The second Joker story in Batman history picks up only 2 days after the events of “The Joker.” When "The Joker" ended, the villain had been defeated by The Batman and put in jail by the Gotham PD. Naturally, The Joker plans his escape. “Jail me will they -- a man of my intellect?! I’ll escape and make them pay for this insult,” screams The Joker from his cell.

And it doesn’t take long for The Joker to blow his way out of jail -- literally. And just wait until you read how he got his hands on the explosives -- he really "sinks his teeth" into the job!

Once at large, The Joker retreats to his hidden “laboratory” found underneath an abandoned cemetery, and commences cooking up more of his “Joker Venom.” He then returns to his crime spree in Gotham which again includes announcing his murderous intentions via the radio before they take place. Once carried out, The Joker again leaves his mark behind -- a joker card.

After carrying out a few of these murders and robberies, The Batman believes he has a plan that will nab The Joker. Meeting with Commissioner Gordon -- as Bruce Wayne -- he suggests that the police bait The Joker with the “Fire Ruby,” knowing that the villain will not be able to resist stealing it.

The plan sets up a final confrontation between The Joker and The Dark Knight that from the look of things, is literally “final.”

BATMAN #1 can be found in THE BATMAN CHRONICLES, Vol. 1

To put it briefly, “The Return of The Joker” has virtually the same plot found in “The Joker” as the basic storyline isn’t changed much at all: The Joker announces his next crime, the crime then occurs (despite the efforts of the police), the police are after The Joker, Batman is after The Joker, and The Batman and Joker finally square off at the end.

Of note, The Batman has yet to enter the “friend of the police” years, as twice he has to escape capture by Gotham’s finest. Additionally, Bob Kane and Bill Finger originally planned to kill off The Joker at story‘s end! As a result, we find The Joker with a knife stuck in his check (accidentally self-inflicted) in one of the story’s last panels. Luckily, DC editor Whitney Ellsworth realized how good of a character he was, and The Joker survived (Two panels were added to “The Joker Returns” at the end of the story indicating that The Joker does indeed live).

Can you imagine if that was it for this character? One that is amongst the greatest literary rogues of all time! How much of Batman's history would have been different?

After his first appearance in 1940, The Joker rather quickly evolved into a goofy prankster, as apposed to the grim killer depicted in BATMAN #1. It would not be until the early 1970s that the dark and psychotic Joker would return to Batman comics.

Chris Nolan, the director of BATMAN BEGINS, has stated that BATMAN #1’s Joker stories will have an influence on the new Bat-film, THE DARK KNIGHT -- specifically on The Joker. Consequently, one wonders what elements of the character and the stories will be used. Will The Joker -- to be played by Aussie thesp Heath Ledger -- announce his crimes to Gotham before he commits them? Will he be using some sort of “Joker Venom” to commit murder and twist his victim’s face into a grotesque smile as his comic book counterpart did?

"Take this guy...leaves a calling card." © Warner Bros. Pictures

Hell, Nolan’s already tipped his hat to BATMAN #1 by having Gordon present The Batman a joker card at the end of BATMAN BEGINS. “Take this guy. Armed robbery, double homicide -- has a taste of the theatrical like you -- leaves a calling card.”

Joker cards c. 1940 & 2005
© DC COMICS & Warner Bros. Pictures

If you fancy yourself a Batman fan and have yet to read “The Joker” and “The Joker Returns,” you’re doing yourself an injustice. You’ll certainly find a lot of today’s Joker in those first two stories.