Batman #540

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE SPECTRE OF VENGEANCE PART 1 - GOTHAM WELCOME Batman is looking for Damon Shugrue: a False Face Society member. Batman found that man in a local pub. The man was waiting for someone called Tony Sparks when Batman arrived and knocked him to take him to the police. While he was doing it, he overheard that Bruce Wayne was having an radio interview in just a few minutes. He decided to deliver the hood to the police and to attend to the interview.  At the same time in New York City, a building was set on fire killing some people. Nate Kane and Jim Corrigan arrested a possible suspect. Corrigan used his powers as Spectre to get the truth out of the man. He told them that the responsible was Tony Sparks and that he had moved out of New York to Gotham City to get into the Black Mask gang. Corrigan dediced to go to Gotham and find Sparks.   Later that night, Sparks arrived at the pub where he was supposed to meet Shugrue, just to learn that the man was taken in by Batman.   Bruce Wayne was on time for his radio interview with Vesper Fairchild. After the normal greetings; Vesper was interested to know about Bruce's life. Bruce started to flirt with her to everyone's amusement and surprise. They continued talking about Bruce's charities campaigns and so on. After the show, the two of them went to take some coffe and they arranged the plans for their next date.   At Gotham jail, Shugrue told one of his fellows false facer to give Tony Sparks a "Gotham Welcome" for setting him up along with Batman. Sparks was staing at Gotham Arms Hotel and when he arrived that night there were three masked men in his room. The false facers told Sparks that they were sent to give him a gotham welcome and three kisses from Batman as they shot him three times. Sparks last words were The Batman.   Alfred and Bruce discussed about Vesper Fairchild and Bruce told his butler that he had the situation under control and that he wouldn't let Vesper stand between his duty as Batman. Batman answered the bat-signal and Commissioner Gordon told him that the police found Tony Spark's dead body. Both of them assumed that it was all about gang wars.   Jim Corrigan was too late and found Sparks dead. He knew that it was time to let the Spectre act on this case. He went to Gotham's morgue and communed with his soul, which at the time was in Hell. Spectre asked Spark's soul that his final fate was well deserved but because he was murdered, the Spectre must find his killer. Spectre asked Spark who was the man who killed him and Spark answered The Batman.