Batman: Life After Death

{{DC Database:Storyline Template
 * Title                  = Life After Death
 * Image                  = Batman Life After Death.jpg
 * ImageText              =
 * OfficialName           = Life After Death
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = New Earth
 * Locations              = Arkham Asylum, Bat-Bunker, Devil's Square, Gotham City


 * Heroes                 = Batman (Dick Grayson)
 * Villains               = Black Mask, Doctor Death, Fright, Hugo Strange, Mario Falcone, Reaper
 * Others                 = Alfred Pennyworth, Catgirl, Catwoman, Huntress, Jim Gordon, Oracle, Robin


 * Titles                 = Batman
 * Collected              = Batman: Life After Death
 * Creators               = Tony S. Daniel; Sandu Florea; Ian Hannin
 * First                  = Batman #692
 * Last                   = Batman #697


 * Quotation              = I am not Bruce Wayne. But when lives were lost... and the entire city was at stake... I did what Batman had to do. I acted as the Dark Knight. To the best of my abilities -- I became him. And I succeeded. Not as Dick Grayson. And not as Bruce Wayne. But as Batman.
 * Speaker                = Dick Grayson
 * QuoteSource            = Batman Vol 1 697


 * HistoryText            = Life After Death is a Batman storyline written and illustrated by creator Tony S. Daniel. Following the events of Battle for the Cowl, it takes place during Dick Grayson's tenure as Batman beginning in Batman: Reborn. It follows Judd Winick's run on Batman in the Long Shadows storyline and is followed by Daniel's two-part storyline Riddle Me This.

Synopsis
Batman continues hunting down the new Black Mask by trying to interrogate his brainwashed False Faces, but they are being massacred by another party. Grayson enlists the help of Catwoman and she takes him to the Falcone Estate, where it's revealed that Mario Falcone has returned and is making a play for Gotham. Black Mask assembles Doctor Death, Fright, Hugo Strange and a new villain named the Reaper as his Ministry of Science to work on mind control techniques. Batman and Robin continue to bust False Faces, who they discover are smuggling pharmaceuticals. In their civilian identities, Black Mask and Batman with Huntress attend a fundraiser for the newly rebuilt Arkham. They meet a new doctor named Singh specializing in mental distortion therapy designed by Gene-Core, but his division is attacked by a bomb set off by Kittihawk. When men are found dead with the Reaper's methodology, Batman finally decides to infiltrate Mask's operation in Devil's Square but his informant a young boy named Baby D is sniped dead in his arms. Batman interrogates the Penguin for information on the Arkham bomber, but Kittihawk has already been found out by her uncle Mario Falcone and he orders her execution. Robin runs tests on the False Face equipment and they realize that Black Mask is simply medicating the escaped patients of Arkham to make them his loyal servants. Mask deals with his subordinates while they struggle to maintain his evil split personality and keep the Reaper working under their control. Penguin is targeted by a small army of False Faces, but his bodyguards Bossworth and Lark lift him out by helicopter barely alive. Grayson swears that he will take Baby D out of the ghetto and set him up in a nicer life, but Baby D dies in the hospital. Grayson interrogates Singh to discover the identity of the Arkham bomber, and learns it's Kitrina Falcone about burning the Falcone Estate down to interrogate his men. Catwoman captures Kitrina breaking into her home, although the young girl escapes before Batman can arrive to speak with her. After visiting Jeremiah Arkham to help with profiling Black Mask, Batman and Huntress fight Reaper in the streets to stop him from executing Mario Falcone. Tracking down Kitrina's phonecalls, Batman visits an abandoned amusement park where he is knocked out and captured by Penguin and Mad Hatter. Grayson is woken up by Robin on a beach the next morning, who explains that he went on a crazy mind-controlled rampage during the night. This included beating up cops and the Mayor to steal a Gene-Core antidote sample, and taking down False Faces in Devil's Square. When he interrupts a meeting between Catwoman and Kitrina Falcone, Black Mask surprises him with Fright and Hugo Strange. They electrocute Batman onto the ground, but he manages to use the antidote on himself and fight them before Mask shoots him out a window. Despite Mask's escape, Dick announces to Oracle that he has figured out Mask's real identity. Black Mask rallies his defenses and prepares to abandon his position, with plans to release a deadly neurotoxin killing thousands while he escapes. Batman leads a frontal assault on Devil's Square with the entire Network, taking down the False Faces and going after Mask personally. He takes down Doctor Death and Hugo Strange to release Reaper from their mind control, then allows Reaper to chase them into the night. Fright surprises Batman with her own toxins, but Grayson has built an immunity and Black Mask guns Fright down instead while aiming at Batman. Grayson beats Black Mask while his headquarters explodes around him, before tearing the skeleton mask off and revealing that he is actually Jeremiah Arkham. Arkham is institutionalized in his own asylum, but it's hinted that Fright might take his place with Doctor Death and Hugo Strange. Catwoman reprimands Batman for not trusting her, but it's revealed this is a ruse and she has taken Kitrina in as her side-kick Catgirl. Back in the Bat-Bunker, Grayson places the Mask down as a trophy and takes pride in his work as Batman.


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 * Notes                  =
 * This storyline marks the reversal of Riddler's turn to the side of good. In Detective he retired from his criminal career and became a private investigator. However, in this arc he is seen stumbling out of the Arkham Asylum explosion set off by Kitrina Falcone and muttering evil things before screaming that he is back. This is setting up his return to villainy in the next arc, Riddle Me This.
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