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| Publisher |
DC |
| Writer |
Brian K. Vaughan |
| Cover Artist |
Scott McDaniel |
| Inker |
Karl Story |
| Colorist |
Roberta Tewes |
| Letterer |
John Costanza |
| Cover Artist |
Patrick Martin |
| Artist |
Scott McDaniel |
| Published | April 2001 |
CLOSE BEFORE STRIKING - ACT ONE The Batman walks into a seedy bar, asking about a shipment of armor-piercing "Cop Killer" bullets coming into Gotham City. Seeing Matches Malone at the end of the bar, he walks over, picks him up by the scruff, and demands information. Matches refuses and spits in his face, and Batman throws him out of the window, threatens the room again and leaves. Shortly afterwards, Scarface offers Matches a place on the team he's assembling that night to pull the score previously in question, which Matches graciously accepts. After Matches leaves, the Batmobile swings around and picks him up. Dick Grayson is driving, still in the Batman costume from before, and Bruce takes off his Matches Malone disguise and grabs the wheel. Their attempt to reestablish Matches' credibility had been a success, and they prepare for the night's activities. On the railroad line where the Ventriloquist and his crew are taking the incoming train shipment, Batman and Nightwing ambush them. They are successful in preventing the smuggling operation, but the Ventriloquist is able to escape. Naturally, as the operation had been kept relatively secret, and Matches Malone was the only one to bail, Scarface makes the conclusion that Matches is snitching to the Batman. Later that evening in the cave, Bruce and Dick receive a disturbing phone call from Oracle. It seems that Matches Malone has just been shot.
