Mad Love (comics)
| The Batman Adventures: Mad Love | |
|---|---|
Cover of The Batman Adventures: Mad Love (1994)
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Format | One-shot |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | February 1994 |
| No. of issues | 1 |
| Main character(s) |
Harley Quinn The Joker Batman |
| Creative team | |
| Created by |
Paul Dini Bruce Timm |
| Written by |
Paul Dini Bruce Timm |
| Penciller(s) | Bruce Timm Glen Murakami |
| Inker(s) | Bruce Timm |
| Letterer(s) | Tim Harkins |
| Colorist(s) | Bruce Timm Rick Taylor |
| Editor(s) |
Scott Peterson Darren Vincenzo |
| Collected editions | |
| Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories | ISBN |
The Batman Adventures: Mad Love is a one-shot comic book written by Paul Dini (writer on Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond) and Bruce Timm (executive producer on The New Batman/Superman Adventures and the co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series). Set in the continuity of The Batman Animated Series, it won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Story" in 1994. It was later adapted (with minor alterations for pacing) as an episode of the animated series The New Batman Adventures.
After having his latest plan to kill Commissioner Gordon foiled by Batman, The Joker retreats to one of his hideouts to plan his next move, but is being annoyed by his lovestruck sidekick Harley Quinn and kicks her out of their hideout. As Harley sits outside, she remembers how she met Joker, back when she was the psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel and spending her internship at Arkham Asylum. Harleen interviewed Joker and learned that he was abused as a child by his alcoholic father. After more interviews, Harleen determined that Batman was the source of Joker's anger, but also that she was falling in love with him. Harleen became Joker's partner in escaping from the asylum in hopes that she could win his love.
Harley decides that the only way to make the Joker love her is to kill Batman, which she attempts to do by feeding him to a school of piranhas. Batman distracts her by telling her that the Joker had been using her from the start, and that Joker's stories of an unhappy childhood were lies. When she tearfully insists that Joker really loves her, Batman convinces her to call Joker so that he will know she accomplished her goal (as the piranhas would leave no convincing evidence other than bones and a tattered costume which anyone can fabricate). When Joker arrives, however, he is infuriated that Harley would try to kill Batman herself and knocks her out a window, where she is found by nearby police officers. Joker then decides nonetheless to use the opportunity to finally kill Batman, which escalates into a wild chase ending atop a moving subway train. Batman taunts Joker by saying that Harley came closer to killing him than he ever did. Joker attacks him in rage, but Batman sends him lunging into a burning smokestack.
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