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Detective Comics (1937-2011)
Detective Comics (1937-2011) #475
"The Laughing Fish" part 1; one of the Clown Prince of Crime's most infamous tales begins here! Across Gotham City, fish begin appearing with the Joker's trademark smile--which the madman literally attempts to trademark!
19 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 1978
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Steve Englehart
1,395 books97 followersSee also John Harkness.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 3, 2022
One of the best Joker stories!
Though the beginning was about the Batman having a romantic dilemma.
This issue throws back to Batman #1 with the Joker announcing his plan to kill someone at midnight.
There were quite a few mentions of recent events that were slightly confusing to me. Not a huge deal, I still enjoyed the Joker moments!
Though the beginning was about the Batman having a romantic dilemma.
This issue throws back to Batman #1 with the Joker announcing his plan to kill someone at midnight.
There were quite a few mentions of recent events that were slightly confusing to me. Not a huge deal, I still enjoyed the Joker moments!
October 20, 2017
There are about a quarter of a million list of the best Joker stories. They all had one thing in common - they featured Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. There was also another similarity - The Joker's Five Way Revenge. The third and final similarity was this one - "The Laughing Fish". It was a short two issue story, but for the sake of convenience I'll review this as both issues ( although it's only one of them ).
I'm very mixed here. Like super mixed. I haven't ever done this before in a review but I have a feeling this will be easier if I point out the pros and cons.
Pros:
- The art is old school and it is great. I really like that style so it won me over fast.
- The Joker here is very well written and just the idea of him truing to copywright fish is fucking genius.
Cons:
- It's a bit overstuffed - there is a side plot about Silver St. Cloud who has found out Batman's identity and she's... very worried... I guess. Didn't really get that whole thing.
There's also a subplot about some gangster ( or mayor, or something ) who is haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange or some shit... and he dies? I really have no fucking clue.
- It feels like you need to read some issues before this one in order to fully understand some stuff. There are constant references to previous issues and even that whole Hugo Strange bullshit is something that has happened in previous issues.
And the Silver St. Cloud stuff. I had no clue who she was, what was her purpose, how she met Batman, how she deduced his secret identity and why was she in some sort of moral dilemma.
So, let me summarize:
All the Joker parts are fantastic, the concept is purely amazing and the art is great.
The story is super overcrowded and confusing and the actual Joker parts were way too little. More Joker, less dead Hugo Strange and Silver St. Cloud bullshit next time, huh?
If I were you, I'd stick with the episode from Batman: The Animated Series. Now that was awesome!
I'm very mixed here. Like super mixed. I haven't ever done this before in a review but I have a feeling this will be easier if I point out the pros and cons.
Pros:
- The art is old school and it is great. I really like that style so it won me over fast.
- The Joker here is very well written and just the idea of him truing to copywright fish is fucking genius.
Cons:
- It's a bit overstuffed - there is a side plot about Silver St. Cloud who has found out Batman's identity and she's... very worried... I guess. Didn't really get that whole thing.
There's also a subplot about some gangster ( or mayor, or something ) who is haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange or some shit... and he dies? I really have no fucking clue.
- It feels like you need to read some issues before this one in order to fully understand some stuff. There are constant references to previous issues and even that whole Hugo Strange bullshit is something that has happened in previous issues.
And the Silver St. Cloud stuff. I had no clue who she was, what was her purpose, how she met Batman, how she deduced his secret identity and why was she in some sort of moral dilemma.
So, let me summarize:
All the Joker parts are fantastic, the concept is purely amazing and the art is great.
The story is super overcrowded and confusing and the actual Joker parts were way too little. More Joker, less dead Hugo Strange and Silver St. Cloud bullshit next time, huh?
If I were you, I'd stick with the episode from Batman: The Animated Series. Now that was awesome!
May 17, 2022
While Englehart’s Batman is too talky for my taste, this story is a classic for a reason, and the scariest joker is the one who walks in on you in the bathroom.
July 16, 2025
”The Laughing Fish” starts with Batman going to Silver St. Cloud’s room late at night. She is startled, even though she keeps her curtains open and is always only dressed in a towel.
He says he thought she had something to say to him last time he saw her. She says: Nah! And my date Bruce Wayne is coming to pick me up soon so this could be awkward!
For the first time ever Batman bows to a citizen as he’s leaving through her window.
Bruce calls her and she cancels the date.
”… But don’t despair, action-lovers! Your day is dawning soon! ”
As Batman swings across the city a fish vendor yells out to him. Batman sees that his fish all have Joker smiles on them! All along the eastern and western seaboard (coast) the fish have all been changed.
The next day at the patent office the Joker tries to copyright his fish so that he can make millions off of every fish sold in America. When the patent officer (G. Carl Francis) tells him that he can’t copyright fish, Joker gives him until midnight to change his mind.
Outside he kills a henchman for asking him what he’s going to do.
At the city council, a nervous Rupert Thorne is having a meeting. An employee (Marko) tells him that his ban of the Batman isn’t working.
”People just don’t listen to us like they used to! The lousy media - - -”
Rupert goes to wash up and the Joker is in the bathroom. The Joker knows Rupert bid on Batman’s identity along with the Penguin and himself. He tells him that he doesn’t want the secret exposed, because it would take away his greatest opponent. So stop trying!
On TV, the Joker announces that on midnight, he will kill G. Carl Francis. The Batman and the police work together to try to secure Carl’s house. They wait for midnight.
At midnight gas comes flooding through the heating ducts. Batman puts a gas mask on Carl, but Carl dies anyway. Joker has tricked them again!
On TV, the Joker brags and says that if by 3a he doesn’t have legal claim to Joker-Fish he will kill the number two bureaucrat.
Rupert has just driven away from city hall, scared of the Joker and the Hugo Strange ghost he recently saw. He drives by Silver, who asks for a lift.
”It sure was lucky meeting you here!”
That was a great story! Lots of intrigue. Not much action, but that’s okay. The artwork was fantastic, the Joker was crazy and murderous. A good time had by all. 5 stars.
He says he thought she had something to say to him last time he saw her. She says: Nah! And my date Bruce Wayne is coming to pick me up soon so this could be awkward!
For the first time ever Batman bows to a citizen as he’s leaving through her window.
Bruce calls her and she cancels the date.
”… But don’t despair, action-lovers! Your day is dawning soon! ”
As Batman swings across the city a fish vendor yells out to him. Batman sees that his fish all have Joker smiles on them! All along the eastern and western seaboard (coast) the fish have all been changed.
The next day at the patent office the Joker tries to copyright his fish so that he can make millions off of every fish sold in America. When the patent officer (G. Carl Francis) tells him that he can’t copyright fish, Joker gives him until midnight to change his mind.
Outside he kills a henchman for asking him what he’s going to do.
At the city council, a nervous Rupert Thorne is having a meeting. An employee (Marko) tells him that his ban of the Batman isn’t working.
”People just don’t listen to us like they used to! The lousy media - - -”
Rupert goes to wash up and the Joker is in the bathroom. The Joker knows Rupert bid on Batman’s identity along with the Penguin and himself. He tells him that he doesn’t want the secret exposed, because it would take away his greatest opponent. So stop trying!
Commissioner Gordon lights the bat signal, but somehow Batman knows to meet Gordon at the house of G. Carl Francis. How does that work?
On TV, the Joker announces that on midnight, he will kill G. Carl Francis. The Batman and the police work together to try to secure Carl’s house. They wait for midnight.
At midnight gas comes flooding through the heating ducts. Batman puts a gas mask on Carl, but Carl dies anyway. Joker has tricked them again!
On TV, the Joker brags and says that if by 3a he doesn’t have legal claim to Joker-Fish he will kill the number two bureaucrat.
Rupert has just driven away from city hall, scared of the Joker and the Hugo Strange ghost he recently saw. He drives by Silver, who asks for a lift.
”It sure was lucky meeting you here!”
That was a great story! Lots of intrigue. Not much action, but that’s okay. The artwork was fantastic, the Joker was crazy and murderous. A good time had by all. 5 stars.
December 30, 2022
One of the top ten Joker stories and a nice glimpse into the best of the mid-70s Batman run of comics.
January 31, 2025
You come for the laughing fish, you get a lot of Silver St Cloud and Hugo Strange’s ghost
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews