Batman had finally accepted Jason Todd as the new Robin, for him to be taken away from Wayne Manor by Child Welfare Services. This is more of a fight for Bruce Wayne’s lawyers than for Batman. Though the return of a pale but familiar face might just take Bruce’s mind off his identity crisis…
Crossover: This storyline is a standard 11-part crossover.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- A REQUIEM FOR SKULLS (1983) – Mayor Hill employs Harvey Bullock
- PASSION NOCTURNALE (1983) – Nocturna’s debut
- BETWEEN TWO NIGHTS (1984) – Jason Todd is taken into Child Welfare
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Batman #376
- Detective Comics #543 [1/2]
- Batman #377
- Detective Comics #544 [1/2]
- Batman #378
- Detective Comics #545 [1/2]
- Batman #379
- Detective Comics #546 [1/2]
- Batman #380
- Detective Comics #547 [1/2]
- Batman #381
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Batman #376 A band of horror-themed practical jokers calling themselves Nightmares, Incorporated – run by the masked Nightshade – set up parties at the homes of Gotham City‘s wealthiest who are in search of edgier fun to impress their friends. However, those homes are normally robbed the following night. Alfred Pennyworth hopes an investigation into Nightmares, Inc will take Batman’s mind off the loss of Jason Todd. Bruce Wayne and Alfred arrange a party at Wayne Manor, allowing Bruce a chance to pull off Nightshade’s mask. Nightmares, Inc are asked to leave by Bruce. At the party, Vicki Vale and her new assistant, Julia Remarque, fight for Bruce’s attention. Later, Batman finds Nightshade planning to rob Wayne Manor, but the Caped Crusader is chased out by a flamethrower. Nightshade reports in to his boss, Nocturna… 1st appearance: Nightmares Incorporated, Nightshade/Sturges Hellstrom |
| Detective Comics #543 [1/2] Nocturna (now going by Natalia Knight) uses her riches to acquire a room at Gotham City’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. She heads to Gotham Welfare Bureau in an effort to convince Jason Todd she’s his mother. The Night-Thief is sprung from prison thanks to an unexplained dark cloud. Julia Remarque manages to get dinner with Bruce Wayne. Commissioner Jim Gordon questions the hitman Slade who was hired by Mayor Hamilton Hill to kill Harvey Bullock (during BETWEEN TWO NIGHTS, 1984). Mayor Hill plans to disrupt Bruce’s plans to adopt Jason. Natalia Knight also files for custody. Batman disrupts Nightmares, Inc’s last bid to rinse the rich at the Empire Island Funhouse, but the Night-Thief shows up, slays Nightshade and vanishes. Batman connects Nocturna and Nightmares, Inc. Two days later, Bruce Wayne bumps into Natalia Knight at the Gotham Court House. Natalia expresses her intent to adopt Jason and suggests she and Bruce get married… New identity: Nocturna/Natasha Knight as Natalia Knight |
| Batman #377 Bruce loses his temper in court when the judge proclaims Natalia Knight viable to adopt Jason Todd. Jason hasn’t helped Bruce, however, as he sees Natalia’s adoption as a chance to expose Nocturna. The Night-Thief finally returns to Nocturna, but she spurns him when she finds out he’s killed Nightshade in her name. Later, Batman confronts Nocturna at her hotel where she almost lures him into a kiss. This triggers the Night-Thief’s attack and he comes close to defeating Batman. However, Natalia shoots Night-Thief in the back. Fuelled by her narcotic scent, the Dark Knight kisses Nocturna. Elsewhere, Julia Remarque steals Vicki Vale’s pictures of Bruce Wayne… |
| Detective Comics #544 [1/2] Nocturna reveals she knows Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same and insists he marry her. They realise the Night-Thief – now dubbed the Night-Slayer by Batman – has survived and is gone. Jason Todd leaves the safety of the Welfare Bureau, heading into the night as Robin. Nocturna follows him, making it clear she knows Robin’s identity and convinces him to go back. Batman terrorises Slade when he’s freed from custody, convincing him to reveal Mayor Hill and Doctor Fang as his benefactors. Hill wants Bullock dead due to his switch of allegiances to Gordon. Batman gives Hill a warning… New identity: The Night-Thief/Thief of Night/Anton Knight as Night-Slayer |
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Batman #378 Batman continues to haunt Mayor Hill. Elsewhere, the Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) recalls his recent near-death experience (during ALL MY ENEMIES AGAINST ME, 1983) and plans to obtain Nightmares, Inc’s lost loot. In court, Natalia Knight is granted custody of Jason Todd. The heartbroken Batman focuses on finding the Night-Slayer. At the Ritz-Carlton, Mad Hatter delivers a gift to Nocturna – a hat that puts her in a trance and downloads information from her memories. He doesn’t yet realise this includes the Caped Crusader’s secret identity. When Batman arrives, the Hatter manipulates Nocturna into attacking him. Robin shows up and chases after the Mad Hatter, but only retrieves his data. He deactivates the hat, ending Nocturna’s attack. Batman and Robin acknowledge they can still be partners, despite Jason’s current situation… |
| Detective Comics #545 [1/2] The delirious Anton Knight recalls how he escaped the Batman by dropping into the sewers beneath Gotham, still bleeding from the gunshot. He was washed out of a drainage pipe and found by a blind girl called Tina and her dog. Feeling the costume, Tina has come to the conclusion Anton must be the Batman! Now, at the Wayne Foundation, Bruce asks Lucius Fox to mine the Mad Hatter’s data to help him find the criminal. Lucius is keen to bring the Hatter to justice (due to the events of CALLING DOCTOR DEATH,1982). Batman resumes his search for the Night-Slayer… |
| Batman #379 Julia Remarque writes a very personal first piece for Picture News, impressing her father, Alfred Pennyworth, though he’s still upset she still won’t use his surname. Vicki Vale assigns Julia to cover the Jason Todd adoption story. Natalia Knight is granted full custody of Jason Todd. Bruce Wayne rejects Julia’s offer of comfort. Lucius Fox gives Batman clues to the Mad Hatter’s location. But first, the Dark Knight visits Nocturna, and convinces her to let Robin come out and play. The Dynamic Duo fall into the Mad Hatter’s trap when they trace his hideout and are set upon by lackeys controlled by his hats. The Hatter watches on a monitor in his car, alongside his monkey, Carol Lewis. Before he can detonate an explosive in the hideout, a caped and costumed Nocturna captures both Carol and the Mad Hatter and saves the heroes’ lives… |
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Detective Comics #546 [1/2] Mayor Hill pays one of his own men to rough him up and trash his office. He publicly blames Batman, holding up a glove on TV that he claims the Dark Knight left behind. The cops try and fail to take the Dark Knight in. Another one of Hill’s assassins almost kills Harvey Bullock. Having had enough of the constant attempts on his life, Bullock heads to the Mayor’s office and confronts Hill, directly. But, claiming self-defence, Hamilton Hill shoots Bullock… |
| Batman #380 Batman is still wanted by the Gotham City Police Department. Jim Gordon’s been fired. Harvey Bullock recovers in hospital, having survived the shooting. Mayor Hill arranges for Doctor Fang to be released from prison. Batman resumes his search for the Night-Slayer, but the thief has already left Tina’s seaside shack and returned to Nocturna’s hotel room where he’s taken her and Tim Drake hostage. Just as Batman manages to locate and overpower the Slayer, Doctor Fang shows up looking for revenge on Batman (due to his incarceration in BOXING, 1984). Night-Slayer shoots at Batman, grazing his head and then accidentally killing Fang. Dazed and deafened, Batman falls unconscious. Night-Slayer switches their costumes. When the broken Bruce Wayne wakes up, he believes himself to be the Night-Slayer… New identity: Batman/Bruce Wayne as Night-Slayer, Night-Slayer/Anton Knight as Batman |
| Detective Comics #547 [1/2] Nocturna and Robin quickly dump Doctor Fang’s corpse in the park. In the three nights that follow, Anton Knight commits robberies as the Batman… with a goatee. Alfred doesn’t know where Bruce is and admits to Julia Remarque that not calling herself ‘Julia Pennyworth’ has upset him. The Mayor’s assistant manipulated his uncle, the tailor Herman Blevins, into making the glove that Hill used as ‘evidence’ of the real Batman’s criminal acts. Herman threatens to come clean. On the fourth night, Robin and Nocturna confront ‘Batman’, mid-robbery, but he escapes. Herman Blevins offers to help ‘Batman’, but he’s pushed away. Instead, the new ‘Night-Slayer’ approaches Blevins… |
| Batman #381 Having realised her masked ‘hero’ was a thief, Tina tracks down a police officer and tells him Batman is a criminal. Anton arrives as ‘Batman’ and threatens her. At the Ritz-Carlton, Robin finds Nocturna’s stash of stolen jewels, but want her to go to jail. ‘Night-Thief’ asks Nocturna to set up Mayor Hill. Hill calls in the press to catch ‘Batman’ during a warehouse theft, but the real Batman unmasks Anton Knight in front of them all. With Herman Blevins’ help, Batman also reveals Hill’s scheme against him, Gordon and Bullock. Anton Knight escapes after a scuffle with Batman. Nocturna returns Robin to Wayne Manor and departs. The real Batman visits Tina, lets her touch his real face and… stays in her shack overnight? Ummmm… what exactly happened, there?! |
| Must Reads | Issue(s) & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| ✔ | Detective Comics #548 (1985) Jason Todd moves back into Wayne Manor; Batman worries about Nocturna’s disappearance and continues his search for the Night-Slayer; Julia Remarque is first referred to as Julia Pennyworth. | THE VENGEANCE SPIRAL |
| Detective Comics #553 (1985) George P Skowcroft becomes the new Mayor of Gotham City. | THE FALSE FACE SOCIETY OF GOTHAM | |
| ✔ | Batman #389-391 (1985-1986) Nocturna and the Night-Slayer return; Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale’s turbulent relationship finally comes to an end; Robin comes under Nocturna’s sway; Batman realises who he truly loves; Batman has his final showdown with the Night-Slayer; Nocturna’s fate is decided. | CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS |
| Batman #400 (1986) The Mad-Hatter returns, teaming up with a number of Batman’s foes to oppose the Dark Knight. | KNOW YOUR FOES |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan vol.2 | Detective Comics #543 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2025
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