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| Publisher |
DC |
| Writer |
J. M. DeMatteis |
| Penciler |
Joe Staton |
| Cover Artist |
Joe Staton |
| Inker |
Steve Mitchell |
| Colorist |
Digital Chameleon |
| Letterer |
Willie Schubert |
| Published | September 1994 |
GOING SANE PART 1 - INTO THE RUSHING RIVER On a bright, sunny Saturday in the neighborhood of Park Ridge, the citizens of Gotham City are treated to a passing parade. The people are especially into a clown doing his tricks and gags as he fumbles his juggling balls on the ground. Oblivious to the spectators is that the clown is the Joker and the fumbled balls are explosives. The destruction leaves four dead and seventeen injured. Later that night, after foiling a robbery, Batman is on the scene investigating. Knowing that the Batman is on his trail, the Joker, posing as a cab driver, kidnaps Councilwoman Elizabeth Kenner, who has been working late that night. He takes her to the Comedia Theater, where he subjects her to various comedic acts of the 1920s and 1930s. After seeing that the councilwoman is not laughing, he violently beats her. Joker makes his presence known, mimicking the Bat-Signal with a Joker Signal. Batman easily takes him down, only to see that it's not him, but a small-time hood named Frank Maguire. Maguire gives Batman a map upstate to where Joker has Kenner. Joker's tactics begin to further infuriate Batman. Batman takes his Bat-Copter upstate to a cabin in the woods, where Joker is holding Kenner at gunpoint. Without warning, Joker shoots Kenner, but it turns out to be just a blow-up doll, as he had released her hours ago in the cold woods. Before Batman can take him down, Joker escapes via a trap door. Batman suddenly realizes from a clue that Joker gave him that the cabin is wired with explosives. Before he can act, Batman is caught in the explosion, leaving him half dead and half unmasked. Joker doesn't buy it, and demands Batman to get up. With no movement at all from Batman, Joker finally accepts that he's dead and dumps his body into a river and with a somewhat sad feeling watches as he floats away. Joker returns to the Comedia Theater in Gotham and accepts the fact that since there is no more Batman, there is no need to continue with his run as the Joker. He blows up the theater and contemplates getting a job and doing something about his skin condition. Back upstate, two kids run to Dr. Lynn Eagles' house and tell her they found a near-dead man lying beside the river.
