Batman (S3)

Lead Up
Batman is Gotham's hero after two years fighting crime.

Prologue - "The Acrobat"
Dick Grayson and his parent's are acrobats known as the Flying Graysons. They are an act in Haly's Circus, traveling across the US to their latest stop: Gotham City. Haly is approached by a splinter crime group led by Tony Zucco. Taking advantage of the void left after Joker's attack, Zucco threatens the circus for protection money. Haly and the Graysons refuse, and Zucco claims they will regret it.

Selina goes back to her former brothel in the Gotham Burroughs and kills her pimp, freeing Holly and taking "control" of the prostitute ring with better management. Bruce and her reconcile, and they decide to attend the Flying Grayson's performance. During the performance, the wires snap and John + Mary Grayson fall to their deaths while Dick watches. A boy is left orphaned in front of a horrified audience.

Chapter One - "The Protege"
As the Circus erupts in chaos at the sight of the fallen acrobats, Bruce races to embrace the orphan boy, but Grayson is nowhere to be found. Bruce and Selina find a devastated Haly, guilt-ridden as he believes it was his fault they died. Bruce looks at the tight-ropes that had snapped during the performance, discovering a latent corrosive chemical that had eaten away at the fibers.

Dick tracks down Tony Zucco, attacking his gang members. Dick is watched by Batman, who stops him from killing one of the gangsters. He takes Dick back to the Bat-Cave, revealing his identity to Dick, explaining that his parents too were taken by crime, and he's devoted his life to avenging their deaths by keeping Gotham safe. Bruce takes on Dick and teaches him the ways of justice.

They track down Tony Zucco, Dick decides not to kill him and instead follow in the path of justice like batman. Chooses the name Robin, after the legendary Robin Hood, and he swears an oath by candlelight that they would fight together against crime and corruption, never swerving from the path of righteousness. Batman had realized for the first time that he did not have to be alone in his crusade.

After taking down Zucco, Batman becomes aware of the no man's land crime void left after the two families fell. Where there was once stability, civil war will now erupt between the factions, and Bruce knows he would like no-one else besides Grayson at his side.

Chapter Two - "The Reptile"
Strange rumors spread around Gotham of a cannibalistic crocodile in the sewers. Dick continues his training with Bruce, while enrolling at Gotham Academy where he meets Barbara Gordon, who is a huge batman fanatic.

Barbara is mugged by crackheads, but Dick saves her (she fends for her own pretty well).

Gordon and Bullock get captured by cannibalistic croc in the sewers and Batman embarks to find them. Alfred sends him data regarding the menace, revealing his identity as Waylon Jones, a man with a severe skin condition abandoned by his family and raised among crocodiles as a feral child.

While Dick adjusts to new life in the cave with Alfred, Bruce trudges through the rotten underbelly of Gotham's sewer system in search of Gordon. He is overpowered by Croc, and loses his utility belt. Bruce is forced to fight apocalypse now style, taking out the crocodile (in a similar fashion to the mutant leader fight in DKR). Batman defeats the monster, saving Bullock and Gordon just as the system is flooded.

Killer Croc is intercepted by men of the Penguin, who appeals to his animalistic nature and makes him a proposition.

Chapter Three - "The Riddle"
Edward Nygma discovers batman's true identity after compiling evidence regarding Bruce's adoption of Grayson. Batman is lured by a note saying "I know your secret", into a death trap called the Labyrinth. Lucius is alerted when the Wayne Enterprises accounts are DDoSed by an unknown 3rd party. Bruce is lured and kidnapped by Nygma, with a threat sent to Wayne Manor claiming that if the Wayne Fortune is not transferred to a specific offshore account, Batman's identity will be revealed to the world as he is executed before Gotham City.

Robin and Barbara jump into action; Barbara uses her hacking skills to help out Lucius, while Alfred coordinates them; using British charm and intel to help the teens solve Nygma's riddles. Nygma sends the heroes on a wild goose chase as they attempt to track his location. As Bruce is restrained in a cartoonish death trap, he maintains that he is not the Batman Nygma claims him to be and that he will be sorry when the Dark Knight swoops in to save the day.

Meanwhile, Cobblepot and Sionis meet to arrange the balance of power in Gotham. Cobblepot announces his bid for mayor following Thorne's death, claiming the families former partnership to be nil; Sionis is furious ordering his men to restrain Cobblepot. Cobblepot reveals his new identity as The Penguin, releasing Killer Croc on Sionis' men, with both sides declaring war.

Robin and Barbara discover Nygma to be based in an abandoned Puzzle Store, confronting the villain. Batman's shadow is cast over Nygma who is shocked and frightened to death, attempting to escape just as he is knocked out by a batarang. The Batman cape & cowl are revealed as an illusion by Grayson and Gordon who free Bruce form his restraints.

Dick and Bruce reveal their identities to Barbara and she vows to keep their secret; sharing a kiss with Grayson as well.

Batman arrives at the Batcave only to receive a message from Gordon saying that Harvey has disappeared from his hospital bed. In his bed is left a Joker Card half burned by acid.

Chapter Four - "The Judge"
Batman visits Joker in Arkham while Gordon struggles to keep order in Gotham as the two families fight. Joker is cryptic as ever, amused by how his machinations have led to this moment; claiming that the next joke is the funniest of all, just around the corner.

Meanwhile, Cobblepot manipulates the media due to his mayor reputation, while Sionis utilizes Falcone and Maroni connections to undermine the office. Tensions are still high after Penguin gave up Maroni to Dent; Maroni is arranged to be transferred from Blackgate on a technical measure (manipulated by Black Mask).

Batman and Robin spring into action in search of Dent, but are distracted after Maroni's convoy is intercepted by his loyalists. Selina infiltrates Casa dei Romani only to find Black Mask gone and Carmine dead; his IV replaced by acid. Gordon arrives at Vera Dent's house after a call, finding her dead from an OD: He is knocked out unconscious.

Batman and Robin arrive at Iceberg Lounge, where a civil war has erupted between Maroni and Penguin loyalists. They fend off the gangsters, as well as Killer Croc, entering Cobblepot's office only to find dead men and Maroni's face half burnt by acid. A dirty bomb goes off trapping the heroes.

Gordon awakens in city hall tied to a chair alongside Cobblepot and Sionis. Their captor reveals himself as Harvey Dent, now having half of his face disfigured by acid.

Chapter Five - "The Trial"
Harvey captures Gordon, Sionis and Penguin, preparing to torture and execute them for what he believes they did to him. He is clearly insane, driven mad by the attack; believing himself to be governed by the charred coin he received while he was in the hospital. Duality of good and evil will govern and keep justice, and he is the judge, jury and executioner. Harvey explains that he escaped from Gotham general and went to visit his wife, but she couldn't bear to see him like this; killing herself instead. He also admits to killing Falcone and Maroni as well. Now going by "Two-Face"; Harvey will put the denizens of Gotham on trial, starting with these three. He then pours acid on Sionis, burning the Black Mask onto his face.

Barbara contacts Alfred claiming that her dad is missing. The two meet up with Selina, and go find the heroes. Riddler finds Batman and Robin in the wreckage and reveals that now he has triumphed against the dynamic duo. Following his humiliation at their hands, Riddler escaped from the same convoy Maroni was on, citing Dent's plan as heralding a new age of crime in Gotham. He also taunts Batman over the fact that one man caused all this trouble: the Joker. Barbara knocks out the Riddler, and frees the heroes.

Just as Two-Face maims Gordon, Selina attacks him, wanting justice for her father. They fight, with Dent shooting her. Gordon escapes from his bonds and chases dent to the GCPD (car chase), where he activates the signal. Gordon is attacked by surprise, but Two-Face is disarmed by Batman, and the three duke it out on the roof. Batman explains that it was the Joker's plan to maim him; he just needs to overcome the madness. Gordon pleads with Dent to stay sane and get rehabilitation. But Dent just laughs; the thing is that the Joker was right, their crusade was a worthless lie. No one can save Gotham from its true identity, a smoldering pit of freaks and evil. Gotham is a lost cause, Gotham is Two-Face.

Epilogue - "Last Laugh"
Selina reveals herself to be the bastard daughter of Carmine Falcone, gaining loyalist support.

Croc, Nygma, and Dent are sent to Arkham while Cobblepot and Sionis are locked in Blackgate. Batman and Gordon face the repercussions of all the criminals put away by Dent now counting his insanity; invalidating all the good he had done. Joker's plan worked; he got the Last Laugh.

Batman enters the asylum only to quell a sudden riot. He finds a Joker double inside his cell; the real one having already escaped.

Dick agrees to train Barbara. Alfred and Bruce visit the Wayne's grave; Batman doubting his crusade after the Dent affair. But Dick and Barbara show up, and he knows he is not alone.

Timeline

 * This event is part of The Golden Age
 * This event is preceded by World's Finest
 * This event is followed by Wonder Woman Year One

Links

 * Full Reading Order
 * Batman Reading Order