Story: "Locked" (22 Pages)

Credits:

Devin Grayson (plot, script)
Dale Eaglesham (pencils)
John Floyd (inks)
Bill Oakley (letters)
Pamela Rambo (colors)
Wildstorm FX (color seperations)
Dennis O'Neil (edits)

Feature Characters:

Batman
Azrael V
Batgirl III
Robin III

Supporting Characters:

Renée Montoya
Harvey Bullock

Villains:

Key II (last in JLA #9)
Two-Face
Killer Croc
Ventriloquist

Other Characters:

Hannah (first appearance)

Synopsis:

After escaping from the doorless fractal time-maze where the Martian Manhunter had imprisoned him, the Key has locked every door in Arkham. Even the store cupboards are locked and the staff and inmates are beginning to starve. By the time Batgirl and Azrael arrive on the scene, Batman is getting rather violent and seriously injures the Key. Azrael gets the Key into the Asylum to seek medical assistance and Batman swoops away, cutting a violent path through Gotham's petty criminals. His allies have to follow closely behind to make sure no-one dies. At Arkham, the Key paralyses Robin and reveals that he has unlocked all of Batman's inhibitions in the hope that he will return and kill him, so that he can perform the greatest escape ever, by coming back from death. However, when Batman arrives at the Asylum he is able to overcome the urge to kill, with the help of his parents' memory, and inject both himself and Robin with antidotes. He also prevents the Key from taking his own life, saying that the only person who could impress him at present is the one who could keep the Key alive but locked up. A task which the Key falls to with relish.

Second Story: "Hide and Seek" (8 Pages)

Credits:

Paul Levitz (plot, script)
Paul Rivoche (pencils, inks, letters)
Mark Chiarello (edits)

Feature Character:

Batman

Supporting Character:

James Gordon

Supporting Character:

Bill (first appearance; a policeman)

Synopsis:

At the scene of a train wreck which may well be the result of malice rather than an accident, Batman seizes on the smallest of clues to follow someone's trail through the train system and up into the light. Here he finds a small boy and reassures him that he is now safe, telling him that he knows what it's like to be young and lost.