Dick, I remember you swinging down to the ground as your parents climbed the ladder. Your mother went first. Your father followed. And then it happened. Their trapeze rope snapped, and they fell. I turned away. I couldn't watch. Then I heard you crying and I turned back and saw your holding onto them, and I began crying, too. 
Batman #441 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1989.
Synopsis for "A Lonely Place of Dying - Chapter Three: Parallel Lines"
In Gotham City, both Two-Face and Batman simultaneously come up with plots to lure one another. Two-Face hopes to lure Batman in order to kill him, while Batman wants to lure Two-Face and recapture him. Eventually, after much deliberation, both devise plans.
At Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson introduces a young Tim Drake to Alfred Pennyworth. Both Dick and Alfred are perturbed by Tim's apparent knowledge of Batman's secret identity. When pressed, Tim explains that he was a witness to the death of Dick's parents at Haly's Circus and Batman's attempts to comfort him.
Elsewhere in Gotham, Batman and Two-Face have each set up a unique trap for their opponent. Batman has provided 22 million dollars as bait, while Two-Face has kidnapped a pair of twins. While both want to catch the other in their traps, they both eventually abandon their posts to take the other's bait.
Tim continues to explain that he had been haunted by images of the Flying Graysons and Batman for years after witnessing them. After seeing news footage of Dick as Robin repeating his quadruple somersault, Tim easily deduced the identities of his idols. Tim believes, however, that since Dick became Nightwing and Jason Todd - the second Robin - was killed, Batman has gone off the deep end. Tim pleads with Dick to return to being Robin, in order to save Batman from himself.
Tim is taken to the Batcave
Batman follows clues to find the kidnapped twins tied up on the top of the Hawk Bridge over the Twin Rivers. The boys have a live Grenade rigged to go off unless it is removed properly. As Batman removes it, he accidentally addresses one of the boys as Jason, and is horrified. At Club Gemini, Two-Face easily finds his way to the 22 million dollar prize, but he is compelled to flip his coin over whether or not to take it.
Dick is put-off by the idea that he should return to being Robin, but agrees that he should do what he can to help Batman. He leads Tim down into the Batcave, where he puts on his Nightwing costume. Tim complains that Batman needs Robin, and not Nightwing, but Alfred implies that perhaps Tim is meant to be the next Robin.
Later, Batman regrets covering all of his bases, and allowing Two-Face to escape, despite saving the twins. Two-Face regrets having left the money at Club Gemini as his subconscious devises another plan to kill the Batman.
Appearing in "A Lonely Place of Dying - Chapter Three: Parallel Lines"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth
- James Gordon (Cameo)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Flying Graysons (Flashback only)
- John Grayson (Dies in flashback)
- Mary Grayson (Dies in flashback)
- Jack Drake (Flashback only)
- Janet Drake (Flashback only)
- Gotham City Police Department
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Haly's Circus (Flashback only)
Items:
- Two-Face's Coin
- Giant Penny (Cover only)
- Giant Joker Card
- Batcomputer
- Batarang
- Penguin's Umbrella (On a TV or computer screen)
- Batrope
Vehicles:
Notes
- The previous chapter takes place in New Titans #60 and is followed by New Titans #61.
- This issue is reprinted in the Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying and Batman: A Death in the Family trade paperbacks.
Trivia
- On page 14, Dick Grayson addresses Tim Drake as "Jeff." The mistake goes uncorrected.
- On page 19, the Batmobile isn't coloured and thus it looks like a white version of the car.
See Also
Links and References
| A Lonely Place of Dying | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Batman #440 | Part 2: New Titans #60 | Part 3: Batman #441 | Part 4: New Titans #61 | Part 5: Batman #442 |