Never stand-up a clown.
The Joker has just killed a roof-top security guard for his shoes, not suprising. He looks up at the sun & the people down below & feels like it's the first time he's really ever seen the world. It's likely that the length of time he spend holding his breath has killed off some brain cells, but he will inevitably become Gotham's most insane genius aka "supersane."
Elsewhere, Bruce Wayne is in a hospital moping over girlfriend # xxxxxxx & Harley has just recieved a gratitude payment in the form of college tuition from the Joker for the life-chaning advice she gave him at the bar.
Ah! I should have mentioned one or two issue reviews back that we learn Jack is the one that aquired the Joker's vast fortune, since he quickly makes his debut with a silly zepplain that catches on fire & rains shards of glass tainted with Joker Venom. I'd like to know where & when Jack became aquainted with chemicals, since he claimed no prowess in it throughout L&MM. It can't be the exact same chemicals he was showered with, because everyone dies but him, unless he has some special immunity to it.
Anyway, from Jack to Joker, every crime he commits is done to attract Batman. i love how this puts a slap on all the campier old stories that suggest the Joker wants to kill Batman because he spoilshis fun. This origin story fully supports the Joker's occasional prattle on how he could never kill Batman because it would kill the joke, the fun, & possibly his reason to continue existing.
Like in the Jelly Bean Death Trap story of Azreal, the Joker is highly dissapointed when his deadly prank fails to attract the Bat. Fortunately for him, Alfred pops over to the hospital & slips Master Bruce a glass shard with the Joker'scalling card impressed on it, as well as his costume. Unfortunately for Bruce, the Clown Prince of Crime has already moved on to his next gig at a local circus & assures a young lady who's dad he is about to kill that she will remember her poor choice in therapy, then hangs the rest of his earlier assailants upside down by a chain, but still no Batman! He's still moaping over Lorna, until Alfred comes in, blanatly blames Bruce for everything that's happened, then shoes him off to respond to the Bat Signal.
When he gets there, he finds not Gordon, but the Joker. who immidiately cracks a gay joke & leaps at Batman with a jagged dagger....to be continued. This Joker is so fruity, I love it :D