Released December 2010

Batman and Robin #18

Synopsis

THE SUM OF HER PARTS PART 2 Absence (Una Nemo) has Batman and Robin trapped with an army of false wedding guests. She declares that since Bruce Wayne now has an army of detectives, she can kill them and still get her message across. She fires a bazooka at them, but they dodge. She has her minions hold them still as she talks. Several months ago, Una Nemo and Bruce Wayne were on their sixth date when she confronts him for keeping her at arm's length. Bruce assures her there is a reason for his behavior, but doesn't explain. Later, on a yacht, Nemo is confiding in her friend Terri when the yacht is overrun by thieves. Terri is injured, and Nemo dives at the man who shot her, only to get shot in the head and fall backwards into the water. She stumbles out of the water some time later and learns she is believed dead. The next day, she attends her own funeral where she is horrified to see that no one mourns her and that Bruce Wayne didn't even bother to come. She decides not to reveal herself. She returns home. The hole in her head has increased the oxygen to her brain, which means she is thinking faster. She expects Bruce or one of the detectives now working for him to notice her actions (including taking her own money out of her company) and investigate, but no one does. So she decides to make people notice. Batman realizes the reason Bruce didn't investigate was because he was lost in time, but before he can find a way to explain this to the Absence, she declares she is smarter than he is. She sets the entire church on fire and says if one of them escapes, they should tell Bruce Wayne what he is missing. Back in the Batbunker, Damian is scornful of the trouble dating can cause, but Dick says they need to protect Bruce from the Absence; however, Bruce calls from Japan. He has come to the same conclusions as Dick, and they both know her next target is Vicki Vale. Sure enough, the Absence bursts into Vicki's apartment while she is thinking aloud about her next article. The Absence is holding a bag labeled "girlfriend body parts," and she says it is funny Vicki should mention eyes.