Batman Hero's Journey

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During the events of Batman: Year One, Batman recalls all the things that work for being a great crime-fighter. After months of analyzing shipping data, Batman deduces the identity of the man at the top of the drug market in Gotham, a man named Berlanti. After breaking up a shipment and sending the police all the evidence they need to arrest and convict Berlanti, Batman feels on top of the world (Alfred notes that he is smiling for the first time in costume). Commenting to himself that Gotham seems "quiet" and more peaceful, Batman is confident and happy that his efforts to apply reason and logic to fighting crime have been so successful. As a personal reward, he (as Bruce Wayne) manages to get an art exhibit held over for an extra day so he…show more content…
Upon arrival, Jack quickly escapes, taking Lorna as a hostage, holding a gun to her. While Batman easily disarms Jack with a batarang, Jack quickly draws a knife and slashes Lorna across her midsection. Batman rushes to Lorna, who is still alive, while Jack escapes. However, in a fit of rage, Batman flings another batarang at Jack just as he leaves, cutting him on both sides of his jaw, giving Jack a Glasgow Smile. Batman then takes Lorna to the hospital, where she rests in critical condition. Upset that he cannot catch Jack, Batman visits Dr. Jonathan Crane (Pre-Scarecrow) who profiles Jack as a criminally insane schizophrenic. Dr. Crane is looking to renovate the old Arkham Mental Asylum to further his study on the criminally insane and with the terror inspired by Jack's recent crime spree donations are pouring in. Batman asks Crane how he can keep one step ahead of someone like Jack, to which Crane responds: "Oh you silly man in a suit. You can't!" Back at the Batcave, Bruce postulates that Jack will seek medical attention and begins to search for the doctors whom not only could repair his face, but who have a low moral barrier to do so. As he does so, he receives a call from the hospital, which Alfred answers. Lorna will most likely not make it. Enraged, Bruce begins destroying the Batcomputer. Once he calms down, Bruce decides that the old way to fight this evil is with evil.…show more content…
Later on, he learns that Lorna is still alive but still not responsive. Meanwhile, the Joker then begins his reign of terror. Just as Leeny (the blonde bartender from earlier) discovers that some unknown benefactor has paid her entire medical school tuition, people on the street notice a giant blimp heading towards Gotham's twin towers. Police try to communicate with it, but the blimp (bearing a gigantic smiley face on the front) bursts into flames and explodes with many shards of glass falling towards the citizens of Gotham, killing many. The Joker looks on proudly, in his demented eyes he sees them falling dead with big smiles on their faces. However, Joker is upset that Batman doesn't shown up. Bruce is in the hospital with Lorna saying he won't leave her, but Alfred appears and informs him of the carnage ensuing, leaving him his batsuit. Later at a circus, Joker poses as an ordinary clown and causes a riot when he kills a man in front of his own daughter by spraying a strange green chemical in his face (having offered the little girl the choice of whether she wanted to be sprayed by the clown or whether it should be "Daddy"). When Joker sees a report on how Batman hasn't shown up, he becomes upset that he hasn't appeared, even when he rounded up other criminals so he'd have only him to contend with.

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