Batman Issue 276

The Haunting of the Spook!
Batman encounters the Spook while crossing the Kingsboro Bridge and battles him, but cannot catch his elusive enemy. Nonetheless, the Spook gives him a clue to his next caper by flashing the location and time with an electronic sign on his chest. The two enemies have two more encounters, which proceed in much the same way, except that Batman gets progressively more savage with each battle, and the Spook keeps encouraging Batman to kill him.

Batman realizes that the Spook's sign conceals a subliminal message. In their next fight, he drops in his tracks. The Spook, not knowing that Batman is using meditation techniques to dull his pulse rate, finds no vital signs and assumes Batman has died. He screams out that he himself was to have faked death, using the same techniques, and Batman, who would have been unable to trust himself not to kill again, would have hung up his cape.

After Batman is carried off by an ambulance, he revives himself, reports to Commissioner Gordon, and tracks down and captures the Spook.

Individuals

 * Batman
 * James Gordon
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * The Spook

Locations

 * Gotham City