Batman #40

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE 13 CLUB When a popular television program starts debunking popular superstitions, the Joker decides to "prove them wrong" by committing a series of superstition based crimes, but his plans are ultimately foiled by Batman and Robin. THE CASE OF BATMAN II Bruce Wayne dies in a car accident, leaving Dick Grayson and Alfred to carry on alone. In order to keep up with his crime-fighting career, Robin starts looking for a replacement for Batman. After searching among top athletes, Robin finally finds the perfect candidate and he takes the man into training with Alfred's help. After an intensive time training in the Batcave, the new Batman is ready for action and when Commissioner Gordon activates the Bat-Signal, the Dynamic Duo gets going to the scene of the crime. Batman II and Robin are almost killed by the criminals, but Alfred intervenes, saving their lives. The criminals are captured and the new Batman has proved his worth. When Dick and Alfred return to Wayne Manor, they meet with Henry Bush, Bruce's lawyer, who wants to read Bruce's last will to Dick. While Bush is reading the document, Bruce Wayne walks out of the shadows, revealing that he faked his death to learn if Bush was an honest lawyer, but after listening to the document Bush was reading, Bruce knows that his lawyer has changed his will to steal his money. After Bush's plan is foiled, Alfred learns that this whole plot was planned by Bruce and Dick to capture the corrupt lawyer. THE GRAND OPERA MURDERS! Bruce and Dick are watching an opera when suddenly there is a murder attempt and they start investigating as Batman and Robin. They are unable to find the killer, but since nobody died, they suspect that whoever is behind the crimes, will try again later. After a series of murder attempts on different nights, Batman and Robin become part of the crew on one of the operas, in order to locate the killer from the inside. During the last scene, the lead singer is killed as the curtain closes and they finally realize that the killer was, in fact, the lead singer, who was dying and he wanted to kill some of the crew members before he passed away.