It may be April Fools' Month, but things are getting very serious in Gotham City! The Calendar Man sets out to prove that he's nobody's fool. Where has he been since breaking out of Arkham, and why is the answer bad news for Batman?

Collecting BATMAN: DARK VICTORY #0-13, this epic continues the story of THE LONG HALLOWEEN. It is early in Batman's crimefighting career, when James Gordon, Harvey Dent, and the vigilante himself were all just beginning their roles as Gotham'sprotectors.Once a town controlled by organized crime, Gotham City suddenly finds itself being run by lawless freaks, such as Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker. Witnessing his city's dark evolution, the Dark Knight completes his transformationinto the city's greatest defender. He faces multiple threats, including the seeming return of a serial killer called Holiday. Batman's previous investigation of Holiday's killings revealed that more than one person was responsible for the murders.So the question remains: who is committing Holiday's crimes this time? And how many will die before Batman learns the truth?

Twenty-five years ago, you thought you knew the whole story of Batman: The Long Halloween. Now, legendary creators Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return to Gotham City to reveal that no secret remains buried forever! Join us for the return of the Batman Halloween specials and a mystery that could destroy Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Two-Face, and…well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?

A prelude story leading into the DARK VICTORY main title! Batman recounts the capture of the Holiday killer, now safely behind bars. But even with Holiday over, new villains begin emerging in Gotham City ready to make a name for themselves.

The Eisner Award-winning team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale returns to further the exciting adventures they began in BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN and followed in BATMAN: DARK VICTORY! Collecting the 6-part series that guest-starred Batman and a host of Gotham's most colorful and dangerous villains, WHEN IN ROME chronicles Catwoman's mysterious trip to Italy and her dealings with the deadly Falcone crime family. It's an incredible tale of Gotham's sexiest cat burglar!

The epic conclusion to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Batman masterpiece! What connection does the Hang Man have to Harvey Dent, and can the murders be stopped before the most horrifying killing of them all takes place? This time Batman is no longer alone in his quest for justice as a young, inexperienced Robin joins him and the dynamic duo is born!

The ultimate guide to the man behind the mask . . . and the mythology behind the man. “Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible. . . . I shall become a bat!” So declared millionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne, orphaned as a boy by a murderous thug and driven as a man to battle the scourge of crime by becoming Batman. Batman swooped into popular culture in 1939–and for nearly seventy years has thrilled audiences in countless comics, live-action and animated television programs, and seven feature films. Prowling the darkened rooftops of Gotham City, roaring through the teeming streets in the sleek, high-powered Batmobile, and leaping into action when the iconic Bat-Signal pierces the night sky, the Caped Crusader is a larger-than-life legend. And now, for the first time in more than thirty years, everything there is to know about Batman–from the beginning to the present, and from A to Z–is collected in one comprehensive new sourcebook. More than 500 pages of entries and illustrations include: • fascinating details and the complete background on Batman’s origins • biographies of every major character in the Batman universe–including his closest allies, from Robin the Boy Wonder and faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth to Commissioner Gordon; and his countless enemies, from the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler to Scarecrow, Two-Face, Ra’s al Ghul and Poison Ivy • classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout • two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts Even an all-access pass to the Batcave couldn’t rival former DC Comics editor and Batman scholar extraordinaire Robert Greenberger’s exhaustive ultimate archive. The Essential Batman Encyclopedia is a must for every Batman fan’s bookshelf. BATMAN, the DC Logo, and all related names, characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics © 2008. All rights reserved.