Batman (S2)

Lead Up
Batman becomes an established hero in gotham, who hunts down the mob. More colorful villains begin to appear.

He is now seen as a physical man instead of a dark myth.

Prologue - "The Signal"
Harvey Dent arrives as the new District Attorney in Gotham, taking charge of the Wayne Enterprises collusion investigation and outing current CEO, Whitney Earle. Earle is imprisoned, and Lucius assumes Wayne Enterprises.

Lucius presents Batman with the finished vehicle; dubbed by him as the Batmobile. The Four Clovers Gang attack Earle's prison transport, freeing her on orders of Sal Maroni. Batman foils their attempt using his new vehicle.

Loeb and Thorne push anti-Batman agenda, clearing Four Clovers gang of charges over Dent's authority.

Jim Gordon installs a signal on the roof, which he christens the Bat-Signal. Confronts Bats and Gordon, and the three make a pact to destroy crime in the city.

While at pub, the Four Clovers Gang are served drinks, but the bartender is nowhere to be found. One of the men goes into the back office finding the dead bartender with a grin and a joker playing card note.

''What's the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish funeral? One less drunk.''

The men all die from by poisoned alcohol, laughing to death.

Chapter One - "The Iceman"
Maroni and Falcone hire Mister Freeze, a criminal scientist who can only survive under sub-zero temperatures, and provide men + funds to kill Batman. At GothCorp, one of Wayne Enterprises rivals, Lucius Fox has a meeting with Ferris Boyle as the two argue over acquisition and partnering with the Falcone Imports and Maroni Manufacturing. Mister Freeze takes everyone hostage, luring Batman to GothCorp headquarters.

Batman finds Falcone and Maroni men frozen alive; Freeze betrayed them. Freeze taunts Batman, revealing his origin:

''Victor Fries was a cryogenic scientist who worked for Gothcorp, and used company tech to treat his dying wife. Gothcorp's owner, Ferris Boyle cut his funding and fired him, causing a struggle where Boyle was taken hostage by Fries. Gothcorp security intervened, and stray bullets caused an accident that affected Fries. ''

Batman attempts to stop him from killing Boyle, but Boyle is frozen alive and shattered.

Freeze restrains Batman in a block of ice and opens the GothCorp vault, but does not find what he wanted. Freeze is contacted by Falcone and Maroni, angry that he has killed their men; stating that he will only get his precious cargo if he kills the Bat. Lucius frees Batman from the ice, and Gordon arrives with backup. Freeze fights Batman but is defeated, imprisoned in Arkham.

Batman discovers that the cargo he was looking for was his cryogenically frozen wife, and makes it back from the mobsters. He visits Freeze in Arkham, vowing to help him find a cure.

Chapter Two - "The Mask"
Falcone, Maroni, Mayor Thorne, and Commissioner Loeb have a summit, agreeing to put a stop to Batman, Dent, and Gordon. Price is put on Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon's heads, with Maroni assassin Victor Zsasz and Falcone's enforcer Roman Sionis going after.

Jeremiah Arkham is tasked with heading Arkham after Hugo Strange's death. Bruce suffers from spending too much time as Batman. Batman engages Scarecrow and Cobblepot at the harbor; when Crane attempts to use the fear gas again, Batman viciously beats the two, discovering the hit on Gordon and Dent. Collapses from exhaustion, brought to Wayne Manor by Catwoman. Alfred is extremely unpleased, but Bruce tells them of the hit before he passes out.

As Bruce rests, Alfred pilots the Batmobile remotely, with Catwoman in tow. While at a stakeout, Gordon is attacked by dirty cops led by Flass. Alfred saves him (disguised in the Batmobile as Batman) and they go to the courthouse to find Harvey. Zsasz and Sionis converge and fight against Catwoman defending Dent. Gordon is stabbed by Zsasz but shot by Dent. The assassins are apprehended by Batman.

Batman reveals his identity to Catwoman.

At the GCPD, Commisioner Loeb deals with the fallout and impending investigation on his administration. He the "corrupt cops" receive a mysterious package with a joker playing card note inscribed.

''What do you call 3 cops burnt alive and buried? Pigs in a blanket.''

The office is engulfed in flames and the men are burnt alive.

Chapter Three - "The Wake"
Penguin hosts a wake for Commissioner Loeb where all the wealthy elite go, including the Falcone and Maroni crime families. Bruce attends the party, while Gordon and Dent attempt a sting to capture both groups red handed. They all try to piece together the clues behind the murders of the Irish gang as well as commissioner Loeb.

Selina goes undercover as well, and tries to kill Falcone once again, interfering with the plan. Bruce spots her, but can't risk his identity. A shootout ensues after Falcone recognizes her, and the police intervene. Carmine is put in critical condition by Catwoman, as his son Alberto shoots her in the shoulder. The sting is a fiasco, and Bruce tracks Selina to the roof of Cobblepot mansion. She reveals that she is carmine's illegitimate daughter, and Gordon + Dent take her away.

Batman visits Penguin again, claiming that he is the killer/one picking off the Falcone and Maroni sides to benefit. Penguin reveals that he wasn't the killer but he agree to destabilize groups and play against each other for his benefit. Penguin reveals that the one who contacted him was Alberto, vying for power in the Falcone Family. Alberto is surrounded at Falcone headquarters by Batman Dent and Gordon in the middle of his dinner. However, they find Alberto dead, having eaten a plate of poisoned pasta, alongside a dossier with evidence on all crime in Gotham. A joker playing card is found in his hands

''Did you hear about the dead mobster's son? Oh yeah he pasta way! Tick tock Dark Knight, what happens next is on your hands.''

Chapter Four - "The Knight"
With the crime families in ruins and exposed, Harvey prosecutes everyone. Batman advises against using the dossier, but Harvey believes its the only way, lashing out violently at Batman. Rupert Thorne denies allegation of corruption, secluding himself in the town hall. With the help of Bullock, Gordon ventures to purge the GCPD of corrupt cops.

The Arkham prison transport is attacked, and Selina, Zsasz, and Sionis are freed. Roman Sionis, now going as Black Mask, takes control of the Falcone mob territory while Carmine is comatose. Maroni flees, but begs Penguin to help him. Penguin controls Maroni family as he gives up Sal to Dent; Dent agreeing to let Cobblepot go this time, but vowing to catch him next.

Gordon investigates the aftermath of the office explosion finding a charred Joker card. Batman battles the escaped prisoners finding a joker card in the windshield of the Arkham convoy. Someone bumps into Maroni before he enters the courthouse, and passes a vial into his pocket. As Harvey prosecutes Maroni, he opens the dossier to find another joker card note.

''What's hot, green, and would look great on a lawyer? Acid.''

At that moment, Sal Maroni opens the vial and splashes Dents face with corrosive acid.

Chapter Five - "The Clown"
As Dent is rushed to the hospital, Maroni is sent to Blackgate. Batman and Gordon convene, bringing the joker cards together. Using a black-light, they find to letters on every card = "HA-HA". Television screen go off across the city; one broadcast taking the screen. A clown appears, introducing himself as the Joker. Joker takes credit for all the murders that have occurred in the past weeks, announcing that he will kill the mayor Rupert Thorne at the stroke of midnight.

You know, I never found political jokes to be very funny, because they always seem to get elected!

Gordon rushes to the mayor's office while Batman tries to isolate the signal broadcast. Batman arrives at ACE Chemicals, recalling an incident that occurred in the past year with the Red hood leader. He finds a dead news crew and joker card along a glass of water. testing the water, he sends samples to Alfred. Gordon confronts Mayor Thorne over the corruption in Gotham, but Rupert refuses to admit guilt. As an officer brings in a glass of water for the Mayor, Gordon receives a transmission from Batman; claiming that the test results from the cup at ace chemicals came back containing the venom found in joker's previous victims. Gordon knocks the glass out of the mayor's hands but its too late and he succumbs to the laughing death.

Gordon is attacked by the officer revealed to be Joker. Batman tracks the two down to the Gotham Reservoir, where Joker plans to poison the city's water supply. The two battle, and Alfred pilots the bat-mobile, isolating the barrels of joker venom before hey hit the water. Joker is defeated and sent to Arkham, telling batman that they will most definitely meet again.

Epilogue - "The Coin"
Harvey dent, in the hospital, receives an envelope containing two items, his charred coin, and a joker playing card.

Timeline

 * This event is part of Year One
 * It is preceded by Birthright
 * It is followed by Man of Steel

Links

 * Full Reading Order
 * Batman Reading Order