Facts on faith. This should be quite interesting. 
- — Alfred
Batman: Gotham County Line #1 is an issue of the series Batman: Gotham County Line (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 2005. It was published on October 5, 2005.
Synopsis for "The Obvious Kill"
Batman takes down the Joker, who states a belief in the afterlife during the fight. Later, he has Alfred run a search for factual information on the afterlife. There are no results. He gets a call on the hotline from Commissioner Gordon. There's a disturbing murder case in the suburbs. Though initially reluctant, Batman takes the case when he learns the full extent. First there were robberies, but a man, a junkie, was caught and confessed. Then, four families were murdered after the arrest, but the same, undetectable entry method was used. Gordon gives Batman the name of his contact; Detective Tim Greer.In the Batcave, he decides that the murderer is not the man who was arrested for theft, and is probably playing something out. He equips a jet-pack to take him to the suburbs. Landing at the latest victim's house, he finds a tube stuck in the ventilation unit, and the power to it cut. Surmising that the junkie first used that method, he guesses the killer mimicked it. In the house, he finds residue from blood all over the walls. Detective Greer arrives, and Batman gives him a swab from the tube in the ventilator. He tells Greer to get it analysed for a home-made sleeping agent. Looking at the blood residue, Batman says that the killers manipulating the bodies and taking trophies after he kills his victims. Most noticeably, the victims' eyes had been gouged out and taken. Just then, another killing is reported. Jetting off, Batman spies the killer as he leaves. He gives chase, but is knocked down and drugged. He comes round to find the killer escaped, and faces criticism from the local cops. He admits that he should have coordinated better, and shares the scant information he gathered. He checks on the bodies in the morgue; killed in the same pattern as the previous four. The fact that the fifth killing was timed to his arrival narrows the list of suspects. He goes to visit the junkie, Charles Parsons. Parsons admits to the robberies, and has a range of chemical equipment. Batman asks about the man who he made sleeping agents for, the cop who cut him loose. Parsons is reluctant, afraid that if he told, he'd be killed. Batman promises to keep him safe, but Parsons is shot just before he can tell. Two more shots deliberately miss Batman, and he has Alfred send an ambulance to the house. leaving, he sees the sniper escaping and is once more knocked down. When the cops arrive, Batman shows the badge he picked from the sniper's pocket: Detective Radmuller's. They go to arrest him. Batman goes in first. Radmuller had filled his room with candles, scrawled symbols, eyes on sticks and a noose. When Batman opens the door, a rigged rope pulls a stool from under Radmuller, hanging him. He's pronounced dead and taken away, as Batman jets off back to the city. In the ambulance with Radmuller's body, the paramedics are playing cards, when the body sits up. The ambulance crashes, and zombies of Radmuller and the paramedics walk back to town.
Appearing in "The Obvious Kill"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Commissioner Gordon
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Detective Greer
- Detective Keith
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Charles Parsons
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Reprinted in Gotham County Line.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Batman: Gotham County Line series
- Images from Batman: Gotham County Line Vol 1 1
Links and References
