Step carefully, old friend. You've always used fear as a weapon. Now I'm afraid it's a weapon that can be turned on you! 
Detective Comics #623 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1990.
Synopsis for "Death of Innocence"
The bodies of two more victims—a black and white couple in a romantic relationship—are found with "BATMAN" scrawled in blood next to them. When Batman and Gordon investigate, a nearby crowd mobs them, calling for Batman to be arrested. Batman is forced to use a smoke bomb to get away.
The radio talk show host interviews Tod Nathan Taylor, the publisher of the unofficial Batman comics. Tod says he has a legal right to use the name 'Batman', as 'Batman' is not copyrighted nor trademarked. Fred Lasker, the writer and artist of the comic, is meant to be interviewed next, but cannot be reached.
An excerpt of the second issue of the comic shows Batman fighting the Joker. After Batman is captured by the Joker, a young boy is possessed by the spirit of a guardian angel, who shows up as Robin and saves Batman. Batman, claiming to not need Robin, creates the Bathound from a regular dog.
After the radio show returns from commercial, they receive a caller claiming once again to be Batman. The caller takes credit for the murder of the couple and then tells people to read the new issue of the comic.
Meanwhile, Batman goes to the city morgue to look at the bodies of the victims. While Batman investigates, the coroner reads the latest issue of the Batman comic.
Another excerpt of the comic shows the Joker having captured the boy previously possessed by the spirit of the guardian angel. The Joker claims to have killed the boy's innocence—and thus, killed Robin. Batman tries to kill the Joker by snapping his neck, but the Joker is unkillable and escapes. The boy is alive, but is now terrified of Batman. Batman mourns the boy's lost innocence and hope.
The radio show is finally able to get in touch with Fred Lasker, who claims to have lost track of time. Lasker admits he makes up pretty much everything about Batman and there's not much resemblance to the real thing. He says that he is Batman insofar as any writer is all of the characters that they write, including the Joker and Robin.
In the morgue, Batman says he knows where to look for the false Batman.
Appearing in "Death of Innocence"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Erine (Final appearance)
- Fred Lasker
- Hal Fresnell (Voice)
- Jack Hemp
- Maria (Appears only as a corpse)
- Nelson (Appears only as a corpse)
- Tod Nathan Taylor
- Unauthorized Comic Book Characters:
- Bathound (First appearance)
- Batman (Simon Petrarch)
- Lucifer
- Joker (Single appearance; dies)
- The Robin (Single appearance)
- Ace the Bat-Hound (Mentioned only)
- Robin (Tim Drake) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Flint Henry illustrates the "unauthorized" Batman comic book. Mike McKone and José Marzan, Jr. illustrate the rest of the story.
- This story is reprinted in Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 6.
See Also