Detective Comics #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue has almost nothing to do with "Death of the Family."  In fact, if I had to place it in continuity, I'd have to put it somewhere before issue #14, before Bruce actually confronts Joker.  But, it is, nonetheless, a Joker story, with Layman showing us the effect that Joker has on Gotham.  It's often been said that Batman actually causes Gotham's problems with crime because he inspires a certain level of craziness in the super-villains that he winds up having to confront.  Here, Layman posits that the super-villains themselves serve as a multiplying force for that effect, inspiring their own legion of villains and copy-cats.  My favorite Batman stories are the ones where we get to interact with Gotham in a way that shows how people live day-to-day, answering the age-old question, "Why do people still live there?"  It's why I liked the early few issues of "Batwoman," which did a great job showing Kate Kane living her life in Gotham.  Here, Layman gives us exactly this sort of story, showing us the effect that Joker is having on regular people.  It's not a necessary read, but it definitely tells a story that I think is worth considering.