was the big haul. The villains' plot involved masquerading as the M.C. to steal the gems, but first they had to take movie images of him from all angles in order to study his movements and make a realistic mask, and then they had to substitute the disguised Luthor for the real M.C. so that he could abscond with the jewels on the third night. It didn't work. this story is "important" in that it's the seconf time the Joker and Luthor have teamed up; the plot itself is kind of screwy.
BATMAN #159 - "The Great Clayface-Joker Feud"
This one's pretty convoluted, but I'll try to hit the highlights.
Clayface has escaped from prison. This is not the original Clayface, actor Basil Karlo, but rather the second Clayface, Matt Hagen, who gained his powers after being immersed in a pool ofstrangwe, liquid protoplasm. He can transform his body into a variety of forms. In their first battle, Batman set off explosives, burying the pool which was the source of Clayface's powers under tons of rock, but Hagen had a small supply hidden elsewhere, which he used to make a synthetic batch. But whereas the original liquid would transform him into Clayface for 48 hours, the synthetic version lasts but five.
First he turns into a giant eagle, which Batman and Robin observe flying into the exposotion hall. inside, Clatface transforms himself first into a "fan with spiked blades," then a "fiery meteor." He escapse wheil B&R deal with the fire he caused. Elsewhere, in a certain underworld hangout, Joker overhears some criminals opining that Clayface is "the top criminal in the country." Joker trash talks Clayface, but word gets back to him. The next night, Batwoman (Kathy Kane) is set to be honored at the "rocket launching site." Specifically, she is to be crowned "Queen of Space," but the Joker interrupts and steals her crown. B&R pursue, but the "Joker" transforms into Clayface. Apparently, he wanted to prove he could essentially "out-Joker the Joker," but when things went south he transformed into a winged sphinx and escaped.
Joker gets wind of this and decides to "out Clayface Clayface" bu donning multiple costumes at once. He enters the African room at the Gotham Museun clad in what is supposed to be some sort of African armor. When B&R arrive, he doffs that costume to become a "huamn hedgehog." He fires quills at B&R (and makes several bad puns), before revealing his final costume, that of a "winged creature" (looks like a dragonfly). Because Clayface had to revert to his own powers to escape while pulling his crime as the Joker, Joker figures he won because he stayed as "Clayface" throughout.
Matt Hagen is pissed. The next day, the Rajah of Tajore is set to honor Batman with a fabulous gen known as the "King of Diamonds." Joker appears on the scene and gasses Batman, but an "iron stanchion" nearby knocks the Joker out from behind. Clayface carries Batman and the Joker away while Robin, Batwoman and Bat-Girl fret. At clayface's hideout, the oker admits that CLayface has won the feud and suggest that they become partners. Her agrees, and the Joker suggests that clayface should remove Batman's mask. He does so, and the part of "Batman's" face covered by the mask is revealed to be clay! Then the "Joker" clocks Clayface, knocking him unconscious.
It turns out that "Joker" was Batman all along, and "Batman" was a robot with clay on it's face. The real Joker was captured by Batwoman and Bat-Girl the night of the museum heist. Hagen is sent ot jail, but taunts Batman with the knowledge that he still has a stash of synthetic Clayface formula stashed away.
Giant props: African drums. Also, there was a model of a miniature city at the exhibition hall, but it was pretty big.
Batman #159 was one of my earliest comic book purchases and my first Batman. All I remember from the issue is one of the stories featured Batwoman and Batgirl while the second, if I remember correctly, was one of the Batman ll stories fabricated by Alfred aka an imaginary story.
BATMAN #163 - "The Joker Jury"
Joker hits on the idea (never mind how) of basing a crime spree on city departments.
Batman and Robin pursue, but fall through a trapdoor when they are imprisoned and put on trial. Not only is Joker the judge, but his men are dressed as "Jokers" and constitute the jury, baliff and prosecuting attorney. Batman is accused of "interferring with the right of individuals to commit crimes. Joker specifically says, "You will stand trial... for your crimes against me!" (and doesn't that sound familiar!). The trial is a farce and Batman is found guilty. He and Robin are sent back to their cell to await sentecing tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Joker heads out for his next "department" crime.
Meanwhile, Batman has ordered tomato soup, steak and ice cream for dinner. He dots Robin's face with the tomato soup to fake small pox. Then they escape and apprehend the Joker.
Final Zinger: Batman quips that Joker has ended up in the Department of Corrections.
Giant props: Vacuum cleaner
DETECTIVE COMICS #332 - "The Joker's Last Laugh!"
Joker's latest crime spree involves "acting out" old jokes such as "Why did the chicken cross the road?" and "Why does a fireman wear red suspenders?" Bystanders, even Batman and Robin, find these jokes so outrageously funny and laugh so hard the Jopker easily escapes. Later, back in the Batcave, B&R discover their costumes are covered with the pollen of "a particularly virulent form of the plant known as loco weed!" (Could this be the earliest of DC's "relevant" comics?) "According to science," reads the Batman, "this species of loco weed when eaten or taken into the body affects the central nervous system... causing fits of various kinds." Actually, I would guess the street value of this "loco weed" would far outweight the Joker's haul of booty.
Consulting Batman's chemistry encyclopedia, "the loco weed effect is similar to an allergic one -- like a swift sneezing, say," so he and Robin decide to prevent to effects by loading up on antihistamines. (An "editor's note" explains that "antihistamine pills are used today to supress the symptoms of hay feaver, the common cold, etc." When next they encounter the Joker, his loco weed has no effect. they give chase, eventually catching hium in front of a suburban police station on the outskirts of Gotham City. But the police station is a front! It is actually a trap prepared by the Joker especially for them.
Deathtrap: As B&R are locking the Joker up, the cell door and floor spins around locking the Dynamic duo inside! The only way out of the cell it to use the key, which the Joker is taking with him. Any other means of escape will blow the cell to smithereens. But the Batman memorized the shape of the key and was able to whittle an exact duplicate out of a wooden stool leg.
Meanwhile, the Joker has gone to the Omega Nucleonics Corporation to steal a $50 million space satellite made of pure gold and platinum, with all of its working parts made with bearings of diamonds and emeralds. They write finis to his crime spree, and Joker gets the titular "last laugh" as all of the other convincts laugh at him.
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