Story: "Fear of Success" (22 Pages)

Credits:

Devin Grayson (plot, script)
Roger Robinson (pencils)
John Floyd (inks)
Bill Oakley (letters)
Gloria Vasquez (colors)
Wildstorm FX (color seperations)
Nachie Castro and Bob Schreck (edits)

Feature Characters:

Batman
Oracle

Supporting Characters:

Lucius Fox
Sasha Bordeaux

Villains:

Scarecrow (last in ...; next in ...)

Synopsis:

When Bruce Wayne arrives at work he finds his employees discussing a motivational talk on fear to be given at Multigon: by the Scarecrow. He is naturally concerned, and attends the talk along with his bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux. True to form, Scarecrow soon unleashes some fear gas on the attendees and Bruce has to become Batman to prevent mayhem and death. Sasha breathes in some of the gas and sees herself shooting Batman, until he comes on the scene with a rebreather for her. In rescuing some people from a lift, he has to give up his own rebreather and hears Sasha tell him that Alfred, or Tim, or Leslie, or Dick, or Lucius Fox has had a serious accident. It is not until much later, mobbed by reporters at the door of Wayne Manor that Bruce discovers that one of these messages really was Sasha talking - Lucis Fox has had a stroke.

Second Story: "Here Be Monsters" (8 Pages)

Credits:

Paul Grist (plot, script)
Darwyn Cooke (pencils, inks)
Mark Chiarello (edits)

Feature Character:

Batman

Villain:

Madame X

Supporting Character:

James Gordon

Synopsis:

Batman encounters Madame X, who is trying to poison Gotham's water supply for no apparent reason. She gives him a taste of the toxin, which makes everyone look monstrous, matching Madame X's scarred features. However, he overcomes the hatred which accompanies the visual effects, refusing to let Madame X make him into a monster.