Batman #695 - DC

As with the last issue, Tony Daniel just has a ton of stuff going on here. Batman is trying to figure out what the girl, Kitrina Falcone, has to do with what happened at Gene-Core. To that end, he's interrogating Dr Singh. He finally gives up Kitrina's name. When Batman goes to the Falcone's, he finds that they're looking for her also. They had already killed her and dumped her in the river, but when they fish out the box, because Mario wants to make sure that his little sister is really gone . . the box is empty. However, Kitrina comes after Selina because when Selina robbed Mario's safe, she took the maps that Kitrina had made of Devil's Square. It appears that Kitrina wants to cash in on the $50 million bounty that the government is offering for the Black Mask's head. Selina, and Batman assumed that she was doing this to help the Falcone's, or maybe for the Penguin. However, it appears that she's trying to pull this one off on her own. Maybe she's trying to make a name for herself . . come out from under her brother Mario's shadow. Shortly after that, Batman arrives, and while Selina and Dick are talking Kitrina makes her escape. And of course she takes the maps with her. As an interesting side-note, Batman stops at Arkham Asylum to compare notes with Dr Arkham. He's worked up a profile on the Black Mask, but he wants to compare it to what Dr Arkham thinks, and to see if he may remember any patients fitting said profile. Nothing really comes of the conversation, except that Dr Arkham's profile includes that he thinks the man is wealthy, and . . it's new wealth. Meanwhile, the Reaper attacks Falcone, but Huntress and Batman hold him off. However, he does elude their capture. We also get a glimpse of the Riddler. It appears that there's something stirring about in his head . . memories if you will. He may be going back to the dark-side pretty soon. And finally, when Batman follows a lead that Kitrina may be at one of the Mad-Hatters old hide-outs, the Fairmont Amusement Park, he's lead into a trap. He awakes to find the Penguin, Mad-Hatter and others waiting for him. They have him fitted with one of the masks from the false-face society. 'Trust me, Batman . . we'll make great partners! Wak! Wak!' Tony is doing a fantastic job with this book. I don't know how much of an influence Grant Morrison had on him, when he helped with his run . . but he appears to be traveling along the same lines. He's got the same brilliant style going for him. We're 5 issues away from #700, and I don't think this one's going to slow down any until that point. I don't have to tell you . . this was a fantastic issue.