Batman Confidential #1

Issue Details

Synopsis

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT PART 1 Batman bursts into an apartment building where a sadistic killer wearing a ski mask has already killed a young mother. The killer lets loose with a volley of gunfire from an Uzi, but Batman manages to disarm him with a well-placed Batarang. The killer escapes to the rooftop, but Batman ensnares him with his bat-line and begins interrogating him. From across the street, an unseen assailant murders the masked killer with a laser-guided weapon. The man disintegrates instantly.  Later, Batman returns to the Batcave where he converses with Alfred. Alfred grows disturbed as he watches his master fondling the weapon that once killed his parents so many years ago – a weapon that Batman saw fit to steal from the Gotham City Police evidence locker.   The following day, Bruce Wayne makes a rare appearance at Wayne Aerospace where he confers with one of his engineers, Lucius Fox. Bruce begins asking Lucius questions concerning energy weapons. Lucius has no idea why Bruce would ask him about such things, but he does tell him that the government had recently developed a particle-beam cannon. Unfortunately, the device is not a portable unit (such as the one used to disintegrate the masked killer the previous evening).   The next afternoon, Bruce attends a government contract bidding session between WayneTech and rival firm LexCorp. LexCorp president and CEO, Lex Luthor, attends. Bruce unveils plans for a disaster recovery armor known as O.G.R.E., but Lex sees only its military applications.   As the meeting concludes, Bruce and Lex exchange words. Suddenly, the O.G.R.E. armor blasts upward from the ground and begins attacking innocent civilians. Bruce dives onto Lex and pushes him out of harm's way. Lex coyly remarks, "I hate to be the one to say this, Wayne – but... isn't that one of yours?"