Batman #74 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1952.
Synopsis for "The Crazy Crime Clown!"
The Joker starts a series of crimes, but all the objects he steals have no value. When the police capture the criminal, he is taken to court, where a psychiatrist diagnoses him with hebophrenic schizophrenia and he is sentenced to an insane asylum.
Batman and Robin's investigation reveals that Joker must have pretended to be insane in order to reach a man inside the asylum who recently embezzled a fortune, but would not share its location with police. With help from Commissioner Gordon, Batman infiltrates the asylum as an inmate and soon he confronts the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime is able to outmatch the Caped Crusader and locks him in one of the padded cells. However, Batman uses one of the inmates to fool the Joker into believing that there are two Batmen. With his perception of reality distorted, Joker doesn't know what to believe anymore and he is defeated by Batman and Robin.
After his defeat, Joker was left temporarily insane, but in order to leave the asylum, he proved that his sanity by revealing the location of the embezzled fortune that was at the root of his plan.
Appearing in "The Crazy Crime Clown!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Dr. Reed (Single appearance)
- Mr. Bromley (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Bromley (Single appearance)
- Franz the Strangler (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Movie That Killed Batman!"
Batman and Robin are involved in the making of a movie in which they recreate the case against a notorious criminal called Skid Turkel. Much to their surprise, their own trusted butler, Alfred has been cast as the main antagonist for his uncanny resemblance to Turkel. Meanwhile, Turkel learns of the movie and he escapes prison with the sole purpose of getting revenge on Batman.
Turkel attacks Alfred first and leaves him tied up in Wayne Manor before going to the film set, where they are supposed to film the last scene in which Turkel is captured by the Dynamic Duo. When they recreate the scene, Turkel uses a real machine gun and shoots at Batman from a distance, apparently killing the vigilante. However, Batman had noticed that the man was not Alfred and he used a dummy, which distracted Turkel long enough for Batman to create a surprise attack and capture the criminal a second time.
Appearing in "The Movie That Killed Batman!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Skid Turkel (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Wingate (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Water Crimes of Mr. Hydro!"
Timothy Flagg has always been a water boy, even now at the Gotham State Penitentiary, where he is always abused by some of the toughest crooks. Flagg decides to break out of prison using water and after a successful escape, he takes up the secret criminal identity of Mister Hydro.
Hydro then hires a gang that would help him on his crimes, all of which are water themed. Batman and Robin soon get involved in the case and they confront Hydro and his men, without success. As Batman gets more intense in his efforts to stop Hydro, the criminal decides to put an end to the Dynamic Duo by destroying the Batcave. Hydro has discovered a river that connects directly to the batcave and he tries to create a much bigger connection that will certainly drown the place. Hydro uses a diving suit to infiltrate the cave and once inside, he creates a hole that causes the water to leak inside. However, the current is too strong and Hydro has to be saved by Batman and Robin, who also manage to activate a protective wall that seals the cave from the water coming from the river.
Hydro is later taken to the GCPD Headquarters and he reveals the information about his crimes and his gang. Batman then decides that it's time to cut off the river entrance to the batcave, to prevent future infiltrations.
Appearing in "The Water Crimes of Mr. Hydro!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Hydro (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Champ Dexter (Single appearance)
- James Hobbles (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Hobbles (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- "The Crazy Crime Clown!" is reprinted in The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told.
Trivia
- This is the first issue in which Joker is diagnosed with some kind of mental illness and is subsequently convicted to an insane asylum.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Joker Recommended Reading
- The Joker (Volume 1)
- The Joker (Volume 2)
- The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Killing Joke
- Batman: The Man Who Laughs
- "Batman: Lovers and Madmen"
- "Batman: A Death in the Family"
- Joker: Devil's Advocate
- Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
- "The Joker's Last Laugh"
- "Superman: Emperor Joker"
- "Superman/Batman: With a Vengeance!"
- The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told
- Joker (graphic novel)