Part One: Letters to the Editor
The Letters to the Editor took up a whole page in the Thursday sept.1 1989 edition of the Gotham Gazette. The first letter is entitled Noisy Dopes? and is signed Dave Stang of 443 Jaxon Ave. He writes in protest on behalf of the Residents of Jaxon Avenue, who are unhappy about the opening of a rock music venue called the Heavy-Heavy. He claims that their lives are being “ruined by the combination of sheer brutal NOISE and the unsavory gangs, and drug dealers” that the club attracts. Stang threatens the police and says that if they don’t “make their presence felt – fast” that some decent citizen will be “forced to take the law into his own hands”
The Next Letter to the editor is entitled Pollution Pointer. We don’t get to see the whole letter, but it mentions the pollution of the Gotham River and that it is “one of the dirtiest on the East Coast.”
There is a third letter entitled Aliens, and was “[i]n reply to Mrs. P.Whiter’s claim her Dachshund ate three miniature space-beings.”
Outside the Heavy-Heavy club, Batman breaks up a drug deal and beats up some punks before heading inside the club through a skylight in the roof. Batman is there to investigate Johnny Vomit, the lead singer of Dog Star. Batman watches from the rafters as Johnny performs his song Solid Blood.
Solid Blood lyrics:
My Brains' fried in Gasoline, ya know what I mean?
My feet slip -n- slide, I'm going down in the mud.
I tell you nurse I need some Solid Blood
No, don't palm me off with liquid crud.
Jus' bare my arm and shoot me up with Solid Blood.
Outside the club, a red caped figure runs through the back alleyways , towards the back stage door. His face is covered with a golden mask. His thoughts reveal ideas about Scudder Klyce and his book, Universe. In his book Klyce attempted to unify all knowledge. The golden masked man thinks that Klyce has found the secret to the universe…
Back inside the club, Dog Star finishes their performance. Larry, Mo and Joe, three well dressed men, barge their way into the dressing room. They are there to buy a bag of smack that Johnny got through customs in his guitar case. Batman crashes through the ceiling and breaks up the drug deal. Larry, Mo and Joe attack Batman.
Batman thinks to himself: “These creeps know what they’re doing”. They distract Batman long enough for Johnny Vomit to escape out the back stage door. In the back alley the man with golden mask confronts Johnny.
The man with the golden mask thinks that the secret of the universe that Klyce has discovered is that “the common man is always right”, and he believes that “the voice of the people is the voice of GOD”. He tells Johnny that he’s a fan before he electrocutes him with his taser cane. As he spray paints a message on the wall, the golden masked man thinks to himself “… and where better to hear that voice than through the columns of the people’s paper? Dave Stang this is for you.”
Police and Batman find Johnny lying unconscious in the alleyway. Spray painted on the wall is an anarchy symbol and the message “ I deal drugs. I kill kids.” Taped to the wall is a newspaper clipping of the letters to the editor.
The golden masked collects toxic pollution that drains from Bates Chem. Inc. factory into the Gotham River. His thoughts are on the second letter to the editor, Pollution Pointer. Using a gas bomb on a security guard, he enters the factory.
Batman investigates Dave Stang’s address and discovers Dave Stang is really an old lady who used was too afraid to use her real name in the letter.
Overlooking the city Batman thinks to himself: “Yes, There’s a lot of crime and evil in this city of ours and tonight it seems, I don’t fight it alone.”
Inside Bates Chem. Inc. factory we see Warren Bates working late at his desk. He is surprised and electrocuted by the taser cane. The golden masked man pours toxic waste on Mr. bates desk. His thoughts reveal: “Mr. Bates fouls the water. Mr. Bates does not care, as long as he’s in profit. Mr. Bates is going to learn the error of his ways…” The golden masked man then sets up a video camera, he continues to think: “…and, hopefully serve as lesson to others!”
Finishing his patrol, Batman heads home in the Bat-mobile; his thoughts are with Johnny Vomit, who is still clinging to life after his heart gave out twice on the operating table.
The sun rises over Wayne Manor and the Machin family home. Bruce Wayne returns home after a night of work, to Alfred, who cooks him breakfast. 12 year-old, Lonnie Machin returns home after delivering newspapers, to his mom, who cooks him breakfast. Mrs. Machin yells to Lonnie’s dad, Mike Machin, to come down to join them for breakfast. Lonnie places a Gotham Daily News paper with the headline: “Vicious Assault on Rock Star Junkie”, on the kitchen table. Mike Machin comes to breakfast and apologizes for sleeping in. He explains he has had a “restless” night. Both the Wayne the Machin family kitchen has a television and both are watching the W.C.T.V. news with Lyall Ridfern. She is doing a news story on Warren Bates, who was found “unconscious and dying” at his riverside factory. Hospital reports suggest an unknown toxic agent poisoned him. Also found at the factory was packaged videotape addressed to the television station. Mike tell his family that he has to skip breakfast or he’ll miss his bus, Lonnie tries to get him to stay and watch the news, but he leaves.
The news program plays the videotape found at the factory, we see the man with the golden mask, and he introduces him self as Anarky. He declares: “I believe in the absolute freedom of the individual. I believe that the present order must be abolished. I believe that the voice of the people must heard listened to and obeyed.”
Anarky takes credit for what happened to Johnny Vomit. He then says that Mr. Bates must pay for his crime too and Dips his face into a bucket of toxic sludge. Anarky then tells the people: “You are either a part of the problem or a part of the solution.”
Bruce sits at the kitchen table, not eating his breakfast, but considering the evidence. He tells Alfred: “His cause may be just, but his methods certainly aren’t.” He asks Alfred if the morning paper has arrived. Bruce sits with his paper, reading the Letters to Editor. There are two letters: Dictator’s Civic Reception and Top Banker’ Summit.
Part Two: Facts About Bats.
Bruce Wayne attends a plaque unveil at the construction site of the Gotham Euro-U.S. Bank. When it is unveiled it has an anarchy symbol spray painted on it.
We see a full page from a biology textbook about bats. On the page there are various facts about Bats: The Indonesian Kalong Bat is the worlds largest; Vampire Bat’s only sustenance is blood; bat blood is used in many black magic rites and it’s sale is banned in Gotham; the Chinese consider the bat lucky but most other cultures see it as a symbol of evil.
The school bell rings at Restyffe Junior High School, and we see Lonnie Machin outside the Biology class talking with his friends. Lonnie explains that he can’t go for pizza and movie with them because he needs to work on his biology project.
Back at the bank construction site a group of homeless people stage a protest. They feel housing for the homeless should have been built on the site instead. One of the homeless mentions Anarky, and Bruce notices one of them is holding a spray paint can. One of the homeless gets rowdy but a Security breaks it up. Alfred arrives to bring Bruce back to his “office” for a long day of work.
A computer screen with a bat-symbol and the title Facts about bats begins to play video footage of Batman. The video contains text, facts about Batman: “The man is obsessive, in pursuit of an abstract concept like justice”; “He hates crime; He will come for me; he home in on his prey, unless Anarky can surprise him”.
Mike Machin watches the video on his computer at work, another late at Gotham Insurance.
Batman answers the bat-signal and meets Commissioner Gordon on the roof of G.C.P.D. Gordon explains that there is two possible targets that Anarky could go for. The first is the reception for Colonel Manyanu at the Gotham Halton; the second is The Euro-U.S. banquet at the Lux Hotel. Gordon explains that the F.B.I. is helping with security at the Halton and and he doubts that even Batman could get in. Gordon Asks Batman: "Funny isn't it? we live in the worlds biggest democracy and we pay our taxes to keep a dictator safe." Gordon begins to explain that Batman should check out the Lux, but before he can finish Batman is gone.
Mike Machin calls his wife to say he’ll be working late and to check up on Lonnie. She tells him Lonnie is gone out with his friends.
On lookout at the Lux, Batman takes some time to stop some muggers.
Anarky makes his way through the alleys. His inner dialogue reveals: “Essence of anarchy is surprise. Spontaneity… Lao-Tse knew, and all those other old Chinese guys. So how come we all forgot along the way? […] They need some one like Anarky to bring home the news. […] The city needs a new breed of hero. The night needs a new kind of monster. Anarky!”
Anarky makes his way to where the homeless have set up, outside the bank construction site. He stands on top of a bulldozer and speaks to the homeless: “Hey! Fellow Americans! So this it eh… Men protesting the theft of their homes! They knock down cardboard city to build a bank… and you soaks weep in booze!”
The homeless ask what could they do, the bank as the law on their side. Anarky answers: “Whose law? The law of the people? No… because you are the people! The law of the rich and the powerful… laws they made to keep people in their place!”
Anarky hot-wires the bulldozer and Batman man hears the roar of the engine start. Anarky knocks the fence to the construction site down and the homeless rush in. Batman swings into action. Anarky starts to bulldoze the construction site, knocking over staging. Batman swoops in taking care of two homeless before he lunges at Anarky. Anarky thinks to himself: “maybe the whispers are true, maybe he’s more than a man, maybe there’s something supernatural in him!”
Batman lands a solid blow on Anarky. Batman is confused, and thinks to himself: “strange… hardly any weight in his body.” Batman takes Anarky’s gold mask off, but there is no face. This surprises Batman long enough for Anarky to tase him with his taser cane. The homeless rush in and attack batman, giving Anarky enough time to get away. After taking care of the homeless, Batman chases Anarky into the Gotham Insurance Company, where he runs into Mike Machin. Mike is shocked to see Batman and quickly confesses. He tells Batman: “I’m Anarky! Arrest Me!” Batman tells him to save it and opens the closet door to find Lonnie hiding. Lonnie is wearing a contraption that has a fake head attached above his own head with a neck brace to make him look taller.
Lonnie is really hurt. Batman tells Mike to call an ambulance. Batman tells Mike that Lonnie will be fine; he’ll just hurt for a while.
Mike explains that he knew Lonnie was Anarky but he couldn’t turn his son into the law.
Batman meets back up with Gordon on the roof of the G.C.P.D. They talk about Lonnie. Gordon says he was a straight A student, cocky confident, thought he new it all. Batman thinks of Jason Todd. Batman man tells Gordon that he only wanted to set the world straight and that he couldn’t find in his heart to blame him for that. The issue ends with Batman jumping of the roof of the G.C.P.D. and gliding away. On the back of Batman’s cape is a giant spray painted anarchy symbol, which shocks Gordon so much he drops his pipe.
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