Insulted when the Mayor of Gotham publicly denounces both him and Batman as being "equally bad" on live television, the Joker seeks revenge by trying to murder the Mayor and his guests at his son's birthday party, slipping in by disguising himself as a magician-clown named Jekko. Unaware of the Joker's true identity, the Mayor's son Jordan stows away in "Jekko's" van, hoping to learn his magic tricks, and the Joker manipulates the boy into helping him when Batman comes to rescue Jordan.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Amusement Park of Doom: The Joker sets up shop in one of these. It comes complete with giant robotic clown and authentic Houdini water trap.
- Animation Bump: By AKOM of all companies. As evident in the climax with the roller coaster at the end.
Bruce Timm: We knew immediately that we didn't have the budget that Disney's "
Roller Coaster Rabbit" did. We had to figure out a way of doing all that really neat fast action on a roller coaster without having to animate perspective. Norwood figured out a lot of interesting little cheats, and fortunately AKOM pulled it off, which they don't normally do.
- Artistic License – Physics: While his later survival in "The Laughing Fish" can be excused by the fact that he had a floatie and the jump wasn't that long, in this episode, due to the trajectory and height of the coaster, Joker should've been killed as soon as he hit the water or by the shock of the falling.
- Even if he did survive the fall, (which he did) the shock should've crippled him for life.
- Bilingual Bonus: Jekko's comment that the "Great Prosciutto" was a ham refers to the fact that Prosciutto is the actual Italian word for "ham".
- The Cameo: The chef from "Pretty Poison" and the fat woman from "The Underdwellers" can be seen in the crowd at the birthday party.
- Contrived Coincidence: When Mayor Hill compares Batman to the Joker on TV, the Joker was watching the News Report on TV, and the events of the episode begin as the Joker decides to seek revenge.
- Dartboard of Hate: A TV example where Joker throws a pie on his own TV as if he's hitting the Mayor's face.
- Disney Villain Death: Joker falls a long way from the roller coaster and splashes into the water.
Batman: He always knew how to make an exit.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Mayor Hamilton Hill (who despises Batman) appears on television claiming that Batman and the Joker are equally as bad. Joker finds this comparison so insulting that (disguised as a party clown) he crashes a birthday party held at the mayor's estate for his son, Jordan, and attempts to blow up Jordan's birthday party (along with all the guests) with a stick of dynamite in the cake, just to see how "safe" his mansion is.
- Dunking the Bomb: When Bruce realizes that the Joker put a Dynamite Candle on Jordan's cake, he pushes through the crowd and "accidentally" knocks the cake into the pool, dampening the explosion.
- Dynamite Candle: The Joker has a fancy looking explosive candle on a cake for the Mayor's son's birthday party. While most of the guests don't suspect anything, Bruce realizes the danger and pushes the tray holding the cake into the swimming pool, where it harmlessly detonates.
- Eat the Camera: When Joker falls off the roller coaster, he falls towards the camera (and the water below) until his screaming mouth fills the screen.
- Evil Mentor: Joker tries to be this to Jordan, with Jordan thinking him a regular clown. However, when Joker reveals who he really is, Jordan takes off and screws up his attempt to kill Batman.
- Heel Realization: After Jordan runs away from home, Hill realizes how he pushed his son away when letting his political career come first ignoring what Jordan wants.
- Hidden Depths: Even though he has malicious intentions for crashing Jordan Hill's birthday celebration, who would have thought the Joker would have such great skills as a magician and party clown?
- Irony: Hill declares that his mansion is "safe" from the likes of the Joker, only for it to nearly get blown up by the Joker himself. Though Hill doesn't realize the irony.
- It's All About Me: While not an extreme example, Hill isn't too concerned about the well-being of his voters after the cake explodes. He's more angry at being made a fool in front of them in his own home... although he quickly forgets about that when he finds out that his son is missing.
- Joker Immunity: Joker falls off of a high point of a roller coaster into waters below. While it's far from his most perilous brush with death, it's played out like a fatal fall. However, it should be no surprise that this isn't his last appearance.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Jordan Hill is the son of Gotham City's mayor, and his dad is too much into his politics that he even uses the poor kid's birthday party as a political reunion. Jordan is so upset that he hides in the truck of the clown that the Hills hired for entertainment—not knowing that said clown was the Joker under a disguise.
- Mugged for Disguise: An actual clown is hired for the party; Joker infiltrates the gathering by stealing his van and costume, leaving him tied up by the road. The cops find the guy later.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Joker's Jekko voice is clearly patterned after Ed Wynn.
- Non-Ironic Clown: A rarity in a Batman series, this episode has a real clown in the form of Jekko. It's too bad that the Joker ends up mugging said clown for his disguise to blow up the birthday party; though admittingly, Joker does act like a genuine clown for the most part in his disguise.
- Not Now, Kiddo:
Jordan: [seeing Batman in Joker's deathtrap] I don't like this.
Joker: Quiet, kid, it's a free ticket.
- Parents as People: Mayor Hill is a competent politician, but his need to promote himself drives his son to run away.
- Rule of Three: When Jordan asks how to become a magician, "Jekko" tells him to do three things: run away from home; find a talented magician; and steal their ideas.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Joker mentions this about himself.
Joker: WHAT?! Compare me to Batman?! I got more style, more brains! (looks at a mirror, fixing his bowtie) I'm certainly a better dresser!
- Shout-Out: The poster for the magician The Great Prosciutto is a cartoonified portrait of Alan Moore.
Joker: Now there was a
ham.
- Soft Water: Joker survives his drop from the coaster into the water to terrorize Gotham for the rest of the series.
- They Don't Make Them Like They Used To: Batman escapes from the Joker's complicated deathtrap, prompting this comment from the Joker: "They don't make straitjackets like they used to. I should know!"
- Titled After the Song: The title of the episode is taken from the song "Be A Clown" popularized in The Pirate.
