“THE MYSTERY OF THE MENACING MASK!” The trail of a jewel thief leads to a subterranean enclave of criminals.

Detective Comics featured DC's first masked adventurer and went on to give the company its name (from Detective Comics Inc.) and the only character to dominate American popular culture three separate times, each a generation apart: Batman. Join us in a celebration of Detective Comics' amazing eight-decade run and Batman's 80 years, with reflections on Detective Comics by Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Glen David Gold, Senator Patrick Leahy, Denny O'Neil, Anthony Tollin, police chief Shelley Zimmerman and Paul Levitz. This special collector's edition also features the very first Batman story; the debuts of classic sidekicks and allies like Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman and even Bat-Mite; and the first stories of archvillains Two-Face, the Riddler and Man-Bat. With a new cover by DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee, a never-before-published sketchbook of Lew Sayre Schwartz, a never-before-published scene from Bruce Wayne's childhood by Paul Levitz and Denys Cowan and much, much more, this is sure to be the celebration of the year!

Batman and Mayor Nakano have freed themselves from the Vile parasite-infected sewers of Gotham City…only to find the nightmare has risen higher than they had imagined! With the city streets being overtaken by larger, (somehow even more) horrific creatures, these two enemies must put aside their differences and save the city-while there’s still time! This skin-crawling, heart-pounding, terror-inducing installment of “Fear State” will change the nature of the Dark Knight and Mayor Nakano forever, and cast an eerie shadow over the next major Bat-event to come… Then, in “Foundations” part two, Batman runs into an unlikely ally in his investigation at the Arkham Tower construction site, and believe us, Harley Quinn has a lot to say about all this!

Rite of Passage conclusion. Batman has finally learned where the Obeah Man is holding Tim Drake's parents captive and races to the rescue--but will he arrive too late to prevent the young Tim from experiencing the loss of his parents?

When Bruce Wayne refuses to allow illegal mindcontrol experiments to continue at Wayne Technology, he finds himself charged with being a traitor. During the police investigation, Wayne is forced to confront memories of the various people who trained him to become the feared Dark KnightBatman. Wayne not only must clear himself, but also protect his secret and save his company from ruin. Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm makes his comic-book debut with BATMAN: BLIND JUSTICE, introducing new elements to the Batman legend including the character of Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson in 2005s smash film Batman Begins.

Dick Grayson--alter-ego of the original Robin of Batman comics--has gone through various changes in his 75 years as a superhero but has remained the optimistic, humorous character readers first embraced in 1940. Predating Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, he is one of DC Comics' oldest heroes and retains a large and loyal fanbase. The first scholarly work to focus exclusively on the Boy Wonder, this collection of new essays features critical analysis, as well as interviews with some of the biggest names to study Dick Grayson, including Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson and Marv Wolfman. The contributors discuss his vital place in the Batman saga, his growth and development into an independent hero, Nightwing, and the many storyline connections which put him at the center of the DC Universe. His character is explored in the contexts of feminism, trauma, friendship, and masculinity.

“CAPTIVES OF THE ALIEN ZOO!” Batman and Robin are mistaken for two-legged animals by alien hunters, who capture the Dynamic Duo and place them on display in an alien zoo.