COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK – “Batman” #468 (Early September 1991)

Batman #468

This week’s “Comic Book of the Week” is “Batman” #468, which was published by D.C. Comics in early September 1991. This comic was titled “Shadow Box, Part Two” and included such characters as Batman, Robin, Commissioner Jim Gordon, Alfred, Lynx and Sir Edmund Dorrance, aka, King Snake. This issues creative team included Chuck Dixon, writer; Tom Lyle, pencils; Andy Mushynsky, inks; Todd Klein, letters; Adrienne Roy, colors; Kelley Puckett, assistant editor; and Denny O’Neil, editor. Tom Lyle was the cover artist for this issue, which sold for $1 at newsstands.

“Batman” #468 was a 24-page issue that begins with Batman and Gordon in a police morgue where they’re looking at the bloody body of Johnny Yune, a young Chinese street criminal. Yune’s killers dressed him in a Robin costume as a way of sending a threatening message to Batman and the Boy Wonder. Batman blames the act on Dorrance, the leader of the Ghost Dragons, and Batman explains how all of this plays into the fact that rival Chinese crime lords are fighting for over turf in Gotham.

The next scene takes place in Gotham’s Gate Street District, the city’s “Chinatown” neighborhood. Lynx and other members of the Ghost Dragons use a rocket launcher to destroy a building owned by a man who wouldn’t pay for the gang’s “protection.” They speed away as sirens approach and the building burns.

The story then cuts to Dorrance, who’s lying on his back, asleep and having a nightmare. In his dreams, he’s falling from the top of a downtown skyscraper and comes to a stop when he crashes into a grated awning. In his dream, Robin ridicules Dorrance for his weakness due to the broken back he suffered in the fall. Dorrance wakes up in a cold sweat, cursing Robin and vowing to murder the Boy Wonder.

We then cut to a young Tim Drake – Robin’s alter ego – who’s hitting tennis balls being fired from a machine on one of the courts at stately Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, interrupts to say that he’s concerned about Drake’s schoolwork. Wayne tells Drake that he and Alfred believe that he should spend more time on his schoolwork, which is why Wayne plans to “go out solo for a few nights.” Drake doesn’t like the idea and realizes there’s more to this than his education.

The next scene begins with Batman sitting atop the iconic Chinese-style gate over Gate Street, and he doesn’t have to wait long for the action to begin. He watches as five members of the Steel Unicorns gang pull up in front of the Ting Fu Garden Restaurant and open fire on five members of the Ghost Dragons. Batman swings in and can hear the Unicorns laughing over their gunfire, which makes Batman believe they're high on PCP or “some other kind of designer drug.”

Batman begins to take out the Unicorns, which gives the Dragons time to recover and return fire. A Unicorn getaway driver arrives soon thereafter in a pickup truck, and the Unicorns pile in. Batman jumps on back and begins kicking butt, but that all comes to an end when one of the Unicorns leans out of the passenger side window with a gun. The Unicorn gunman fires one shot, and it hits Batman in the chest, causing him to fall out of the back of the moving truck.

Batman’s Kevlar vest keeps the bullet from breaking his skin, but doesn’t keep Batman from suffering some broken ribs. Batman struggles to his feet and makes his way to the Bat Cave, where Alfred patches him up. Batman wants to get back out on the street, and Robin wants to join him. Robin says that he knows that his schoolwork isn’t the only reason Batman wants him to stay home and realizes that Batman’s trying to protect him.

Robin tells Batman that he needs him out there on the street with him, so that he’ll have someone to watch his back. Batman says that he’s not sure if Dorrance is alive, but he’s sure that someone has singled Robin out for vengeance. Batman thinks that the best way to keep Robin safe is to keep him out of the line of fire for the time being. Robin stands down as long as Batman will agree to heal up before he gets back out on the street.

The story then moves to a scene in which Dorrance and Lynx are discussing Batman’s interference in the shoot out between the Unicorns and Dragons. All Dorrance wants to know is if Robin was there. Dorrance believes that the only way to get to Robin now is through Batman, but Lynx tells him that he needs to concentrate on the looming gang war.

Dorrance says that he’s got to kill Robin first then everything else will follow. Lynx ridicules Dorrance, saying that he’s afraid of the Boy Wonder. Dorrance lashes out of the woman, who deftly avoids every kick and punch before she eventually pulls a short knife from her jacket and slashes Dorrance across the chest. Dorrance calms down, and he and Lynx agree to lay a trap for Robin.

In the next scene, Gordon’s surveying the damage left behind by the rocket attack on Gate Street, which apparently is less than a quarter mile from city hall. Detective Mathers explains to Gordon that the building contained a large, underground casino. Gordon can’t believe that someone in the department didn’t know about the casino and vows to shake up the department over the situation.

Gordon and Mathers are discussing the situation when the building’s owner, Benjamin Minh walks up and begins to berate Gordon for the department’s inability to protect the neighborhood. Gordon fires back with questions about the casino in Minh’s basement. Minh says he pays a gang called the Wolf Pack and the police for protection. Gordon then orders Mathers to arrest Minh on charges of criminal conspiracy and racketeering and transport him downtown for questioning.

Gordon tells Mathers that he’s headed home, but as he walks to his car, someone calls to him from a dark alley. Gordon draws his gun and enters the alley. He calls out to the person who got his attention, but no one answers. Gordon then stumbles upon a bundle on the floor of the alley. As Lynx watches from a nearby rooftop, Gordon opens the bundle to find a dead robin.

Instead of going home, Gordon switches on the Bat Signal atop police headquarters and has a meeting with the Caped Crusader over the dead bird. Gordon gives Batman the bird in a sealed plastic bag, and Batman says he’ll analyze it to see if it has anything more to reveal. Gordon offers to render all possible assistance and the story ends with Batman saying, “Thanks, Jim. But this one is all mine. He (Dorrance) wants to get at Robin. Wants revenge on him. He’ll have to step over my corpse first.”

This comic (unless I’ve sold it) and others are available for purchase through Peacock’s Books on Amazon.com. If you’re interested in buying it, search for it there by title, issue number and date of publication.