Batman #457 – “Master of Fear” – Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle/Steve Mitchell
Last issue, Batman found out Scarecrow was the one behind the recent spate of murders around Gotham, committed by ordinary people seemingly on a whim. Unfortunately, Batman ran right into Scarecrow’s trap and was captured. Scarecrow brags to Batman (and Vicki Vale, who’s also his prisoner) about how he mailed his new hypnotic drug to random people, knowing it would bring out any latent aggressive tendencies they had. The fright masks were an extra touch, since Scarecrow knows how freeing wearing a mask can be (as does Batman, of course). After paying off his mob minions, Scarecrow gives Batman a whiff of a fear
drug that makes the Caped Crusader believe spiders are crawling all over him. As the mobsters leave, they pass Tim Drake in a cab. Tim figured out Scarecrow was behind the murders and disobeyed orders to come help Batman. The money Scarecrow gave the mobsters turns out to be booby-trapped with the hypnotic murder gas and they crash their car. Tim arrives at the abandoned factory and finds the Batmobile. He lures some guards into a shed full of explosives and sneaks into the factory. Batman fights off the spider-fear drug, so Scarecrow doses him with a different toxin, one that makes him 
relive the night his parents were murdered. Tim takes out a guard and comes after Scarecrow. Tim manages to bring down another guard (with a little help from Vicki), but he and Vicki both get a faceful of fear gas. Vicki collapses, reliving the time her dog was run over as a kid, while Tim has to deal with the (still fresh) trauma of his parents being killed and maimed by the Obeah Man. But Tim realizes that just because he’s afraid doesn’t mean he can’t act. He knocks Scarecrow into his own chemicals, causing him to live out a very personal fear … that of being an actual scarecrow attacked by angry
birds. The cops show up to take care of things and Batman talks to Tim, who assumes he’s blown his chance at being Robin. But Batman says sometimes you have to ignore the rules and follow your gut and if Tim hadn’t done that tonight, Batman and Vicki would be dead. Batman addresses Tim as Robin and takes him to the Batcave to give him a new costume.
Detective #624 – “Bitter Victory” – John Ostrander/Flint Henry, Mike McKone/Jose Marzan Jr.
There have been a number of grisly murders lately, committed by someone claiming to be Batman, who’s supposedly motivated by an unauthorized comic depicting a very violent and demonic Batman. The public is starting to think Batman may actually be involved in the crimes, while a radio host (Jack Hemp), who’s taken calls from someone claiming to be the killer, thinks the comic’s publisher (Tod Nathan Taylor) and creator (Fred Lasker) might be involved. I think we’re supposed to suspect Lasker too, since he acts kinda weird and talks about how the violence in the comic reflects his feelings about society or whatever. But Batman has figured out who the real
killer is: a crazy guy named Clyde Harris who was recently released from an institution. Meanwhile, Lasker does feel responsible for inspiring the killer and wants to stop doing the comic. Taylor talks him into finishing the current storyline (which involves a plain-Jane gal becoming a demonic Catwoman and attacks Batman before being wasted by a psychiatrist dressed as Batgirl). Batman finds Harris just as he’s about to kill two more people and they mix it up a little before Batman kicks his ass. Lasker ends the comic with the pseudo-Batman losing his soul and dying in “Batgirl’s” arms.
Legends of the Dark Knight #13 – “Night Scourge” – Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy/Terry Austin
This one starts with Professor Hugo Strange on a date with the Mayor’s daughter (Catherine), who isn’t too impressed by his lack of game. Strange is more obsessed with Batman anyway and hypnotizes Detective Cort, suggesting that he adopt his own vigilante persona to scourge the night of Batman’s presence. He even gives Cort a costume, which plays right into Cort’s hatred of Batman and his growing egomania. Strange has profiled Batman and has some of his facts right (like Batman is single, rich, and avenging
some great wrong done to him), but Strange still believes Batman’s wife or girlfriend was murdered so he’s only gone back five years in the police records. When nothing turns up, he assumes Batman bought off the cops and courts to remove all the evidence, probably because that’s what Strange himself would’ve done. That night, while Batman is pounding various punks, Cort takes Strange’s suggestions to heart and dons the costume to roust a bar full of gun smugglers, calling himself Night Scourge. He makes them give up their supplier’s name ad promptly kills the supplier, leaving him for the cops. Strange uses that to 
rail against Batman’s “bad example” and Commissioner Gordon tells Batman he’ll have to prove himself somehow, especially to the Mayor. The next night, Cort sees Catwoman prowling around and goes after her, knocking her out. Before he can kill her, Batman jumps him and they fight. Cort quickly realizes he’s no match for the Dark Knight and takes off. Before Batman can go after him, Catwoman shows her gratitude by knocking him out and fleeing herself. Cort goes to see Strange, who hypnotizes him again and gives him a Batman costume, telling him to go to the Mayor’s place and kidnap Catherine. The Mayor believes it really is Batman kidnapping his daughter, but this could
turn out well for Batman; he convinced Gordon to trust him by saving his son, so he could convince the Mayor by saving his daughter. Unfortunately, Batman is still half out of it on the roof where Catwoman conked him.