

- Com. Gordon is chillin’ with his friend Bruce Wayne. Gordon mentions a fellow called the "Bat-Man" is puzzling him. Gordon gets call that chemical manufacturer Lambert has been killed. Gordon invites BW to crime scene w/ him, and BW says he has nothing better to do.
- Lambert’s sons says he’s innocent, saw a figure escaping out the window. His father's last word was "contract." Gives names of father’s associates - Alfred Stryker, Paul Rogers, and Steve Crane. Lambert got a death threat yesterday and now Steve Crane gets a death threat, asks for police protection. BW goes home.
- Steven Crane is killed by a gunman, who steals a paper from Crane and climbs onto the roof, were Bats fights him and takes the paper. GCPD try and fail to arrest the Bat-Man.
- Paul Rogers visits Alfred Stryker’s lab, after hearing about the death. Stryker's assistant Jennings hits Rogers then puts him in a gas chamber (for animals) to die. Bats arrives, disables the chamber. Jennings tries to shoot Bats, but the Bats punches him in the face really hard. Alfred Stryker enters and tries to finish off Rogers. Bats stops Stryker.
- The Bat-Man explains to Rogers that they were all partners in the Apex Chemical Corporation. Stryker had made secret contracts with all of them to pay them a sum of money each year until he owned the business. He grew tired of waiting and decided to kill them so he wouldn't have to pay. Stryker breaks out of the Bats’ grip and pulls a gun on him, Bats punches him so hard he falls over a railing into a tank of acid. Bats leaves.
- Later at his house, Commissioner Gordon relates this story to BW, who says its a fairy tale. Gordon thinks BW is boring. Bruce returns home to Wayne Manor, where it's revealed that he is Bat-Man.


The Case of the Criminal Syndicate!

#27 - The Case of the Criminal Syndicate!



- Protection racket trying to extort Mr. Haly, owner of Haly’s circus. He refuses. They say “there will be accidents.”
- Flying Graysons preform and Dick Grayson’s acrobat parents fall to their deaths when the ropes break - they were damage by acid
- Dick, overhears an incriminating conversation between Blade, the killer, and his employer Boss Zucco.
- Dick plans to call the police, but Bats, who saw the show as Bruce Wayne, stops him and takes him in since Zucco runs the town and would have Dick killed.
- Dick wants to be like Batman, so Bruce trains him. He becomes Robin and vows to protect Gotham.
- The Dynamic Duo hunt down Zucco’s gang. Zucco's new plan is to demolish a skyscraper construction site, but Batman and Robin defeat the gang. 
- Zucco is photographed by Robin in the act of pushing Blade to his death (to prevent Blade from confessing) and this evidence is given to the police, leading to Zucco's conviction for murder. 
- Dick decides to keep being Robin since he loves the adventure.


Robin the Boy Wonder

#38 - Robin the Boy Wonder



- Batman goes to meet with an informant about Doctor Dark and and League of Assassins but informant is assassinated, as he dies he tells him to find Dark on the Soom Express.
- Batman goes on Soon Express in disguise. He confronts Dark but is taken by the League of Assassins and unmasked. 
- He wakes up next to Talia Al Ghoul, she was taken by Dark after Dark had a falling out with her father. 
- Batman is forced to fight in an arena. He wins and rescues Talia. 
- Dark escapes Batman but then Talia shoots Dark with his own gun. Shocked by what she just did, Talia falls on Batman's arms, shedding a tear.


Into the Den of the Death-Dealers!

#411 - Into the Den of the Death-Dealers!



- The League of Assassins tries to kill Kathy Kane (circus owner, previously Batwoman). 
- Batman show up to stop them, fights new league member Bronze Tiger. Batman is defeated and Kane is killed.  Ra's appears and says he was the one that warned Batman about the attack. Ra’s says that Sensei, head of the league, ordered the kill. Batman thinks Ra’s is involved in the attack. He goes looking for the Bronze Tiger.
- We see Talia ask Ra’s why he is using Bats against the League. Ra's says it is to break any league members allegiance to Sensei.
- At their hideout, the league test their abilities against the Bronze Tiger, who is a formidable fighter capable of defeating all of them. Sensei is pleased with the Tiger's fighting skills, but he doesn't like the fact that the Bronze Tiger refuses to kill.
- Bats finds the league hideout. He duels bronze tiger. One of Ra's spies (not in the loop on Ra’s plan) in the League tries to kill Batman with a poison dart during duel. Batman uses an antidote but is slow to recover. Sensei murders Ra's spy and Bronze Tiger refuses to keep fighting. 
- Sensei commands the league kill the insolent Bronze Tiger. Batman turns off the lights, and when he turns them on Kathy’s killers are dead, but Sensei and the Bronze Tiger are gone.


The Vengeance Vow!

#485 - The Vengeance Vow!



- The League of Assassins tries to kill Bronze Tiger while he is recovering in the hospital. Batman stops them, and interrogates Tiger about Kane’s murder, but Tiger he doesn’t remember anything. 
- Batman tracks down the league (wild leaps of logic, i.e. "A chap ran into a bingo parlor and broke two number on the board - 5 and 7. It gives us a location! The two numbers indicate a spot on the geological map of the city. A way of thinking natural to a geologist!”) and fights a bunch of them, but Sensei escapes. 
- Batman is confident he will win next time.


Creatures of the Night!

#489 - Creatures of the Night!



- Batman tracks Ra's and the league of assassins, but fails to capture them thanks to Ra's servant, Lurk.
- Batman learns that they plan to use explosives along a fault line to cause an earthquake at a house where a famous archbishop is having dinner party.
- Batman gets to the party (after passed through GCPD) and gets everyone out of the building, except the archbishop who refuses to be saved. Bats discovers one guest is secretly the Sensei. Sensei kills the archbishop, Batman chases him but Ra’s shows up to deal with Sensei personally. Batman tries to stop Ra's, but gets shot with a poison dart by Talia and taken away before an earthquake destroys the house with Sensei and Ra's still inside.
- Batman awakens in a small village and takes a day to heal and relax with Talia before continuing his crusade against crime.


Requiem for a Martyr

#490 - Requiem for a Martyr



- Batman arrives at Leslie's clinic olding an injured Robin. He explains that Robin was shot by the Mad Hatter. While Leslie works to save Robin, Batman dwells on his past.
- Leslie tells Batman that Robin is stable, but he might not make it through the night. Leslie yells at him for endangering a child. Batman tells her that he didn't choose Jason for this "work," Jason was chosen by the "work" just as Bruce was chosen many years ago. Leslie says Batman is making his choices sound noble when really they are selfish and childish.
- Bruce remembers the night Leslie took him home (foster parent after his parent's death). He snuck out to visit the cemetery where his parents were buried, then returned to the crime scene where they were murdered. He found the mugger's gun in the bushes and kept it for himself.
- Leslie tells Batman that she's always felt responsible for the way he turned out, even though she tried to shake him off his path. Batman tells her it was beyond her control. He also reminds her that he does a lot of other good besides fighting criminals, like supporting her clinic through the Wayne Foundation. Leslie tells him that Batman isn't the "real" him, and Bruce responds "it's the only me there is."
- Leslie recalls Bruce's education. In grade school, he was suspended for beating up a bully who was "extorting" lunch money from the other kids.
- In college, he changed completely. Bruce wanted to get the most out of higher education while still appearing to be an airhead playboy. He pretended not to pay attention in his lectures, but studied intensively in secret at night. When he needed to ask the professors a question he would create an elaborate disguise using the theater department and pose as a visiting student. When he needed to learn something too advanced for the professors he would break into the school after hours and do research. This was where he first learned stealthy infiltration. The school tried to expel Bruce Wayne at one point, so he simply donated a library.
- Leslie asks him why he still does this. Bruce asks her why she runs her clinic patching up gang members and drug addicts. Leslie replies "because I have to" and Bruce explains that he is the same. Leslie asks "but what about you? What about Bruce Wayne?" and Batman replies he's not sure if Bruce Wayne even exists anymore. Bruce Wayne is just another disguise to him.
- Bruce claims he's giving Jason an outlet for his rage instead of letting him feel lost like Bruce was at the same age.
- Despite this, Bruce expresses regret that he might have gotten Jason killed. He always assumed dying like this would be his "probable end" but hoped Jason wouldn't share the same fate.
- Bruce wonders if there is still a need for Batman. Leslie tells him that she hopes for a day when there are no more deaths because of crime, but until then there is a need for Batman and she's glad that he's there.
- Robin wakes up. Batman tells him that he no longer has to be Robin after this, and Robin replies "are you kiddin', Bruce? We've got work to do."


My Beginning... and My Probable End

#574 - My Beginning... and My Probable End



- James Gordon is now GCPD Commissioner. He announces he intends to work with Batman and installed the Bat-Signal. 
- The media criticizes this decision as the public sees no difference between Batman and the ruthless vigilante known as The Reaper, who used to operate in Gotham. 
- Elsewhere, Rachel Caspian is glad to receive her father Judson back home after his long absence. The next day, Rachel joins Leslie Thompkins, who introduces her to Bruce Wayne, hoping that Bruce would become a benefactor for Rachel's charity organization.
- Judson Caspian takes up the mantle he abandoned years ago, becoming The Reaper again.
- Batman locates the Reaper about to murder some prostitutes and he stops the killer. During the ensuing fight, Batman is beaten by The Reaper. He is barely able to escape alive via the sewer system.
- After recovering, Bruce decides to fight fire with fire and he chooses to confront The Reaper using Joe Chill's gun, the same that murdered his parents and he later retrieved from the crime scene.


Chapter One: Fear the Reaper

#575 - Chapter One: Fear the Reaper



- Bruce's decision to use a firearm is disturbing to Leslie Thompkins. She decides to look for an apartment in order to stay away from Wayne Manor. She also asks Alfred to cancel her lunch date with Rachel Caspian, and Bruce offers to replace Leslie on the date.
- Judson, confesses to his daughter Rachel that he is The Reaper.
- Bruce and Rachel go on a date.
- A convicted criminal is being transported from Metropolis to Gotham. When the plane lands, the Reaper
- An important criminal, Johnny Heymer, is flying in from Metropolis. GCPD plans to intercept and arrest him, but The Reaper tries to eliminate the criminal. Gordon and the Police try to stop Reaper, but Batman interrupts and tries to take on the Reaper on his own and fails, escaping with Heymer. The Police retreat from the scene, confused with Batman's behaviour and Gordon feels betrayed.
- Elsewhere, a criminal meeting is taking place. They get anxious when Heymer doesn't appear at the scheduled time. Batman drops is with Heymer. Batman suggests they work together to stop The Reaper. The criminals give Batman a special partner: Joe Chill, the man who killed his parents.


Chapter Two: Deal With the Devil

#576 - Chapter Two: Deal With the Devil



- Batman mopes at his parents grave about partnering with their killer.
- Batman joins Chill recruit undercover agents by force.Batman is forced to tolerate Chill's use of lethal force to deal with their enemies. 
- Chill and the other criminals plan to eliminate Batman after The Reaper has been dealt with.
- The next day, the Gotham City Police Department learn of some upcoming criminal dealings likely to attract The Reaper, and plan a string operation. 
- Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne and Leslie Thompkins go on a lunch date with Rachel and Judson Caspian, during which Bruce shows genuine interest in Rachel.
- That night, Batman and Chill wait patiently as their undercover agents lure The Reaper into their trap. Unfortunately, they didn't expect interference from the GCPD. The Reaper arrives and chaos breaks out. One of the bullets hits a gas tank, creating an explosion and The Reaper escapes. 
- Batman is forced to save Chill from a certain death.


Chapter Three: Deadly Allies

#577 - Chapter Three: Deadly Allies



- Gotham Organized Crime is not pleased with Joe Chill's failure to stop the Reaper. Chill promises to eliminate both Batman and the Reaper the upcoming Friday.
- Unaware to them, The Reaper hear to their entire conversation and tipped off GCPD.
- Elsewhere, Bruce Wayne goes on another date with Rachel Caspian. Bruce proposes to Rachel and she agrees to marry him.
- Friday night, GCPD raids a criminal hideout based on a tip. The Repear is also there and kills the criminal leader. Batman arrives in the middle of the fight and uses one of the GCPD's vehicles to break in, putting an end to the fight. Having learned that Batman was working on the good side of the law all along, Gordon summons Batman with the Bat-Signal to apologize for believeing he was part of the criminals.
- However, Batman is busy as he gets ready to kill Joe Chill. Before doing that, he visits Rachel Caspian and tells her that after one last act, he will be forever hers.
- The Dark Knight takes Chill to Crime Alley, where he reveals his identity to him and gets ready to eliminate Chill with his own gun. However, Chill is shot by The Reaper before Batman could pull the trigger and after learning his secret identity, The Reaper challenges Batman to one final fight at the top of the construction site of the Wayne Foundation.
- Batman defeats the villain. The Reaper stumbles and almost falls off the edge of the building, but gets a hold of a loose girder. With his mask removed, The Reaper's identity is revealed as Judson Caspian and Batman tries to help the man. Caspian decides that since Batman is clearly capable of killing, he is will make a fine replacement. With these last words, Judson falls to his death.
- In the aftermath, Batman takes Joe Chill's gun and buries it under the base of the Wayne Foundation building, never to touch it again.
- Bruce Wayne goes to Rachel's place. Rachel, who is devastated after learning the news about her father. In order to atone for the sins of her father, Rachel decides to become a nun as she had first planned, officially ending her engagement with Bruce.
- Later, Bruce takes Leslie to the new building he constructed for her. The Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic is the place where Bruce hopes Leslie will continue her work, helping those in need while he will also continue his crusade.


Chapter Four: ..."So Shall Ye Reap..."

#578 - Chapter Four: ..."So Shall Ye Reap..."

Blind Justice, Part One

#598 - Blind Justice, Part One

Blind Justice, Part Two: Citizen Wayne

#599 - Blind Justice, Part Two: Citizen Wayne

Blind Justice, Part Three

#600 - Blind Justice, Part Three

Puppets

#659 - Puppets

Crocodile Tears

#660 - Crocodile Tears

City on Fire

#661 - City on Fire

Burning Questions

#662 - Burning Questions

No Rest for the Wicked

#663 - No Rest for the Wicked

Who Rules the Night

#664 - Who Rules the Night

Lightning Changes

#665 - Lightning Changes

The Devil You Know

#666 - The Devil You Know



- Otis Flannegan (Ratcatcher) attends his parole hearing, and while on the stand, takes out a flute to summon nearby rats and escapes, despite Batman and Robin trying to catch him.
- Dick tells Tim to research on Ratcatcher's past crimes, but they find out that Two-Face was released days before.
- Jack Drake asks Tim to play tennis that night, so no Robin.
- That night in some pub, Two-Face causes a disturbance.
- Meanwhile, Flannegan is in the sewers gathering rats. His plan is to send to block the main aqueduct to floor the city.
- Bats finds him (tracking device on a rat) and stops him.


The Vermin Factor

#679 - The Vermin Factor



- Some prisoners are being transported to Blackgate Prison. Prisoner Morgan "Morgue" Tice tells story about how he defeated Batman, but we see flashbacks showing he actually got his ass kicked during a petty robbery.
- At the end, the shadow of a bat passes overhead, he screams in fear and the rest of his inmates laugh.
- Jolene Relazzo is a seismologist working for WE. Gotham City is overdue for an earthquake, but her data is shocking - there's going to be a tremendous earthquake coming. Placing a call to her superiors, she desperately pleads for them to pick up the phone... the call goes to the Batcave and there's nobody there.


Cataclysm, Prelude: Sound and Fury

#719 - Cataclysm, Prelude: Sound and Fury



- Huntress on the subway when the quake hits; the train is derailed.
- A psychotic criminal on board think this is an attempt to take him down, shoots Huntress in the arm and takes control of the train. Huntress manages to stop the man before he can do anymore damage.
- There's an aftershock, and the killer is trapped in rubble. Despite the fact that he had been trying to kill her the man insists Huntress save him. She refuses and leaves him to die.
- Renee Montoya stops some looters, pissed since this was her first day off in six months.
- Bats realizes that with the cave and manor destroyed, he'll have to call in construction workers, compromising his identity. After swimming through underground streams from the cave to the city, he surfaces in Gotham Harbor and looks up to see his city in rubble and flames.


Part 5: The First and the Last

#720 - Part 5: The First and the Last



- Batman and Nightwing join rescue efforts, Robin searches for clues in the Quakemaster's videos.
- Batman and Nightwing work with Huntress to save some people, then Huntress leaves, telling them that they are too soft on criminals and she won't be part of a team that allows assassins to live.
- GCPD is also working on the Quakemaster case. Barbara Gordon and Mackenzie Bock discover a hidden address in one of Quakemaster's messages.
- Bullock and Montoya look over police records for leads, also finding a possible address and go there.
- Robin notices the Quakemaster avoids pronouncing words with the letter B, realizes his identity sets out to his likely location.
- At City Hall, mayor Marion Grange is discussing the situation when a group of armed men break in and demand Quakemaster's ransom money.
- Barbara calls Batman and Nightwing and tells them Gordon went to a city hall meeting and hasn’t come back. Nightwing goes to investigate.
- Robin arrives Quakemaster's likely location and he sees Bullock and Montoya approaching too. Through a window, he sees Relazzo trapped. Robin tries to stop Bullock and Montoya from entering without backup but it's too late. Bullock, Montoya and Robin face a hostage situation against three armed men with Bock as the hostage.


Part 14: Shifting Ground

#721 - Part 14: Shifting Ground



- Oracle, Nightwing and Robin watch the congressional broadcast and realize there isn’t much hope for Gotham.
- Meanwhile, Firefly starts to act under Scratch's orders to start chaos in the city and sets fire to a chemical plant, causing a big explosion in which Firefly catches fire.
- Nightwing, Robin, and GCPD check it out.
- Commissioner Gordon discusses the future with his wife and they wonder if it is time to move and start anew.
- Nightwing and Robin stop Firefly reaching an oil refinery by dumping concrete on the flaming man.
- Firefly is taken to hospital for burns.
- In D.C., Marion Grange tries to advocate for but Gotham but its doomed.
- At the same time, a commercial featuring Nicholas Scratch promoting the destruction of Gotham is aired.
- Nicholas Scratch learns of the Firefly incident, and he isn't happy. His minions introduce Scratch to Gearhead, Dynamiteer and Tumult who can sew more chaos.


Fight or Flight, Part 1: Nest of Vipers

#727 - Fight or Flight, Part 1: Nest of Vipers



- The Dynamiteer is creating chaos on the Gotham Bridge, Nightwing and Robin stop him.
- Commissioner Gordon travels out of town o attend a job interview. After the interview, he goes to get his forgotten glasses, and hears them joking about how they would never hire him after Gotham (couldn't control his own city, relied on the Batman). Oof.
- Back in Gotham, Bullock and Montoya question Dynamiteer about who hired him. He says he was hired by the devil.
- Meanwhile, Tumult begins destroys the Federal Building before police can stop him.
- James and Sarah Gordon are driving home when suddenly they are attacked by a truck. Sarah's leg is hurt and Jim shoots out the truck's windshield, stopping the attacker from ramming them again.
- Nightwing and Robin search for Tumult, walking through the sewers just below the Federal Building when they are attacked. They beat Tumult and notice camera on them - they are being watched by a vengeful Gearhead.


Fight or Flight, Part 2: Chaos Squared

#728 - Fight or Flight, Part 2: Chaos Squared



- Nicholas Scratch sends minions to Gotham to kill Bruce Wayne.
- At GCPD Headquarters, James and Sarah Gordon discuss the future, James says he is staying even if he has to stand alone. GCPD Major Crimes Department and the Tactical Squad are also staying.
- Nightwing and Robin watch the Cadwallader Bridge as its the last to destroy to cut off the city.
- Nightwing kills a mosquito, but notices its robotic. Nightwing is knocked unconscious by an electric shock from the bug. Gearhead appears and takes Nightwing, announcing that in less than an hour he will kill him unless Batman shows up.
- Meanwhile, a horde of rebels and criminals are heading to the bridge to force their way out of the city.
- Robin contacts Oracle and asks her to help find Bruce.
- Gearhead ties Nightwing to the soon-to-be destroyed bridge, and when he is about to lose his patience, he hears Batman's voice. Gearhead goes to the source of the voice but then he realizes that it is a voice modulator and a two-way radio that Robin is using to distract him while he unties Nightwing.
- Some of Scratch's minions attack Nightwing and Robin, who jump into the river.
- The leader of the violent crowd trying to cross the bridge is knocked out and he falls into the river as too. Nightwing and Robin save him.
- Gearhead is shooting on the bridge and triggers a detonator early. None of the rebels are able to cross to the other side.
- Elsewhere in Gotham, Scratch's minions try to report they can’t find Batman, but their master doesn't answer. Suddenly the Joker shows up and kills all of them without apparent reason.
- Nightwing and Robin seek Bruce Wayne at the Manor, but discover that the whole mansion collapsed.


Fight or Flight, Part 3: 30 Seconds to Midnight

#729 - Fight or Flight, Part 3: 30 Seconds to Midnight



- Bats and Alfred are in one of the satellite Batcaves discussing tagging territory. Bats calls it the new language of Gotham. That night, Bats tags protected territory.
- Next morning, Gordon doesn’t believe the tag is real, has someone paint over it in so people don’t falsely believe the area is safe.
- The same morning, Scarface's gang discovers Bat’s mark in their territory. They paint over it with their mark and leave a tagged corpse.
- Batman sees this and realizes respect for the symbol was lost while he was gone. He must make himself more visible.
- Batman tries to get info from citizen in Scarface’s territory, but they shoot at him once (which doesn't penetrate his suit). He realizes that Scarface’s thugs only have one bullet, he controls the ammo.
- Batman goes undercover and arranges a deal with Scarface to trade bullets.
- Batman also goes out during the daytime, and is visibly shot by a thug (not an armor piercing round). So, they think he’s unkillable.
- During the ammo deal, Batman beats up Scarface and his thugs, then takes over the territory.
- He tries to give the people more freedom, but realizes they need order, protection. He re-employs Scarface’s thugs to keep their system running while making it more equitable. Batman marks the territory as his own.


No Law and a New Order Part Four: Language

#730 - No Law and a New Order Part Four: Language



- Father Chris confronts the False Facers alone while the people in ARC, led by Scarecrow, get ready to fight.
- Suddenly, Penguin's gang shows up, shoots at False Facers and takes Chris hostage.
- Batman watches the situation, he notices that the Blue Boys have shown up and are about to get involved. He worries that a gang war may erupt.
- While everyone watches, Huntress takes down part of the Penguin's gang, but is unable to get Father Chris to safety.
- Gunshots come from behind the Penguin gang, as Leo, the False Facers' leader survived. Everyone takes cover again, as an unseen figure approaches Leo.
- An unknown man calls to the Penguin gang and asks to trade his gun for Father Chris. The gang shoot him, but Huntress uses the distraction to rescue Chris.
- Leo appears and asks for shelter in the ARC. So he wasn't the man who was shot. It’s revealed the man who was shot is Batman. He fights the Penguins men, then tells him the area is off limits.
- Gordon and the Blue Boys pull back, knowing the area is safe.
- Inside ARC, it becomes clear Scarecrow was orchestrating this chaos. The refugees swarm angrily around Scarecrow, and he is happy with the chaos, fear and violence.
- But Huntress, prompted by Father Papaleo, explains how the fear has made them thankful for what they have. She says the reason Scarecrow did what he did is because he most afraid of them all. To Scarecrow's horror, the people forgive him and offer him the comfort. Scarecrow flees the center, his view of the world disrupted.
- He bumps into a traash can fire, catches fire and has to take off his costume. He lapses into a catatonic state.
- Later, Father Chris and the ARC people dump the weapons into the river. Batman brings Batgirl into his makeshift Batcave in Arkham Asylum's basement, showing his trust in her.


Fear of Faith, Part Four: Be Not Afraid

#731 - Fear of Faith, Part Four: Be Not Afraid



- Barbara is upset to see someone else has taken up her mantle.
- Batgirl single handedly defeats Black Masks gang.
- More cops arrive and Gordon checks on Barbara.
- Batgirl takes Roman Sionis to Batman, then secretly follows as Batman takes him to Blackgate.
- At Blackgate, people want to get in for protection, but Lock-Up refuses unless they are criminals.
- Batman brings in Sionis and then tells Batgirl never to follow him again and that if she disobeyed one more time, she was out of the team.
- James Gordon argues w/ Sarah again.
- Barbara creates a Bat-Signal and turns it on. Batman arrives and Barbara is angry about the new Batgirl. Batman say it was never his intention to hurt her and that she must trust him. Barbara understood and trust him but she didn't approve of the new Batgirl.
- Somewhere else in Gotham, the remaining members of the False Face Society are being held prisoners and put to trial by an undisclosed man with aid of the Tally Man. The punishment for their crimes was death


Mosaic, Part Two

#732 - Mosaic, Part Two



- In an attempt to lure out Batman, the GCPD encounter Batgirl instead. Gordon gives her a message to relay to her boss - Batman is not welcome in Blue Boy territory.
- When post-No Man's Land dated food begins showing up, Penguin realizes he has competition.
- Batman catches a man beating another man to death. Turns out he was actually beating a corpse so he could get into Blackgate for protection. Batman doesn’t arrest him. Later, Batgirl tells the man to move to GCPD territory for protection. He thanks her.
- Batman rescues an infant from two women quarreling over guardianship of it.
- Batgirl give Batman Gordon's message.
- Alfred tells Bruce a story about his father to help Batman decide what to do with the baby. Then Batman returns and asks the women what were they willing to do to keep the baby. They say they would do anything, he says they must work together and they agree. It is revealed that the baby's name is Thomas; like Bruce's father.


Shades of Grey

#733 - Shades of Grey



- Batman arrives and somehow saves them from falling.
- The girl wakes up in a cemetery with Batman. She uses hand gestures and drawings to communicate. Batman tells her that her father has been hired by Two-Face to kill Gordon and warned her to stay away. He gains her trust and proves himself capable when she tests some fighting moves on him, but Batman stops them all - he spent time training with her father.
- Batman track down Cain, who is setting up another sniper shot and the two fight.
- Meanwhile, the girl went to Two-Face's territory and beat the man with ease. Then she interrupts Batman and Cain's fight, stopping the two from killing one another. She has returned money taken from Two-Face and his special coin.
- Cain leaves Batman and Cassandra to meet up with Oracle, who gives Cassandra a picture of herself while she was Batgirl.
- Batman tells Oracle to call his allies.


Mark of Cain Part Two

#734 - Mark of Cain Part Two



- Clayface tries to attack Batman again. Ivy uses her force of nature to make herself a battle suit. Batman uses liquid nitrogen against Clayface. Batman and Ivy worked together and get out of the cave.
- Batman has Robin drop explosives into the cave, damping Clayface but not stopping him. He reached the surface and Ivy snares him in plants.
- Plants being taking root and growing from his body. Clayface begs for mercy. Batman tries to stop her from killing Clayface but she snares Batman as well. Ivy gives Clayface a poison kiss and he disintegrates.
- Batman and Robin finally break free as Ivy goes back to taking care of her children.
- Elsewhere, James Gordon calls Montoya and tells her to call off their alliance with their untrustworthy ally.
- Meanwhile, in Colombia, an unnamed woman was make a deal with Bane. She wants him to return to Gotham to fulfill a job for her employer.
- That night, James Gordon is waiting for Montoya to return, but instead Two-Face shows. Two-Face explains he sent Cain to kill Gordon because the coin landed on the bad side. Gordon say their alliance was over, but Two-Face threatens that he is holding Renee Montoya hostage. Gordon attacks, but Two-Face is armed. He is forced to let him walk away.
- Ivy gives Batman the secret box from the cave, but it turns out she has destroyed the contents. She says she did it because those things were made of plastic, a strong contaminant, and she imagined that he had some backups elsewhere. Batman was mad at Ivy for tricking him.
- After some consideration, Batman decides to let Ivy continue working in the park with the conditions that she grow food, that she take good care of the kids and that she prevent the park from falling into any other villain's hands.
- Batman and Robin go to Oracle and report about the part. She comes up with a solution to retrieve the backups that Batman had stored somewhere outside Gotham. With no other option, Batman reluctantly accepts the offer.
- They will need to trick Selina Kyle to use her talents to help them out; they call offer her a job she can’t resist.


Fruit of the Earth, Part Three

#735 - Fruit of the Earth, Part Three



- Bane steals some trucks and dynamite, heads back to Gotham. He launches his truck over the bridge, evading U.S. Marshalls to get into the city.
- Gotham is a city like a prison. Bane feels at home. He is here to be king of Gotham.
- Batman follows up on an explosion and finds out it was from Bane's entrance. Batman tracks Bane, but then Bane attacks him from behind.
- They fight, but Bane says he has already won - he reveals he has placed a bomb under a nun's soup kitchen. Batman has to let Bane go so he can stop the bomb.


Homecoming

#736 - Homecoming



- The Joker plans his election campaign with the help of Harley and Josh, who is cartoonist; but Joker notices that Harley is still not caring for him and Josh is strangely close to her.
- Huntress tells Pettit about the election but he doesn't seemed to care and he tells Huntress to take care of the situation.
- Joker decides he will force people to vote in the election by threatening them with explosives. He also decides that he is going to marry Harley Quinn.
- Josh visits Harley’s apartment, grabs her and flirts with her. Harley isn’t interested and ban’s Josh, but not before Joker sees them together, increasing his jealousy.
- Huntress goes to Harley's room and tries to make her reveal Joker's plans about the bomb. Harley has no idea what Huntress is talking about and they fight. Harley ditches the fight to see what is happening with Joker.
- Joker finds Josh and tells him that he will show him how to make explosives with fertilizer. Josh is excited about it but then Joker tells him that he will teach him a trick that will help him survive explosions. Joker explosives on Josh's body, then he reveals that there is no trick and kills Josh.
- Harley arrives and launches herself into Joker's arms and tells him to forgive her for being so distant in the past days.


The Code, Part 2

#737 - The Code, Part 2



- While Bane infiltrates the hall of records, gangs are attacking Two-Face for the attacks he has been framed for. Batman and Robin leave Bane to rescue Two Face. Bane blows up the hall of records using explosives that are like mini nuclear bombs.
- Bane tells the girl who he forces to help him to spread news of what she witnessed.
- Batman and Robin save Two Face, who promptly runs away.
- Robin asks Batman why they didn’t stop Bane (besides saving Two Face). Batman explains Bane has no reason to destroy the records, but that someone else did and he wants the plan to succeed hoping that the real responsible party shows up.


Goin' Downtown, Part Two: The Vandal

#738 - Goin' Downtown, Part Two: The Vandal



- Two-Face starts the trial against James Gordon under the terms that if found guilty, Two-Face will kill Gordon's wife, his officers and the people under his protection.
- Renee Montoya forces Two-Face to agree that if found innocent, he will spare everyone's lives and he will also let the Montoyas go and place himself under arrest.
- Meanwhile at the Gordons' house, the Gotham City Police Department are trying to break inside to save Sarah from Tally Man. Batman and Robin watch the situation.
- At the Court House, the trial begins with Montoya as the first witness. Two-Face asks Renee about the orders that Gordon gave her and how she was told to deal with Two-Face despite her unwillingness to do so. Two-Face blames Gordon for abusing his power over people.
- Two-Face calls James Gordon to testify. Two-Face asks Gordon if he is aware of the danger and potential threat that Two-Face represents to society and Gordon tells him that he is aware of the facts. Two-Face then blames Gordon for making a deal with someone who is clearly a bad person, for not honoring their agreement and also for the fact that Renee Montoya was held captive for over five months.
- For Two-Face, the verdict is clear and he is about to execute Renee stops him and tells him that Gordon is entitled to a defense but Two-Face explains that there isn't a person capable of speaking in his defense. Gordon calls Harvey Dent to act as his defense and Two-Face reluctantly agrees.
- Harvey Dent starts making questions to Two-Face about his proposal of help to James Gordon, even before they made any deal. Harvey Dent demonstrates that the man responsible for all the actions is Two-Face as he blackmailed, threatened and conspired against James Gordon and the GCPD.
- Two Face works himself up and into a catatonic. Gordon leaves and rushes to his home. Two-Face then realizes that Gordon is not guilty. He gives up and Renee places him under arrest.
- Gordon finds his home is quiet. Sarah is safe, the henchmen knocked out, and the whole Bat crew is there.
- Jim approaches Batman and decides that it is time for them to talk.


Jurisprudence: Part Two

#739 - Jurisprudence: Part Two



- Lex is still working to rebuild Gotham, despite attacks by the Joker.Lex tells Mercy to take care of the clown.
- Meanwhile, Robin watching Pettit's territory for suspicious activity. It’s becoming clear the Pettit is becoming unstable and Huntress is trusting him less.
- At another reconstruction camp, the men guarding the place are knocked out by Harley Quinn and the Joker's people. The Joker makes his entrance and scares most of the workers. To his disappointment, the Joker is stopped by Bane (not Batman). Joker takes a woman hostage and is about to harm her with some scissors but he is stopped by Bane. Joker and Harley are allowed to leave. Batman witnesses the scene from the shadows.
- Bane enters his truck and finds that Batman is already inside. Batman then tells Bane that he already knows what is the arrangement between Lex and Bane: Lex is going to give him Santa Prisca. Batman then asks Bane to leave Gotham and to go claim his country or otherwise Batman is going to take him down. Bane tells Batman that he will be out of Gotham by the end of the week.
- Barbara is watching a talk show on TV, where some No Man's Land survivors of No Man's Land are talking about their experiences. The host of the show urges the people watching to demand that the authorities do the right thing and end the No Man's Land.
- Later, Penguin calls Lex and Mercy to a meeting in one of his hideouts. Penguin tells Luthor that he wants a piece of the city and threatens to expose Lex’s more devious plans. Lex tells Mercy to take care of it and Mercy kills all of Penguin's men. Lex warns Penguin never to threaten him again, for he had "Mercy".
- In Washington, D.C.. Lucius Fox is addressing the people of the entire nation with good news. Under his command, Wayne Enterprises managed to make the United States Government sign an executive order that declared the end of No Man's Land.


Shellgame, Part 2

#740 - Shellgame, Part 2



- The Joker is pointing his gun at a defeated Huntress, ready to kill her, when Batman arrives and saves Huntress. Huntress' condition is bad and Batman lets the Joker and Harley Quinn escape to check on her. She tells Batman that Joker is there for the babies and Batman acknowledges Huntress' sacrifice before Nightwing carries her to Dr. Thompkin's medical centre.
- Batman updates Oracle about the Joker’s plan.
- Later, the Batman Family and the Gotham City Police Department gather outside the GCPD HQ and they being planning their next move when Joker appears on a nearby rooftop and tells them that he has hidden the babies all across Gotham City and that they must find for them before he kills the babies.
- Everybody moves to look for the babies and Batman follows Joker. However, Batman is tricked and he follows a fake trail while Joker sneaks into the GCPD HQ when nobody is left there.
- Robin, Nightwing, Bullock and Montoya look for the babies in possible locations, but all they find are booby trapped baby-dolls. Commissioner Gordon and Sarah find the same, but in the explosion, Sarah loses her radio. Sarah goes back to the HQ to replace the broken radio.
- Azrael and Batgirl are looking for the missing babies at CampLex but they find a Christmas tree filled with booby-trapped baby dolls. Azrael sacrifices himself to save Batgirl and Mercy Graves from the explosion and as a result, Azrael suffers several burns all over his body and hair.
- Batman finally reaches the Joker but realizes that the person he has been following isn't Joker, but Harley Quinn. Batman forces Quinn to reveal the Joker's location, to Batman's horror.
- Batman updates Oracle and she radios everyone that Joker is at the GCPD HQ.
- Sarah is inside the GCPD HQ and she notices noises coming from the basement. She finds that Joker is in there with the kidnapped babies. Joker instead pulls out a gun, dropping the baby he was holding. Sarah drops her gun to save the baby. Joker shoots her in the head, killing her.
- Joker leaves GCPD, approaches Batman and surrenders.
- When he learns what happened, Gordon reaches for his gun and punches the clown with the weapon. Gordon aims his gun towards the clown tells him that this time he has gone too far. Jim remembers how Joker paralyzed his daughter and now killed his wife. Batman rebutted that all of them have gone too far. Gordon is broken, tearful but he doesn’t fire the weapon. Joker mentions Gordon's son and the Commissioner has had enough. Gordon shoots Joker in the knee and the clown is shocked at first, but then he turns his pain into an awful joke about the similarity between his and Barbara's injury. Gordon tells the officers to arrest Joker for murder.


Endgame, Part Three: ...Sleep In Heavenly Peace...

#741 - Endgame, Part Three: ...Sleep In Heavenly Peace...



- James Gordon returned to duty after time off for mourning his wife.
- GCPD is still very understaffed after No Man’s Land
- He assigns Hardback Bock to lead the Organized Crime division and promotes Harvey Bullock to head of the Major Crimes Unit. Bullock's old partner, Renée Montoya, is now to work with Crispus Allen, newly arrived from Metropolis.
- Soon, both the police department and Batman are attracted to the scene of a shooting, a mob hit where two police officers were caught in the crossfire.
- Although he should leave it to Major Crimes, Gordon is determined to track down those responsible.
- Captain Bock suspects that the Odessa Mob are responsible. Gordon confronts their leader, Vasily Kosov.
- Kosov reveals the location of the 4 men responsible for the hit on the Cassamento Family.
- Gordon and Batman head for the location. Batman stops Gordon from a reckless and suicidal attack. They work together to capture the killers.
- Their bond is closer than ever, united by a keen sense of loss.


The Honored Dead

#742 - The Honored Dead



- Ra's al Ghul sends two of his followers to Gotham City (Whisper A'Daire and Kyle Abbott), armed with a supply of elixir that will last them for 20 weeks.
- Their mission involves turning the 5 larges crime organizations in Gotham against each other.
- Bruce and Barbara Gordon encounter Whisper at a gala for the opening of the Gotham Public Library. They find her suspicious.
- There are tensions in the city between those who stayed during no Man’s Land and those to left and returned (DeeZees).
- During the gala, Abbott, attacks the home of the Lucky Hand Triad's leader, Ekin Tzu, killing his wife and leaving one man standing, telling him that he was sent by the Russians.
- Later, Batman is on patrol and stops at the Able Crown Youth Center, funded by the head of the Burnley Town Massive. Noticing that a door is ajar, he investigates and encounters Abbott, they fight, thenAbbott leaves, setting off a massive explosion and saying "goodbye, detective”.


Whispers in the Dark

#743 - Whispers in the Dark



- Whisper and Abbott tell gang leaders Ekin Tzu and Able Crown that it was their rivals, the Odessa Mob and the Escabedo Cartel, who killed Tzu's wife and destroyed Crown's youth center.
- Whisper convinces Tzu that she has been sent from the heavens to aid him and demonstrated a snake-like ability to spit poison.
- Abbott kidnaps Vasily Kosov and Emanuel Escabedo.
- Batman investigates, and concludes that Ra's al Ghul is behind it all. While Batman is surveilling tracking Ekin Tzu, he is confronted by Whisper. He tries to discover what she is really doing in his city.
- Meanwhile, Abbott hands the two men over to Ekin and Able, who shoot them in cold blood as revenge for their supposed actions. Batman was distracted by Whisper and is too late to save them.


Unity of Purpose

#744 - Unity of Purpose



- Batman informs Commissioner Gordon Vasily Kosov and Emanuel Escabedo were killed by Ekin Tzu and Able Crown, though he cannot prove it.
- He also reveals that Whisper A'Daire arranged the killing, and learns that she has been getting very close to the Mayor, having spent many evenings with him and his wife recently.
- The next day, Bruce Wayne visits Mayor Dickerson and finds him with Whisper at his office. He sneaks a scale from her neck, which he runs through the Batcomputer, finding that it is very close genetically to a scale from a King Cobra.
- Elsewhere, Kyle Abbott receives a consignment of a liquid that Able Crown's Burnley Town Massive is to introduce into the Gotham drug supply. This is touted as bringing immortality, but nobody is permitted to try it before it hits the streets.
- At the GCPD Headquarters, the case is discussed. They expect a lot of gang volatility in the coming weeks.
- Batman asks Gordon why he hasn’t been home the past few days -Gordon says it reminds him too much of his late wife Sarah.
- Later, Batman tracks down the safehouse which Whisper and Abbott are using, discovering a skin shed by Whisper and encountering Abbott, who once again fights him in wolf-like form. He is able to knock Abbott out and discovers a wealth of information the pair had gathered about Gotham's organized crime.
- At the same time, Whisper offers Ekin Tzu a taste of 'immortality'. When he drinks the tea she prepares for him, he is transformed into a bird-like form. As he writhes in pain, Whisper tells him the truth about his wife's death.


Law of the Land

#745 - Law of the Land



- Batman interrogates Kyle Abbott. He uses a truth serum and learns that Abbott and Whisper A'Daire plan to use the crime syndicates under their control to flood the city with the serum that is extending their life spans. But, the serum transform its takers into animalistic forms are unpredictable and uncontrollable - Batman fears utter chaos in his city.
- Meanwhile, Whisper brings the Sicilian mafia on board for drug distribution. Able Crown objects to this, and when Whisper and Ekin Tzu (now utterly under Whisper's control it seem) reveal their hash natures, he calls the police with an anonymous tip about the drugs warehouse.
- When Whisper find outs Abbott reveals info to Batman, she spits poison in his eyes and promotes Ekin Tzu to her right-hand man.
- Later, Batman interrupts the meeting with mafia boss Pasquale Galante before the latter can be given a sample of the serum. Ekin Tzu and Whisper A'Daire flee the scene, but when Tzu sees Batman, he surrenders, as the Bat is more sacred in his beliefs than either the snake (Whisper's animal) or the raven (his own).
- Whisper sheds her skin once more and disappears.


Aftertaste

#746 - Aftertaste



- The continuing tension between the Original Gothamites (O.G.s, those who stayed in No Man's Land Gotham City and the Deezees (those who left) is illustrated by the trial of Reynaldo Martinez, where Detective Montoya has to testify. Martinez is accused of murder, having killed a man who wanted to take back his property on returning to the city - Martinez believes he was simply defending his own property as he has been living there for a year and the other man had abandoned it.
- It is Montoya's birthday, and she is frustrated. Renee's father is pushing her to find a man and start a family as she is "getting older”. At the GCPD Headquarters, nobody remembers Renee's birthday, yet, she receives an anonymous gift of tulips.
- Commissioner Gordon tells her to take the rest of the day off, so she decides to track down the tulip-giver, and finds that they were sent by Bruce Wayne, a man she doesn't actually know. When she confronts him, he tells her that they are actually from Two-Face, who forged a bond with her during the No Man's Land year.
- She visits Two-Face with cupcakes in Arkham Asylum, a visit which Harvey greatly appreciates, as does Batman, who leaves a note of thanks on Montoya's car, telling her that she gave Harvey peace.


Happy Birthday Two You

#747 - Happy Birthday Two You



- In the middle of the night, the police department investigates a fatal bombing at a Wayne Enterprises construction site. Signs point towards this being the work of militant OGs, disgruntled with the many difficulties they have suffered, even since the end of NML. 
- OG spokesman Roberto Alonzo, a former associate of the Black Mask, points out that this is very unlikely, as Bruce Wayne is one of the few employers to have treated the OGs with the respect they deserve and given them the help they need.
- Mayor Dickerson pressures Gordon for a quick arrest for the crime. Gordon is reluctant to make an arrest without enough evidence, but eventually arrests Alonzo, whose name is was used to rent the car for the bombing.
- Meanwhile, Batman investigates Francis Piper, a known criminal who has been seen at some of Alonzo's rallies. Batman discovers that Piper had posed as Alonzo to rent the car. However, Piper claims that he doesn’t know who hired him to do this.
- Alonzo is released, but he is soon attacked, and his body is strapped to another car bomb deployed at a construction site owned by Coldwell and Ferris Construction.


Urban Renewal, Part One

#748 - Urban Renewal, Part One



- Roberto Alonzo's body is found at the scene of the second bombing. The Mayor sees this as proof that he was responsible. The police department and Batman, however, are not convinced. 
- Batman discovers that explosives were carefully planted throughout the site, meaning that a demolitions expert was involved, and James Gordon discovers that the site was seriously over-insured. They reach the same conclusion: Ferris, half owner of the construction company, is responsible for the bombings, to collect on insurance money and to turn opinion against the OGs.
- Ferris is arrested. He even gets a punch in the face from Commissioner Gordon for his attitude to the OGs - on behalf of his late wife, Gotham born and bred and a casualty of the No Man's Land year.


Urban Renewal, Part Two

#749 - Urban Renewal, Part Two



- Batman steps up his campaign to track down Ra's al Ghul. Batman tracks his financial accounts and see some withdrawals in Switzerland. He goes there.
- Whisper and Abbott, meanwhile, attempt to re-enter al Ghul's good graces by revealing to him the location of his wayward daughter Talia (Switzerland). He sends them to bring her to him.
- Batman confronts Whisper and Abbott at Talia's location. Talia allows Abbott to capture her to save Batman, and Whisper is taken by Batman. 
- He gives Whisper an antidote to Al Ghul's elixir and although she reveals where Ra's can be found. But it turns out she is more than just addicted to the elixir - she is fully loyal to Ra's, and warns him that the bat is coming.
- Aided by a clue left by Talia, Batman travels to, Bern ,then to Paris to the Libyan desert, eventually catching up with al Ghul, who was already ready for an attack. Batman is captured, then liberated by Talia, who knows that her father will never forgive her for this latest act of betrayal.
- Batman destroys all remaining elixir which Ra's planned to unleash on Gotham. He and Talia go their separate ways.


Dependence

#750 - Dependence



- Detectives Montoya and Allen try to interview Jordan Rich (who shot Commissioner Gordon) to get a confession.
- However, he is confident there is not enough physical evidence for a conviction, so he doesn't confess.
- At St Luke's Hospital, James Gordon wakes and admits he did not see the man who shot him. 
- The police have to let Rich go.
- Batman confronts Rich, but is told that he's powerless - if he doesn't have it in him to kill Rich, he'll never have justice. Montoya watches the confrontation from the shadows.


Monster in a Box

#754 - Monster in a Box



- Edward Nigma. Sends riddles to the police foreshadowing his future crimes.
- He thought bats was an urban legend.
- He has two loyal henchwomen, Query and Echo.
- He did a big heist and evaded Batman. Then he did an even bigger one, stealing violins. Bats caught him.
- Psycho


Questions Multiply the Mystery

Annual #8 - Questions Multiply the Mystery



Detective Comics is an anthology comic featuring detective characters (both superhero and civilian). The longest-lasting character in Detective Comics was Batman: from the time of his debut (#27, May 1939), the Caped Crusader was almost always the star of the cover and lead story.


Detective Comics Volume 1 (1937 - Ongoing)

Comics