The only reason it landed was because he hadn't been expecting it. So caught up in his own inner torment, he'd barely seen it coming. He turned his face to help the blow glance off, but it was still going to leave a mark. He was suddenly glad Bruce had taken an interest in rugby. Dropping Joker, Batman took a step back, wound up, and delivered a punch of his own - first to Joker's face, then he followed it up with a second to his gut.

"And when they send you to an out-of-state asylum where none of your friends can help you? Where Dr. Crane can't pull his weight with the nurses that still think he's a good doctor?"