Batman #1: The Legend of the Batman: Who He Is and How He Came To Be; The Joker

Quick answer

Batman #1: The Legend of the Batman: Who He Is and How He Came To Be; The Joker stands out in Gotham Vault because the issue title, character tags, and 1940-04-01 cover date create a distinct entry point into Batman. Readers can use it to jump from this issue into Batman (Bruce Wayne), The Joker, Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Robin (Dick Grayson) and related Batman continuity.

Issue summary

The Legend of the Batman: Who He Is and How He Came To Be - One night, while walking home from the theater, the Wayne family is robbed at gunpoint. When Thomas Wayne tries to intervene, he's shot in the chest. To stop her wailing, the criminal shoots Martha as well. The grisly crime is witnessed by the Wayne's only son, Bruce, who swears to avenge their deaths by spending his entire life "warring on all criminals"! The Joker (The Joker's first appearance) - Radio broadcasts are interrupted by a strange voice claiming to be "The Joker". The Joker warns that at precisely midnight he will kill Henry Claridge and steal the valuable Claridge Diamond. That night, true to his prophecy, and despite a police cordon about the man, Henry Claridge falls dead, his face contorted in a devilish grin, and the Claridge Diamond has disappeared, replaced by an imitation. But that is just the beginning of the Joker's murderous crime spree, and as the most precious jewels in the world are stolen one after another, and the body count continues to mount, both the criminal underworld and crime fighters Batman and Robin set their sights on taking the Joker down! Professor Hugo Strange and the Monsters - When Professor Hugo Strange escapes from prison, he and his henchmen promptly kidnap an asylum full of mental patients. Strange experiments on the mad men, turning them into giant man-monsters which he…

Characters listed for this issue

Batman (Bruce Wayne)The Dark Knight of Gotham. Billionaire by day, vigilante by night. No superpowers, just iron…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

The JokerThe Clown Prince of Crime. Gotham's chaos agent. No one knows his real story, and that's the…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Catwoman (Selina Kyle)The world's greatest thief with a heart of... well, sometimes gold. Walks the line between h…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

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Robin (Dick Grayson)Open this Gotham Vault character file to see linked appearances, story arcs, and related com…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Hugo StrangeOne of the first to deduce Batman's identity. Obsessed with understanding what drives a man …VIEW APPEARANCES ›