Batman #53

Issue Details

Synopsis

A HAIRPIN, A HOLE, A HACKSAW, A HOLE IN THE GROUND! The Joker attempts to become the authority in comedy in Gotham City. For this purpose, Joker steals things that spell out "Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" forwards, leaving clues to his next crimes. Joker is eventually confronted by Batman and Robin, but Joker manages to capture them. Joker has the chance to learn Batman's secret identity, but he chooses not to do so, allowing Batman one chance to break free. Batman takes the chance and captures the mad clown. THE PORTRAIT OF DOOM! When Frank Fabian murders a famous painter to steal his own self-portrait, the agonizing artist casts a curse on the man which would make the portrait reveal his true nature. The police investigate the case, but they can't find any connection between Fabian and the murder. As time goes by, Fabian starts committing crimes and to his horror, the portrait starts changing and his face becomes hideous. When he can't stand the sight of the portrait, Fabian tries to sell it but nobody would buy it. Batman and Robin are suspicious of Fabian and they follow him as he leaves the portrait on a dumpster. However, when they try to retrieve the portrait, it is gone and when Fabian gets home, he faints at the sight of the portrait back on its place. Batman and Robin soon arrive at Fabian's place and a few minutes later, another person comes in, Greta, the painter's wife. She reveals that she has been changing the picture to match her deceased husband's "curse" in order to make Fabian confess his crime. Batman thinks of a better idea and when Fabian wakes up, he notices that the portrait is back to normal, but his own face has been turned into a hideous monstrosity. Fabian loses his mind and finally confesses his crimes. Batman and Robin come in and reveal that his face is just covered in make-up before taking him to the police. BATMAN UNDER THE SEA! Bruce and Dick notice a strange man who resembles a fish and acts very strange along with a notorious criminal and they decide to follow them. The two men head to the waterfront and the Dynamic Duo use their Batboat to catch up with them. However, the criminals are aware of their presence and they fire missile towards the boat. Batman gives Robin a life preserver, but he is left with nothing to float and Batman starts drowning. Batman wakes up at the bottom of the sea and he is surrounded by merpeople. To his amazement, Batman is capable of breathing underwater and also his legs have been transformed into a tail. Batman is now a Bat-Merman and he tries to adapt to the new world he is now part of. Soon, Batman comes across the fish looking man and learns that he is in fact a merman. A battle starts between Batman and the evil merpeople, who want to steal a precious treasure and take it to the surface with them using a machine that would allow them to change their bodies into that of a human. Batman tries to stop them with help from the leading scientist Theta, who has fallen in love with Batman and is willing to sacrifice herself to change him back into a human. The criminal manages to get away and with Theta's help, Batman also is transformed back into a human. Batman wakes up at Wayne Manor with Robin taking care of him. The boy tells him that the coast guard dragged him unconscious out of the water. Batman tells the fantastic tale to Robin and together they get ready to capture the criminals once and for all. When Batman learns that the fish-looking man is just a normal person, he begins to question if everything was real or just a dream.