The Joker is dead, but not forgotten. Gotham City is saved, but it is still not safe. By night, its new symbol of hope, Batman, continues his fight to protect the innocent and the powerless. By day, his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, wonders whether there may someday be a future beyond skulking the citys rooftops or the cavernous halls of his stately manor alongside the ever-dutiful Alfred Pennyworth. But even after death, the Clown Prince of Crimes imprint can be seen in more than just the pavement. Remnants from The Jokers gang are leading wannabes fascinated by his bizarre mystique on a campaign of arson that threatens the cityeven as it serves greedy opportunists, including millionaire Max Shreck. And survivors of exposure to The Jokers chemical weapon Smylex continue to crowd Gotham Citys main hospital. To quell the chaos, Batman needs more than his cape and his well-stocked Utility Belt. Bruce Wayne is forced into action, prompting a partnership with a charismatic scientist to help solve the health crisis. But as he works in both the shadows and the light, Bruce finds himself drawn deeper into Gotham Citys turmoil than ever before, fueling his obsession to save the cityan obsession that has already driven a wedge between him and Vicki Vale. The loyal Alfred, who had hoped Bruces efforts as Batman could help him find closure, finds the opposite happening. Nightmares begin to prompt Bruce to ask new questions about the climactic events in the cathedral, and investigations by Commissioner Gordon and reporter Alexander Knox into the arsons only amplify his concerns. Having told the people of Gotham City that theyd earned a rest from crime, Batman finds the forces of evil growing ever more organizedand orchestratedby a sinister hand behind the scenes. The Worlds Greatest Detective must solve the greatest mystery of all: Could The Joker have somehow survived? And could he still have the last laugh against the people of Gotham City?