Batman #400 – “Resurrection Night” – Doug Moench
This is a special anniversary issue of Batman featuring multiple chapters, each illustrated by different artists. (I’ll list each artist for each chapter, but Doug Moench is the writer for all of them.) The basic premise is that someone has released a bunch of Batman’s villains (almost all of them) and he ends up fighting them all (with a little help from Robin, Catwoman, and Talia). This ties into the note Batman received last issue that told him to “Know Your Foes”, a note he’s still pondering as this story begins (which is also the anniversary of the night Bruce Wayne first became Batman).
“Trading Darkness” – Steve Lightle/Bruce D. Patterson
Someone has sent messages to all of Batman’s foes incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, promising them freedom, a lot of money, and a chance at revenge on Batman. The walls of Arkham explode and the villains pour out, heading for the nearby woods where they find their costumes and other equipment waiting for them, just as the messages said. 
Judging by the costumes (and bad guys) we see, pretty much all of Batman’s classic (and recent) foes are present: Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Mad Hatter, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Black Mask, Clayface, Cavalier, Cat-Man, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Mirage, Deadshot, Killer Moth, Scarecrow, Signalman, Dr. Double X, Calendar Man, Night Slayer, Black Spider, Cluemaster, Crazy Quilt, Captain Stingaree, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and Dagger (from Batman 343). Batman’s still in the Batcave trying to figure out the note he got last issue, so he isn’t aware of the breakout yet.
“The Master Below” – George Perez
Some of the villains are reluctant to face Batman again, or have their own agendas to pursue, so they opt out of following the rest of the message (which involves meeting their benefactor at a nearby windmill). After they leave, there are still a pile of villains ready to go to the windmill and see who
helped them. (For the record, Joker, Cat-Man, Penguin, Scarecrow, Riddler, Cavalier, Mad Hatter, Black Spider, Poison Ivy, Killer Moth, Killer Croc, and Deadshot are the ones who remain.) After taking a hidden elevator platform to a chamber under the windmill they meet their rescuer, who explains what he wants them to do and offers a lot of money for their help. They all decide to go along with his scheme. We don’t actually see the mastermind yet, but it’s not hard to figure out his identity, since he’s the one big Batman villain who’s missing from the above list. At Wayne Manor, Jason and Alfred discuss Batman’s brooding over the note and Alfred suggests that Batman wishes he could reform his foes instead of just throwing them in jail over and over.
“First Steps” – Paris Cullins/Larry Mahlstedt
This chapter details the opening of the master plan, with various friends of Bruce Wayne being kidnapped. Scarecrow grabs Julia Pennyworth, Poison Ivy gets Harvey Bullock, and Riddler and Black Spider take down Vicki Vale.
“The Tempting” – Bill Sienkiewicz
This chapter has the mastermind (Ra’s Al Ghul, in case you hadn’t figured it 
out yet) showing up in the Batcave to let Batman know about the mass escape from Arkham and to make the Dark Knight an offer: Ra’s still wants to rule the world as a (somewhat) benevolent dictator and he still wants Batman to rule with him and maybe take over when Ra’s’s Lazarus Pit treatments stop being effective. Naturally, Batman refuses, even though Ra’s lets him know the odds are stacked against him. Batman doesn’t try to capture Ra’s yet (since he’s he only one who knows the villains’ next moves) and Ra’s “rewards” him by giving him a clue from the Riddler.
“Pinocchio and Jonah’s, Too” – Art Adams/Terry Austin
The above title is the clue Riddler left for Batman, which he figures out immediately: “Jonah’s Two” actually means “Jonah Stew”, which Batman takes as a reference to a restaurant called Belly of the Whale run by a shady character named Stick Chuvalo. Batman and Robin head for the restaurant and Batman fills his partner in on what’s going on. As soon as they leave, Killer Croc breaks into Wayne Manor and abducts Alfred. (Ra’s hasn’t revealed the reason for any of the abductions to the villains, so they don’t
know what connection these people have to Batman, although you’d think they could probably figure it out.) The restaurant is a trap, with Riddler, Poison Ivy, Black Spider, Scarecrow, and Cat-Man jumping the Dynamic Duo. Batman and Robin pound the villains, but Riddler tells them about the hostages they’ve taken and says they’ll be killed if he, Ivy, and Scarecrow aren’t released. (The other two are knocked out, so Riddler generously allows Batman to keep them.) Batman has no choice and despite noticing something in Ivy’s footprint, the fact that Ra’s has outmaneuvered him seems to take all the fight out of Batman. Outside, Catwoman sees the three villains leaving and decides to give Batman some help, even though the two of them are no longer romantically involved.
“Barred” – Tom Sutton/Ricardo Villagran
A contingent of villains led by Joker and Penguin put bars around the 
outside of police headquarters and electrify them, trapping Commissioner Gordon and the other cops inside. Joker has Gordon call Batman to let him know what’s happening and says if Batman doesn’t try to rescue the cops within three hours, he’ll start wasting them. Joker was supposed to demand money, but he’s in it just for the fun of fighting Batman, which doesn’t sit well with Penguin or the others. Batman is really despondent now, thinking there’s no way for him to save everyone. Talia shows up in the Batcave to rally him, saying she’d rather die in Batman’s world than live in her father’s. She also points out that Ra’s doesn’t really want Batman at his side this time, he’s trying to break his spirit. Batman realizes he can’t just give up and comes up with a plan.
“A Small Itch Scratched” – Steve Leialoha
Poison Ivy is screwing with Bullock, tempting him to escape just so she can recapture him. Catwoman busts in to kick Ivy’s ass, but gets jumped by Scarecrow and Riddler and added to the hostages.
“The Big Sticking” – Joe Kubert
Batman goes back to the Belly of the Whale and pounds the thugs there
before interrogating Stick Chuvalo. He finds more of the red clay he noticed in Poison Ivy’s tracks, which narrows down the places she might be hiding.
“Branches Like Bones” – Ken Steacy
Batman figures out where the hostages are being kept and gets inside, taking out Scarecrow. He releases Catwoman and they pound Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Killer Croc (the latter thanks to some gas pellets from Batman’s Utility Belt). He tells Catwoman to free the hostages while he rustles up some transportation.
“The Dark Trade” – Rick Leonardi/Karl Kesel
Robin and Talia check out the police building from ground level while Batman and Catwoman strike from the air in the Bat-Plane. Using a dummy as a distraction, Batman takes out Killer moth on the roof and cuts the 
power source that’s electrifying the bars around the building, allowing Robin and Talia to get inside. Robin and Talia pound Deadshot, Dagger, and Cavalier and rescue Gordon. Penguin and Mad Hatter corner Joker on the roof, pissed off that he ignored the possibility for profit, but he takes them out with some laughing gas. Batman confronts Joker and convinces him that Ra’s is trying to eliminate the villains by making them fight each other. Joker believes that and offers to lead Batman to Ra’s Al Ghul’s hideout. Batman asks for the location, promising to let Joker come with him. Joker (trusting Batman’s moral code) spills the location of Ra’s’s hideout, but Batman breaks his promise and decks Joker.
“Under the Wind” – Brian Bolland
Batman, Robin, Catwoman, and Talia invade the windmill, blowing up the above-ground structure to reveal the way underground. Ra’s knows Batman is coming and immerses himself in the Lazarus Pit (which he’s never while still alive) to give himself super-human strength. While his allies fight Ra’s’s henchmen, Batman finds the Lazarus Pit and fights the super-invigorated Ra’s. The explosion above has triggered a fault line and the underground headquarters starts falling apart. Despite the villain’s new strength, Batman beats Ra’s, tossing him into the Pit just as the whole place collapses. 
Batman and his allies get out just in time, as the whole underground hideout is swallowed up by the quake. Talia knows she was right to help Batman, but can’t help being sad at her father’s death. Later, Batman brings the former hostages (and Gordon) to the Batcave, blindfolded to they can’t figure out the location. They celebrate Batman’s anniversary and a stalactite falls into the cake, which Batman says represents one candle for the new beginning they’re about to embark on. This whole issue can be read as a fond farewell to the pre-Crisis Batman, paving the way for the retconned origin coming up in a few issues, and I think it works as a tribute to the Silver Age stories we all loved.
Detective #567 – “The Night of Thanks, But No Thanks” – Harlan Ellison/Gene Colan/Bob Smith
This is a bit of a novelty story, apparently written because Ellison had been promising to do a Batman story for years. Batman’s “voice” is really off in this one and it simply drips with irony, but it’s basically just filler until the post-Crisis era starts anyway. In some ways, this actually reads more like a Spider-Man story than Batman. Basically it’s about Batman running around Gotham looking for crimes to fight, but every time he thinks he’s found something criminal going on it turns out to be innocent. That pisses him off more and more as the night goes on, which seems wrong to me; I think Batman would actually be thrilled if he could go a whole night with nothing illegal happening in Gotham. As for the particulars, I’ll run through them briefly: Batman shows up at an armed
robbery to find the store owner has already collared the punk at gunpoint; he interrupts a mugging but the victim has already pounded the mugger; he wants to stop a potential suicide jumper, but the cops do it first; he busts up a drug deal and finds out he ruined an undercover operation; he thinks a girl is going to get jumped in the park, but she’s just walking home with her friends; he finds a guy breaking into a car, but he just locked his keys inside; he sees someone messing with the alarm box on a jewelry store, but it’s just an electrician trying to fix a power failure; and finally, he accosts a big bruiser who littered, but the guy (who’s extremely articulate) immediately apologizes and picks up the litter to throw in a trash can.
Green Arrow – “The Face of Barricade” – Joey Cavalieri/Stan Woch/Dave Hunt
Last issue, Green Arrow interrupted a fight between an armoured weirdo and Onyx. The armoured guy (calling himself Barricade) turns out to have a skull for a face and tells Arrow he used to be Lars, the corrupt monk who got 
blasted while trying to steal forbidden knowledge back in issue 557. Barricade explains how his followers restored the sacred text and resurrected him, but he needs the Wisdom Key (which Onyx has in her tiara) to prolong his un-life. He grabs Onyx but she tosses the tiara to Black Canary, who threatens to destroy it. Barricade goes after her, but Green Arrow shoots a piece of his armour off his back, which causes Barricade to crumble to a pile of bones. When they examine the tiara, Black Canary notices the Key is gone … and so is Onyx. Turns out Onyx actually slipped the Key into Tommie’s pocket when she was making out with him. He finds it and gives it back, but he’s pissed off that she was willing to risk his life by giving him the Key. She’s disappointed, since he told her he wanted to help and was willing to do anything to protect her.
Adventures of the Outsiders #38 – “Many Brave Hearts Are Asleep in the Deep” – Mike W. Barr/Trevor von Eeden
Last issue, the cruise ship the Outsiders were on was attacked by a villain calling herself Marine Marauder, who can control sea creatures much like Aquaman does. Marine Marauder captured Looker in her undersea hideout (a sunken ship) and when Halo and Metamorpho mounted a rescue operation, she commanded a giant squid to crush the derelict with them inside. Metamorpho tells Halo to get Looker (who’s catatonic from Marine Marauder’s psychic attack) to safety while he tackles the squid. Above the waves, Marine Marauder goes after the cruise ship again and the remaining Outsiders confront her. Geo-Force gets grabbed by an octopus, forcing
Katana to slice and dice it into sushi. Halo uses her stasis aura to give Looker’s mind time to repair itself, but she has to keep moving once water starts pouring into the downed ship. Metamorpho finally manages to knock the squid out by encasing it in an air bubble and Looker revives just in time to keep herself and Halo from drowning. They head topside to join the fight against Marine Marauder. While the Outsiders fight the summoned sea creatures, Looker distracts Marine Marauder long enough for Black Lightning to zap her, which disrupts her control over the marine menaces. They turn on her, dragging her down into the sea and leaving the Outsiders to enjoy the rest of the cruise.
“Welcome to L.A.” – Mike W. Barr/Don Heck
The reason the Outsiders were on a cruise ship was because they were 
heading to their new base of operations in Los Angeles and decided to take the scenic route. This story shows them settling in and getting acquainted with their new home: Tatsu gives Gaby a driving lesson (which doesn’t go well); Rex and Sapphire run into a snob; Jefferson contacts his ex-wife Lynn, hoping for a reconciliation; Brion is introduced to the joys of L.A. Traffic (and earthquakes); the ladies go to the beach; and the Outsiders are shown around their new headquarters (an abandoned oil rig off the coast secretly funded by the Markovian government) by Dr. Helga Jace. In an epilogue, we see Dr. Shanner preparing to unleash his Nuclear Family on the city, which leads into the story from Outsiders #1. And that means this is the last new issue of Adventures of the Outsiders, since next issue begins the reprints of the Baxter series which I’ve already been reviewing for the past dozen issues, the latest of which is just below … how’s that for synchronicity?
Outsiders #12 – “Nothin’ Left to Lose” – Mike W. Barr/Jim Aparo
Last issue, the Outsiders went to Mozambia to rescue Black Lightning’s ex-wife Lynn Collins from Edward Bentama, a despot who’d been masquerading as a good person, collecting money for charity that he planned to hand over to his Soviet allies. The Outsiders (except Black Lightning) were captured, drugged to suppress their powers, and thrown into work camps. Looker decided to play up to Bentama, hoping he’d release the psychic damper that restricts access to her powers, but the other Outsiders aren’t sure if she’s just playing Bentama or has really joined him. Black Lightning encountered some freedom fighters, led by a man named Akubo Dimante, who wants Bentama dead for torturing and
crippling him. Bentama’s superhuman allies (the People’s Heroes) are searching for Black Lightning, but Akubo’s forces won’t talk, so Bentama figures his bodyguard Jonathan can lean on the captured Outsiders to get the info. The Outsiders are not having an easy time of it, surrounded by misery and death that they can’t do anything to alleviate. A fellow mine worker tells Geo-Force a legend that when gold is discovered in the mines, Bentama’s corrupt reign will end. Back in Los Angeles, a private detective hired by Lia Briggs’s boss breaks into her place and figures out that she used to be plain old Emily Briggs. In 
Mozambia, Black Lightning sneaks into the mines in civilian clothes to talk to Geo-Force, letting him know that Bentama’s generals don’t like him much and probably won’t support him if the Outsiders take him down. Looker gets Jonathan to deactivate the psychic damper, apparently having planted a post-hypnotic suggestion in his mind in the brief time the damper was turned off last issue. Looker mesmerizes a guard to look after Lynn and heads out to find Bentama. The People’s Heroes are bringing the Outsiders in to torture them for info on Black Lightning’s whereabouts, unaware that Akubo’s rebels are
about to attack the camp. In the mines, the old man finds gold and a guard shoots him to keep word from getting out. Black Lightning takes the guard down and leads the miners to attack the rest of the guards. Lightning runs into Looker outside and they bust into the building where their friends are being held. They free their teammates and Looker uses her psychic powers to restore Halo’s access to her powers. Katana heads to the lab to restore Metamorpho and the Outsiders square off against the People’s Heroes, doing much better this time 
than they did in the last encounter. Bentama is ready to take off, but Akubo and his rebels catch him (and Jonathan) and kill them. So Bentama’s dead, Mozambia is free, and the People’s Heroes are defeated … sounds like a happy ending. Except in the epilogue, Bad Samaritan (who was Bentama’s Soviet liaison) shows up and shoots down the Outsiders’ plane.