Batman #397 – “Binary Brains” – Doug Moench/Tom Mandrake
This one starts right after last issue, with Robin dragging a dope dealer (who’s been supplying dealers in local schools) into police headquarters. Robin informs Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock that Two-Face is back and he took the dope dealer down in the process of robbing him. Gordon contacts Arkham Asylum while Bullock lights up the Bat-Signal. When Batman arrives (with Catwoman, which gets Robin’s jealousy even higher) Gordon confirms that Two-Face escaped Arkham by hypnotizing his lawyer and a guard. Batman wonders if Roman (Black Mask) Sionis was
involved, since someone placed a black wreath on the Sionis family crypt when Batman and Catwoman were inside last issue. Batman sends Catwoman to find Circe, the former model whose face Black Mask destroyed, while he and Robin go looking for Two-Face. Two-Face has already moved on to his next crime, stealing a pair of linked computers from some local tech genius. Since his scarred coin lands with the good side up, Two-Face doesn’t kill the computer scientist … in fact, he gives him the money he stole from the dope dealer as “payment” for the computers. Catwoman tracks Circe to a strip club, where 
she dances under the name Red Witch. Circe admits she left the wreath and says since she can no longer make a living from her face, she’s now using her body. Catwoman asks about her brain and Circe says she’s constantly scheming and dreaming of revenge. At police headquarters, the computer geek explains that his two computers have a weird anomaly … they give contradictory answers to theoretical problems even when fed the exact same data, almost as if they were acting as the two halves of the human brain, logical and instinctive. Catwoman shows up to let Batman know she found Circe and they all head home. Two-Face uses the two computers to select two methods (keeping to his usual theme of duality) to make money
quickly. The computers suggest an investment in bonds, or ripping off a bank. Two-Face’s coin dictates that he rob the bank, using the computer to get past security. One of Two-Face’s men mentions Batman and Two-Face insists that he’s not trying to match wits with the Caped Crusader (like Riddler) or drive him nuts (like Joker). Two-Face claims he’s just following his destiny, since fate has turned him into two separate people. Bruce Wayne asks Lucius Fox if he can use the Wayne Foundation computers and while he’s there, Lucius tells Bruce he’s been asked to run for mayor; naturally, Bruce says he’ll support Lucius if he decides to run. Bruce’s digging gives him some 
possible targets for Two-Face’s next crime. (Wouldn’t the Batcave computer be more sophisticated than the one at the Wayne Foundation?) Two-Face hits the bank, using a keycard from Marsh, the guard who was killed a few issues back (and whose widow Bullock has been seeing). They get the cash, but the alarm brings Batman and Robin. Two-Face has two identical getaway cars, each of which goes in a different direction. Batman and Robin pick the wrong one to chase and Two-Face gets away with the money. Meanwhile, Circe has put the word out on the street that she wants to meet with Two-Face.
Detective #564 – “Double Crosses” – Doug Moench/Gene Colan/Bob Smith
Continuing from the above issue, Two-Face meets with Circe, who shows him her own scarred face and asks him to help get Black Mask out of Arkham so she can kill him. In exchange, she promises to help Two-Face plan a “double themed” crime that no computer could ever anticipate: stealing a mask from inside an Egyptian sarcophagus. Circe claims the mask has magical powers and might help restore the balance in Two-Face, since his evil side seems to be dominating lately. Two-Face is interested, but has to wait since he already has a crime planned. Jason (Robin) Todd is tired of playing second fiddle to Catwoman,
so he heads out on a date with Rena. Batman goes to see Circe and we find out her offer to Two-Face is part of Batman’s plan. He wants Circe to hypnotize Two-Face, to try and reach the good part of him. Circe mentions Two-Face’s upcoming crime and Batman hopes she won’t need to hypnotize Two-Face, if Batman can nail him first. Catwoman has followed Batman and wonders why he didn’t tell her he was going to see Circe. Two-Face’s computers give him the Dos Cruces Brewery as his next target, which Batman also figures out using the Wayne Foundation computers. But Two-Face expected Batman to show up and has a trap prepared, sending Batman into one of the brewing vats. 
Batman is ready to blast his way out with magnesium explosives when the vat opens and he sees Circe. She says she followed him, but Batman admits he knew Two-Face would try to kill him and played along, hoping Two-Face would abandon the computers and turn to Circe for his next crime. He didn’t tell Circe for fear she’d give it away. From her reaction, he soon realizes this isn’t the real Circe, it’s Catwoman in disguise, and she’s pissed off because she thinks he’s been screwing around with Circe behind her back. Meanwhile, Two-Face makes another coin flip and decides to go along with Circe’s Egyptian Mask heist.
Green Arrow – “This Masquerade” – Joey Cavalieri/Jerome Moore/Steve
Montano, Rodin Rodriguez
This continues the Steelclaw storyline. Now that Green arrow and Black Canary have figured out Mayor Bolt is Steelclaw, they decide to get his son to safety before bringing Bolt in. At the Mayor’s estate, Green Arrow heads inside and runs into an explosive booby-trap. Outside, Steelclaw knocks Black Canary out but some rival mobsters show up to blow him away.
Adventures of the Outsiders #35 – “Sympathy for the Fuhrer” – Mike W. Barr/Alan Davis/Paul Neary
This one starts in Markovia, with Windfall leading the Outsiders to the place she stashed Halo last issue to keep the other Masters of Disaster from killing her. After a joyful reunion, Black Lightning restores Metamorpho and they all thank Lia Briggs (now calling herself Looker) for rescuing them. Halo gets mad when Looker reads her mind and Katana tells her to be patient and cut looker some slack, since her transformation has basically made her into a completely new person. Katana says Looker’s interactions with women might be a bit strained (she already seems to dislike Windfall)
and asks Halo to be nice to her … which is ironic, considering how jealous Katana will be of Looker and Halo’s friendship later. In the castle, the Hitler clone is being “re-educated” with old newsreel footage, but still hasn’t turned into the maniac the original was, not even reacting to the presence of the Jewish servant Baron Bedlam has assigned to him. Bedlam goes to the dungeons to gloat about taking over Markovia and tells King Gregor and Queen Ilona they’re to be executed (along with the American reporter who was captured with Gregor). Bedlam gives the Masters of Disaster shit for not finishing the Outsiders and New Wave swears they’ll complete the job. The others aren’t 
too happy with all the Nazi stuff going on (nor are Bedlam’s Soviet allies), but New Wave refuses to leave until she kills her traitorous sister, Windfall. Below the castle, the Hitler clone starts choking and the Jewish servant girl saves his life. (If you’re wondering why she’d do that, she was described as “simple” last issue, which I guess means she’s mentally challenged in some way and doesn’t know who Hitler is.) By charming a guard, Looker finds out about Gregor’s execution, so Black Lightning decides to bust the Markovian soldiers out of the prison compound and get them to help save the King,
using the Soviets’ own weaponry. As the King and Queen (plus the reporter and Bad Samaritan, the Soviet advisor) are brought out to be executed, the Outsiders lead the Markovian troops in a frontal assault. Looker and Geo-Force save the condemned prisoners (and Bad Samaritan takes off), while the others engage Bedlam’s men and the Masters of Disaster. Under the castle, Hitler’s mind finally catches up with history and he recognizes the Nazi symbol on his armband and the Jewish servant … which makes him pull out a gun. As 
the Outsiders pound the Masters, New Wave tries to kill Windfall, but Halo saves her and says Windfall can join the Outsiders if she wants. Geo-Force finds Bedlam in the castle and after destroying his proton cloud generator, kills Bedlam by flinging a Nazi shield into his neck. The Outsiders find the chamber where the Hitler clone was kept, but it turns out he shot himself instead of the Jewish girl. Black Lightning says if Hitler can fight his evil nature at the cost of his own life, maybe there’s hope for humanity in general.
Outsiders #9 – “Bentama Means Betrayal” – Mike W. Barr/Jim Aparo
This one starts with Edward Bentama (philanthropist and founder of FAMINE, a charity that helps feed starving people in Africa) funding a concert in Hollywood to bring in more money for the charity. Jefferson (Black Lightning) Pierce’s ex-wife Lynn does PR for Bentama, so she and Jefferson are at the show. Jefferson has been hoping to get back together with Lynn, so he’s kinda jealous of all the time she’s been spending with Bentama. Apparently Bentama has made some enemies and two of them are at the show, looking for a say to kill him. Security is too tight, so they decide to grab Lynn as leverage, but don’t count on having to fight Black Lightning. After wounding Lightning, the thugs get away with Lynn, so Lightning calls in the Outsiders to help find
her. Dr. Jace identifies some residue on a gun as coming from a flour mill and comes up with a list of disused mills nearby. Meanwhile, Bentama is interrogating one of the kidnappers (with very unsubtle methods) and we learn he’s not the nice guy he pretends to be; Bentama is some kind of warlord and the guys who want him dead are resistance fighters. The Outsiders find the right mill and sneak in, but soon end up fighting the rebels (who assume the Outsiders are working for Bentama). When Lynn is rescued, she tells them what she overheard about Bentama being a tyrant, but she ends up getting grabbed by Bentama’s men, who blow up the building. The outsiders survive (thanks to Halo’s force field), but realize that Bentama now has Lynn.
“A Tale of Two Kitties” – Mike W. Barr/Ernie Colon
This is a goofy little back-up story about Halo’s misadventures. Basically, her cat Tiger is destroying everything (including Katana’s shoes) so Gaby takes Tiger to be declawed. Some other guy brings in an identical-looking cat (Ambrose), who he says is his only companion. That gives the assistant at the pet shop the bright idea of holding Ambrose for ransom, but he can’t tell the cats apart so he takes both. Halo tracks the guy down and decks him, almost breaking her hand. When she returns Ambrose, the owner is so happy he offers a reward, allowing Gaby to replace Katana’s shoes (and buy herself a cool leather jacket).