Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #67

Issue Details

Synopsis

GOING SANE PART 3 - BREAKING THE SURFACE! Joseph and Rebecca find themselves outside the dilapidated Comedia Theater with Joseph telling her how he loved the place as a kid. Rebecca doesn't understand, as she was told he just moved to the city less than a year ago. Joseph plays it off as a harmless josh. Batman begins again on his search for Joker nearby while various flashbacks of his missing time come to his mind. He recalls how Dr. Lynn Eagles, from the upstate little town of Accord, did emergency surgery on him for his various life-threatening injuries. She comes to call Bruce "Lazarus" during his time there.  Batman appears to Captain Gordon in his office and assures him that he will find Joker and bring him to justice, while hiding his apparent ache from his still recuperating body. Batman confronts Dorothy Bruckner, the widow of recently deceased Dr. Elias Bruckner. An alcoholic and failed plastic surgeon, Dr. Bruckner catered to criminals wanting new faces. Batman easily deduces from Dorothy's reaction that Joker hired him to do something about his skin condition and killed him when the job was done.   Flashbacks take Bruce back to his downtime in Accord. Bruce asks why Lynn would take him in like this, to which she replies that simple intuition says that he is a good man. The idyllic quiet life in Accord makes Bruce think of possibly giving up Batman, and finding peace within himself in such a town. Lynn tells Bruce that she once moved to Gotham City for a few months but eventually returned to Accord because she hated the big city scene. Bruce likewise tells her vague truths about his life in the city.   In the Batcave, Batman is still retraining his body to act as it once did, when it hits him. Councilwoman Elizabeth Kenner's comments that Joker made her watch old comedic films, spurs Batman to cross-check rentals of such films at local video stores. Seeing the name of Joseph Kerr makes Batman wonder why Joker would be so obvious in this deception.   In a flashback in Accord one night, Lynn confesses to Bruce that she did indeed love Gotham City, but one night she came upon an intruder in her apartment, held her at gunpoint, and proceeded to rape her. The tragedy led her back to Accord to heal. After a few years, she returned to the city to spend the day there. However, on the way back to her hotel, she was confronted by a man with a knife. She reveals that this time she was saved by Batman, and that was the reason why she helped Bruce the whole time, and returns his costume to him. Upon hearing this, Bruce returns to Gotham City.   Batman visits Joseph and Rebecca's apartment and sees a picture of them. Joseph's innocent look casts doubt in Batman that he is Joker. The superintendent, Mikey Sansonia, tells Batman that Joseph and Rebecca went on vacation in Pennsylvania weeks ago and that they are to be married. This solidifies for Batman that this is a just a deception by Joker to throw him off the trail. However, in another part of town, Joker reappears.