Batman #363

Issue Details

Synopsis

ELEGANT NIGHT CRIMES For several weeks, the Thief of Night has outsmarted the Batman, as the vigilante has not been able to capture the sneaky thief, who keeps giving all the stolen loot to Nocturna, true to his devotion.  In the meantime, Viki Vale notices that Bruce has become more distant to her and she decides to attend a party organized by Bruce Wayne at Wayne Manor. Meanwhile at the GCPD Headquarters, Commissioner Gordon has to deal with the utterly annoying Harvey Bullock.  The night of the party, Lucius Fox introduces Bruce Wayne to Natasha Knight, the astronomer who suffered an accident while working at the observatory funded by Wayne Enterprises. Bruce and Natasha engage in a conversation and she notices his fascination for her pale skin, but in truth, Bruce is much more intrigued by Natasha's perspectives regarding the night and its beauty. When Vicki arrives at the place and sees Bruce talking with Natasha, she decides to leave without a word.   After spending most of the evening with the mystical, but enchanting woman, Bruce is baffled when the Thief of Night breaks into Wayne Manor and steals from every single guest, except for Natasha. Bruce notices that the two of them recognize each other and he deduces that they must be working together. In the upper floor of Wayne Manor, Jason Todd witnesses the scene and he decides to follow the Thief of Night when the criminal leaves Wayne Manor. After the robbery, Bruce asks Lucius the information of Natasha for further reference. When the police arrives at the place, Bruce Wayne gives his version of the events and quickly leaves the place as Batman, following the information provided by Lucius.   Batman eventually finds Natasha's home and he confronts her, but he can't bring himself to apprehend her. Natasha takes the chance during Batman's hesitation to tell him about her troubled past and how she came to be who she is now. While Natasha informs Batman about herself, the Thief of Night gets enough time to reach the place and attacks Batman. The Dark Knight learns that the bond between Natasha and the Thief is that of adoptive-siblings, but knowing this does little to prevent their escape.   Batman is knocked unconscious for a few minutes and when he recovers, he finds Jason Todd nearby and learns that the kid has located the place by himself. Despite Jason's obvious effort to become his partner, Batman scolds him and kills the kid's hopes. When Jason returns to Wayne Manor, he calls his friend Waldo and makes arrangements to join the circus permanently.   Finally, Batman tracks down Nocturna and the Thief of Night to the Gotham Observatory, where she is removing all her personal belongings and saying farewell to the job she loves. Batman finds them and confronts the Thief, who still has the advantage in the darkness. With an easy flip of a switch, Batman takes away that advantage as light fills the place and the Thief is finally defeated. Batman captures his enemy, but Nocturna has managed to escape during the struggle using a hot-air balloon, which disappears in the night sky.