But the Batman receiving the beating is not the Batman but rather an ex-GCPD officer as evidenced when the man in the Bat costume pulls out a gun and shoots Joker in the face! The real Batman arrives on the scene and puts a stop to the whole mess. Joker survives (as does Gordon) and with this final arrest, Batman seems to have cleaned up all of Gotham.

Re-invigorated by his rebirth in Nanda Parbat, Bruce has effectively put almost all super-criminals behind bars (except for Two-Face). But this is not without it's toll of course. While Bruce sits in the Bat-Cave toiling away at his gadgets and building a new Batmobile, Alfred notices that the trademark Batman growl has become a constant in Bruce's voice and suggests that it may be time to get away and re-remember how to be Bruce Wayne.

With his newly adopted son Tim heading to the mountains by himself, Bruce decides to attend an "Action for Africa" benefit party in London. Once there, he sees a very distressed Dr. Kirk Langstrom rushing out the door of the hotel. Bruce attempts to stop and talk with Kirk but the doctor has no time.

Langstrom runs out the door and into a parked car where two masked men are waiting for him. It seems as though Francine ahs been kidnapped and before the men in the vehicle will give an update on her status they want to verify that Langstrom has brought what was requested of him.

Later at the party, Bruce slips easily back into the role of playboy billionaire. But unbeknownst to him, someone else is watching him from afar. Viewing the party from a large monitor, Talia al Ghul stands ready to attack with an army of ninja Man-Bats and a young boy who claims to be Bruce's son!