Pre-Crisis Primer: The Circus Doesn't Come to Gotham City Anymore

Batman 365-366

Detective Comics 532

“Joker's Wild”

I also have a spotlight that shines my name on buildings.

Batman versus the Joker. If there's a more intense or well-known rivalry in comics, or fiction for that matter, I'm not able to think of one. Seven stories into what will be a long series of Batman tales and we already run afoul of The Joker. He'll show up often, get used to it.

Vale is as badass as Lois Lane here. Why didn't she catch on?

Gotham City photojournalist Vicki Vale, also estranged girlfriend of Bruce Wayne, mostly because she was tired of taking his shit and promptly left his ass, requested an assignment out of the city and was sent to Guatemala to cover an ongoing civil war between the current government and a well-armed rebel contingent. Quickly after arriving in the country, Vale is captured by 'rebels' but manages to get a note off to some tourists before she's taken away. The note makes its way to Gotham City and eventually to The Batman who leaves Jason Todd behind and takes off on a tear to Guatemala.

His face on the train: just in case you didn't get it the first time.

Summing up the plot as succinctly as possible: The Joker has been in the area for a while stirring the pot; supplying rebel raid and then  tipping the government to rebel movements, as well as disguising some of his own mercenary henchmen as one side or the other to cause no small amount of mayhem or ruckus. Batman gets involved and is engaged in both rescuing Vicki Vale from a runaway train (said train happens to be emblazoned with The Joker's grinning visage) and fighting Joker on top of an ancient temple as the Guatemalan government and rebels team up against Joker's mercenaries. All this and Jason Todd makes an appearance as Robin.

He'll cal you an asshole won't you get back to Wayne Manor.

Batman may resent Jason's appearing in Dick Grayson's old identity, but it doesn't discount the fat that Robin does appear.

This is a run-of-the-mill Batman plot. Like the last two Batman stories we've done, the main plot is less of a draw than the over-arching sub-plots. I'm still less interested in Batman than I am the rocky relationship of Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale as well as the development of Jason Todd as Robin. As basic as the main plot is, I found myself caught up The Joker's antics, as I usually do. Joker's big plan this time around is to destabilize both the government and the rebels, take over the country and then turn it into one giant amusement park. I love that about The Joker: his highly detailed criminal plots seemingly happening on a lark. He's like a terminal dreamer who has the ability to devote all his energy to every idea that runs through his mind and do his best to bring it to fruition.

I think this will work out alright.

If not for all the murder, The Joker might be someone to respect. The American dreamer, always pursuing every idea he has to the tune of profit and success.