The truth behind the gauntlet Batman has been forced to runÑa violent odyssey that endangered the lives of everyone who made him who he isÑis revealed at last...and the mastermind working to unmake the Batman must be seen to be believed! Is there a goal here beyond destruction? Will Batman emerge stronger...or with a mortal wound at the exact moment that his most dangerous challenge yet is on the horizon in next monthÕs DETECTIVE COMICS #1000?

Alfred PennyworthÉattacked at the Wayne mansion! WhoÕs hunting those closest to Batman? The monstrous shadow creature plaguing Gotham City gains the upper hand when two of the Dark KnightÕs most ardent allies fall prey to the violent vendetta. Will those tragedies send Batman over the edge? Good thing heÕs on his way to Arkham AsylumÑbut will he investigate a murder, or get incarcerated in a padded cell?

“THE GENERAL!” Superman’s journey through time has crashed to a halt, and at the end of the line General Sam Lane stands face to face for the first time with his grandson, Jon. Buckle up, because the most awkward super-family reunion in history is about to begin!

Batman is hot on the trail of a murder suspect, but first heÕll have to get past Two-Face. Even though Harvey Dent seems to be asserting control, how long before he becomes a sociopathic criminal once again? More importantly, what is DentÕs connection to the victim, and what does it all have to do with the terrorist organization of slithering serpents called Kobra?! Whatever it is, itÕs big enough to reunite Jim Gordon and former district attorney Harvey Dent, and that meeting alone is worth the cover price. BatmanÕs newest partnerÉTwo-Face? As Harvey DentÕs persona asserts fragile control over the villainÕs psyche, the Dark Knight, Commissioner Gordon and their ally-turned-enemy-turned-ally must work together to stop KobraÕs terrorist attack against Gotham City.

BatmanÕs strangest case begins as the new creative team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke take over DETECTIVE COMICS! Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when thereÕs a murder at the Gotham City AquariumÑstaged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha WayneÕs crime scene, right down to the Playbill and pearls. How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on BatmanÑand itÕs using Joker Gas to do it!

After 80 years, it's here-the 1,000th issue of DETECTIVE COMICS, the title that literally defines DC! This 96-page issue is stacked with an unbelievable lineup of talent that will take you on a journey through Batman's past, present and future...plus a sensational epilogue that features the first-ever DC Universe appearance of the deadly Arkham Knight! But who is under the mask? And why do they want Batman dead? The incredible future of Batman adventures begins here!

Batman’s tried everything on Earth to stop the menace hunting his friends and family...now it’s time to turn to things not of this Earth! In the past, whenever Batman’s encountered the supernatural, he’s turned to Jason Blood for guidance—and to Etrigan, the demonic entity living inside him! But securing their help is never simple, and what Blood has to show him will shake Batman to his core!

ThereÕs no man on Earth more convinced that he knows what makes Batman tick than Dr. Hugo Strange! Which makes him a natural target for the thing thatÕs hunting Batman, unless Batman gets there first!

It’s the landmark, oversize issue Detective Comics #1050, and some of the biggest names in comics are here to celebrate the Dark Knight! First up in “The Tower” part four, the villainous force keeping Arkham Tower’s patients sedated is at last revealed-and this villain’s return is guaranteed to catch you by surprise! It’s the dramatic conclusion to act one of Mariko Tamaki’s Arkham Tower epic, brought to life by the legendary Ivan Reis! Then, in “House of Gotham” part four, Matthew Rosenberg and Fernando Blanco take us into the seedy underbelly of Gotham’s criminal elite through the lens of the original Robin (Dick Grayson), and reveal what it takes for a young man to survive amongst the deadliest killers in the DCU. It’s a tour de force of Gotham’s vilest villains! Last but not least, making his grand return to the DCU, writer Mark Waid teams with Detective Comics uber-artist Dan Mora to bring you the start of a brand-new day for Batman…and Superman? It’s the world’s finest collaboration that you’ll need to read to believe!

In the catacombs under Paris, Henri Ducard is not going to sit and wait for the death thatÕs coming for everyone who helped to train Batman...heÕs going to wrestle it to the ground and put a bullet between its eyes! Good planÑbut what if it just gets right back up? Can even Batman save him then?