Detective Comics # 475 - The Laughing Fish!

is a comic book published by DC Comics & released on 2 / / 1978

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Plot Summary

The night following Deadshot’s capture at ’s Exhibition Hall, The Batman visits Silver St. Cloud in her apartment thinking she has something to say to him. Even though she is startled, she tells him that she doesn’t know anything about what happened except what she saw and doesn’t know Deadshot. She takes him by surprise by saying that “I have a date with Bruce Wayne. Do you know each other?” He suspects that maybe she doesn’t know that he is Bruce Wayne and leaves saying that he made a mistake. As he leaves The Batman hears screams for help on ’s docks. He responds and finds fisherman upset about their catch.. The Batman can’t believe his eyes as he sees fish with the Jokers face. The fisherman explains “All of ’em! And it’s all the same for everybody else

The next morning the Jokers fish seems to be the only newsworthy story. The Joker visits the Copyright Commission to make business arrangements for his fish. He finds himself outraged when Carl G. Francis informs him that fish are a natural resource and that they can’t be copyrighted. The Joker tells Mr. Francis if he doesn’t comply by midnight he’ll be the poorest fish of all. The Joker visits Boss Thorne next and tells him “that he also was a bidder for Batmans identity and knows that he is behind Prof. Hugo Strange’s disappearance.” Thorne goes crazy running out the building pushing his driver out of the way and takes the wheel of his limousine and screeches’ off. Later Thorne picks up Silver St. Cloud who also seems to be leaving town. That night the Batman along with Commissioner Gordon and the police plan to stop the Joker from killing Carl G. Francis.To no avail the Joker succeeds in killing Mr. Francis with a gas that was part of a binary compound and announces that the number 2 bureaucrat will be next if he doesn’t get his way.

Creators

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Ben Oda
letterer

E. Nelson Bridwell
editor

Jerry Serpe
colorer

John Workman
letterer, cover

Julius Schwartz
editor

Marshall Rogers
penciler, colorer

Steve Englehart
writer

Terry Austin
inker, cover

Characters

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Batman

James Gordon

Joker

Marko

Rupert Thorne

Silver St. Cloud

Teams

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Locations

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Concepts

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Joker Venom

Objects

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Story Arc

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User Reviews

Can't Top the Laughing Fish
Reviewed by the Detective on Sept. 1, 2008.
the Detective has written 20 reviews. His/her last review was for "Daughter Of The Demon!".
3 out of 3 users recommend his reviews.

If the Colonel can have his chicken, why can't the Joker have his fish? They have his looks, his smile. That is the question writer Steve Englehart poses as The Joker manages to outsmart the Batman several times and reveals himself only (after he has killed enough of the employees’ of the copyright commission) when he is ready.

Englehart concludes his brilliant run with this the 1st of a 2-part Joker-Fish story. Although his run lasted only 7 issues from issue #469- #476, it left an indelible mark on the way the Batman is to be done not to mention his villains. The art of Marshall Rogers doesn't hurt either especially with Terry Austin inking. The artwork is definitely inspired by the writing. “The Joker Fish" maybe first runner up for the best Joker story of the 70's.It’s definitely a classic and a must read for Batman fans. It can be found in the trade paperback Strange Apparitions"

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