Batman #496: Die Laughing

Quick answer

Batman #496: Die Laughing stands out in Gotham Vault because the issue title, character tags, and 1993-07-31 cover date create a distinct entry point into Batman. Readers can use it to jump from this issue into Batman (Bruce Wayne), The Joker, Robin (Dick Grayson), Commissioner Gordon (James Gordon) and related Batman continuity.

Issue summary

The issue starts off with Batman walking away from a fiery fight with the Firefly . On the next page, it shows the Scarecrow and the Joker watching the news, arguing over what to do with their hostage Mayor Krol , the mayor of Gotham, who is in shock because of Scarecrows Fear Gas. They soon decide to use the Mayor to lure Batman to the Gotham river tunnels. The scene changes to Harvey Bullock and a couple other cops, outside the Mayors Mansion, waiting for a Bomb Squad to scope out the home. Harvey becomes impatient, and begins to open the Mayors rigged door, when Batman swoops down just in time to save Bullock from the explosions. Batman is soon gone and on his way to the Gotham river tunnel, where the Joker and Scarecrow riding in an ice cream truck with the mayor, are trying to escape the police. The villains get out of there vehicle with the mayor, and it explodes, killing a couple Gotham police. The joker fires a heat seeking missile to a semi-truck, and the truck explodes, causing more chaos. The villains go to a phone booth, and call Commissioner Gordon . The Mayor tells Gordon to send the National Guard to the tunnels. The villains soon flee, but Batman is not far. After defeating the Scarecrow, and being sprayed with his Fear Gas, Batman seeks revenge on the Joker, for the death of Jason Todd , the second robin. After shooting a machine gun at the tunnels, the…

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 ›

R

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

Commissioner Gordon (James Gordon)The one good cop in a corrupt city. Keeps the GCPD running and the Bat-Signal lit. Never los…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)Dr. Jonathan Crane weaponizes fear itself with his trademark toxin. Your worst nightmare, bo…VIEW APPEARANCES ›