Batman Issue 678

"Zur En Arrh"
After doping Bruce Wayne up with "weapons grade Crystal Meth," Dr. Hurt has Bruce stripped of any identification or money and leaves him for dead out on the streets of Gotham. Feeling inspired by seeing his cohorts in the Black Glove back in their old costumes, Hurt decides to don the original Bat-Man costume first worn by Thomas Wayne. Hurt declares the Batcave his personal base of operations for his siege on Gotham. While a beaten and bloody Alfred sits barely conscious and tied to a chair, Hurt jokes that perhaps if Bruce ever does make it back to Wayne Manor he'll hire him as his own butler.

Sick and disoriented from the drugs in his system, Bruce wakes up in the burlap sack 'home' of a man by the name of Honor Jackson (the homeless man whom Bruce gave money to in Batman 676). Jackson recognizes Bruce's face and decides to return the good favor by taking Bruce on an important personal odyssey.

A strung out Bruce Wayne follows his new friend on their personal odyssey which involves posing as Gulf War veterans in order to scrape up enough money to stop in at the liquor store. Along the way, Bruce finds that while he has no clue who (or what) he is, he is still quite adept at fending off attackers when he and Honor are hassled by the Psycho Riderz.

In exchange for all of his help along their personal odyssey, Honor gives Bruce a gift from his shopping cart full of personal possessions. Bruce seems awestruck at the sight of his new gift.

Finally, Honor gives his 'Soljer' a glimpse of the city from the very rock bottom. Honor tells Bruce he feels that if he could manage to save just one life - it might make it all worthwhile. He tells Bruce to meet a man by the name of Lone Eye Lincoln at 11 o'clock where he will be given a choice - fall or rise. Bruce turns to thank his new friend but finds that he's alone and Honor is nowhere to be found.

Tim has absconded away with the black case book and has retreated to a remote cabin in the woods to read Bruce's notes on his more bizarre cases. While reading about Hurt's 1977 disappearance and other cases like the Rainbow Creature Tim begins to see the intensity of Bruce's quest to understand the minds of his enemies (namely the Joker). Tim is forced to flee the cabin however when he realizes he's being surrounded by Black Glove members Pierrot Lunaire and Swagman.

After managing to temporarily lose his assailants, Tim stops in at a checkpoint to set up a meeting with Dick. Nightwing, already halfway to Gotham after chasing Charlie Caligula's goons out of New York agrees to meet Tim. Before he can get there however he is attacked by Scorpiana. Using LeBossu's cover as a Doctor at Arkham, the Black glove is able to have Dick institutionalized and kept sedated under the name 'Pierrot Lunaire.' Foaming at the mouth and strapped into a straight jacket, Dick is unable to respond as Tim repeatedly radios for his location.

Bruce arrives at the place Jackson directed him to earlier and finds that he's made his way back to Crime Alley - the place where his parents were killed so long ago. Bruce meets up with Lone Eye Lincoln who seems very incredulous that Bruce claims to have been sent by Honor Jackson. This is due largely to the fact that Honor Jackson apparently died the day before after overdosing on an obscene amount of smack he bought with the money Batman gave him. Deciding that all of this makes Bruce a candidate for some truly hard 'medication' - Lincoln gives Bruce a baggie of drugs. After presumably taking the man's drugs to keep the withdraws at bay, Bruce stays up all night sewing together a makeshift purple costume while muttering the words "Zur-En-Arrh" over and over again. Clutching the "Bat-Radia" given to him out of Honor Jackson's shopping cart (which appears to actually be a broken tape recorder), Bruce finishes his project.

Individuals

 * Batman
 * Honor Jackson
 * Robin
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Dick Grayson
 * Bat-Mite
 * Black Glove
 * Club of Villains
 * El Sombrero
 * King Kraken
 * Charlie Caligula
 * Swagman
 * Scorpiana
 * Pierrot Lunaire
 * Doctor Hurt
 * Le Bossu
 * Rainbow Creature
 * Lone-Eye Lincoln

Locations

 * Gotham City
 * Wayne Manor
 * Batcave
 * Crime Alley
 * Arkham Asylum

Items

 * Batarang

Vehicles

 * Robin's Motorcycle