Batman isn’t the only masked crusader in town-and Arkham Asylum has many, many cells beyond those detaining the Penguin, the Joker, and Poison Ivy. But this is not the dark, dismal Arkham Asylum of old-this modern Arkham is run by the son of the original founder, Jeremiah Arkham. He is determined to improve on his father’s methods, and in doing so walks perilously close to the abyss of madness himself. Can Jeremiah cure the Dark Knight when Batman is committed to Arkham for killing a cop? Writer ALAN GRANT (DETECTIVE COMICS) joins artists TIM SALE (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN), NORM BREYFOGLE (BATMAN), and more in these stories about the men and women in shadow-the shadow of the Bat! Collects BATMAN: THE SHADOW OF THE BAT #1-12!

Writer Alan Grant (DETECTIVE COMICS) continues his epic run of BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT, this time joined by artists Bret Blevins (BATMAN: ZERO HOUR, HARLEY QUINN) and Norm Breyfogle (BATMAN) and others in these stories about the men and women in shadowÉthe shadow of the Bat in BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT VOL. 2! To many in Gotham City, Batman is a savior; to others, he is a menace who must be stopped. This includes Anarky, who escapes prison and sets out to eliminate the Dark Knight for the good of the city. The Scarecrow, though, has other plans for Batman. When Gotham is visited by an alien parasite, a high school gym teacher becomes the cityÕs latest protector, taking on the costumed persona of Joe Public, but thereÕs a lot he must learn from the WorldÕs Greatest Detective. And after BatmanÕs back is broken, he has handed the mantle of the Bat to Jean-Paul Valley, who has a very deadly approach to crime fighting. ValleyÕs actions prompt an injured and demoralized Bruce Wayne to retrain his ravaged body and travel to England with Alfred in search of Shondra Kinsolving, the one woman who might be able to heal him. Collects BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #13-23 and BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT ANNUAL #1.

"Originally published in single magazine form as Batman: shadow of the bat 32-42"--Copyright page.

Spinning out of BATMAN: KNIGHTFALL, Jean-Paul Valley is a new breed of Batman. Knowing the streets of Gotham wouldn’t be safe without a Dark Knight, an injured Bruce Wayne handed Jean-Paul his cowl. With this cowl comes the responsibility of taking care of an entire city. This is a burden not all are fit to bear. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Jean-Paul’s brutality towards the denizens of Gotham’s criminal underbelly knows no bounds. Dead set upon both proving himself as the new Dark Knight and seeking revenge against Bruce Wayne’s enemies, this new Batman begins a campaign to clean up Gotham’s streets once and for all. When an epic battle with Clayface begins, Jean-Paul is pushed to his breaking point. Will Jean-Paul’s brutal methods work, or will he his new power drive him to madness? Writer Alan Grant (DETECTIVE COMICS) continues his celebrated run on BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT, joined by Bret Blevins (New Mutants), Bob Smith (CATWOMAN) and others in these stories about the men and women in the shadow…the shadow of the bat! Collects BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #24-31, #0, and ANNUAL #2.

A ZERO HOUR tie-in, continued from BATMAN #0. While surveying the aftermath of his decisive showdown with Azrael, Bruce Wayne looks back on his solitary youth, recalling years spent honing his body and mind for the day he would take his grief and rage to the streets of Gotham City. Continued in DETECTIVE COMICS #0.