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""Half an Evil"": When a parade balloon is stolen in broad daylight, Commissioner Gordon lights up the Bat-Signal at night to contact Batman, despite the disapproval of Arthur Reeves. When Batman arrives a

Quote1 I want you to see-- how you'll die! Ugly, you'll die... ugly as the accident that made me a freak! Quote2
Two-Face

Batman #234 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1971.

Synopsis for "Half an Evil"

When a parade balloon is stolen in broad daylight, Commissioner Gordon lights up the Bat-Signal at night to contact Batman, despite the disapproval of Arthur Reeves. When Batman arrives at the GCPD Headquarters, they start investigating the mysterious robbery, but they are suddenly interrupted by an officer informing them about a crime at the Nautical Museum. Gordon and his men get going, but Batman arrives first by his own means. Once inside, he confronts a couple of masked thugs, the same that stole the parade balloon. After taking one of them down, Batman interrogates the second thug and learns that he doesn't know who is the man he is working for, but that he always keeps his face concealed while tossing a coin.

After leaving the criminals for the police, Bruce Wayne returns to his penthouse at the Wayne Foundation building and he informs Alfred that his long-time enemy, Two-Face is back on crime. After remembering how the former District Attorney, Harvey Dent became Two-Face and turned to crime, Bruce investigates some of the clues provided by the thugs he captured. Searching a book about ocean and ships, Bruce learns that Two-Face is looking to strike on a boat docked at the Marina across Gotham River and he goes to stop the master criminal.

When Batman arrives at the scene, he takes down a couple more of Two-Face henchmen and he discovers that Two-Face's plan is to steal, sink, and raise an old two-masted ship belonging to Captain Bye, seeking a cache of gold doubloons Bye had hidden in the vessel. Following the ship to a dark swamp, where Two-Face has planned that it would emerge, Batman finally confronts the criminal, unaware that while on the rising, the ship has carried a homeless man to the top of the mast. Batman is distracted trying to save the man and Two-Face takes the opportunity to attack Batman and tie him to the ship's mast. After stealing the historic doubloons, Two-Face gets ready to leave, but Batman tricks him into using his coin in order to decide to save the homeless man or not. When the good side of the coin shows up, Two-Face is compelled to save the man and Batman takes the chance to free himself and capture Two-Face while also saving the homeless man.

Appearing in "Half an Evil"

Featured Characters:

  • Batman (Flashback and main story)

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Synopsis for "Vengeance for a Cop!"

A police officer is brutally attacked outside of the Hudson University and Robin starts investigating the crime in order to bring the attacker to justice.

In search of the assailant, Robin joins a commune and finds the shooter among a group of hippies, but he is not allowed to leave with him as they all get ready to confront the Teen Wonder.

Appearing in "Vengeance for a Cop!"

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Supporting Characters:

Other Characters:

  • Jonathan
  • Nanci Beeker
  • Pat Whalon
  • Robert Beeker

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Synopsis for "Trail of the Talking Mask!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #335.

Tipped off by private investigator Hugh Rankin, (who has been trying to get into the Mystery Analysts of Gotham club), Batman and Robin attempt to stop a heist at the Jewel Mart, but find that the robbers are almost inhuman in their strength and mannerisms. Hugh learns that the whole thing is being orchestrated by a criminal calling himself Make-Up Man, who is using anamatronic machines that look like people to do his robberies. Rankin follows three hoods to the Make-Up Man, but is captured by his thugs.

When Batman and Robin track down the clues to Make-Up Man's hide out, they end up fighting his constructs, his hoods, and a giant mask. The Dynamic Duo manage to capture Make-Up Man and rescue Hugh. Hugh apologizes for his impulsiveness telling Batman that he only wanted to be inducted into the Mystery Analysts, Batman tells him that one day he'll be admitted to the group if he works at it.

Appearing in "Trail of the Talking Mask!"

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Antagonists:

  • Make-Up Man (Flashback and main story) (Origin) (Single appearance)
    • Three Unnamed Hoods (Single appearance)

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Notes



See Also

Recommended Reading

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