The Joker: 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime: The Deluxe Edition #[nn]

In a gripping twist on the classic detective tale, Batman takes the unusual step of inviting students at State University to help solve a case that’s long haunted him—the mystery of the Red Hood. As the class dives into the investigation, the line between instructor and suspect begins to blur, especially when a series of unsettling events unfold on campus.

When Matt Hagen escapes prison and reclaims his Clayface form, the spotlight on Gotham’s most notorious villain shifts—right into the Joker’s crosshairs. Now, with the Clown Prince of Crime determined to steal the chaos, a bizarre rivalry erupts between two of Gotham’s most unpredictable criminals, drawing in Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl as the city teeters on the edge of absurdity.

In "The Laughing Fish!", the Joker turns Gotham’s waters into a sea of his grinning visage, declaring his face a registered trademark—and threatening to eliminate anyone who dares challenge his absurd claim. With Batman, Gordon, and Silver St. Cloud caught in the chaos, the city’s most notorious clown escalates his madness into a full-blown legal and lethal campaign.

In "Sign of the Joker!", the Joker unleashes a twisted game that forces Hugo Strange’s ghost to haunt Rupert Thorne, while Silver St. Cloud faces a pivotal choice about her future. Batman must unravel the chaos before the Clown Prince of Crime’s latest scheme spirals beyond control.

The Joker throws a very personal birthday bash, turning Gotham into his stage and inviting Batman’s closest allies to witness the chaos. With fireworks set to ignite and the city on edge, Batman must race against time to stop the madness before the party begins.

In *Batman: The Killing Joke*, the Joker’s twisted game begins with a chilling deception—Batman confronts a doppelgänger in Arkham Asylum, only to be led on a harrowing chase that culminates at Commissioner Gordon’s home. There, the Joker strikes with brutal precision, wounding Barbara and capturing Jim, then dragging him to a warped carnival where madness and trauma collide. As Batman closes in, the Joker’s final, unsettling joke lingers—just as the police arrive, leaving the moment suspended in eerie ambiguity.

In "Mad Love," the Joker's all-consuming fixation on Batman strains his chaotic bond with Harley Quinn, especially when she outshines him by capturing the Dark Knight and setting a trap that leaves even the Joker stunned. With Gotham's streets simmering and loyalties tested, the line between love and madness blurs as their twisted partnership faces its most dangerous test yet.

In the final chapter of this tense arc, the Gotham Central Detectives race against time to uncover Joker’s latest trap, with tensions boiling as the Clown Prince of Crime turns the interrogation into a deadly game. As chaos erupts and lives hang in the balance, Batman’s arrival at the scene adds a new layer of urgency to the desperate bid to save Angie Molina before it’s too late.