Batman Issue 400

Resurrection Night
Ra's al Ghul embarks upon one of his most ambitious schemes to confound the Batman. He engineers a massive breakout at both Arkham Asylum and the Gotham State penitentiary. Uniting both prisoners and patients, he arms them with their uniforms and weapons and gives them special instructions. Batman meanwhile, finds a note taped to the computer in the Batcave that reads, "Know your foes!" Ra's enters the cave and tells Batman what he has done. He further offers his service in permanently eliminating Batman's adversaries if he should but agree to join his crusade. Batman naturally refuses, and Ra's takes his leave.

He soon discovers that the villains have kidnapped four people with strong connections to the Batman - Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Julia Pennyworth and Vicki Vale. Moreover, the Joker and the Penguin have enveloped Gotham City Police Headquarters with a giant steel net, turning the police into prisoners. The Joke forces Commissioner Gordon to contact Batman and tell him that he has three hours to rescue them or else all of the hostages will die.

Batman finds assistance from two former adversaries, Catwoman and Ra's daughter Talia. They split into two teams to tackle the mission from different angles. Robin and Talia go after one group of villains, while Batman and Catwoman try to free the GCPD. Throughout the course of the long evening, both parties prove successful and meet back up to tackle Ra's. They track him down to an old decrepit windmill where Ra's is housing one of his Lazarus Pits. For the first time ever, Ra's immerses himself in the pit while still alive, and soon emerges, now ten times as strong as a normal human. Batman and his allies approach the windmill. Batman uses explosive charges to blast away at the foundation, providing them with a quick entrance. Batman and Ra's fight one another and through the course of the conflict, he flips Ra's over his head. Ra's lands for a second time inside the Lazarus Pit. The explosives have greatly weakened the structure of the windmill, so Batman and the others race out of there just as it collapses. It is believed that Ra's has been destroyed in the carnage.

Chapters:
This issue is divided into twelve chapters:
 * Part I: Trading Darkness
 * Part II: The Master Below
 * Part III: First Steps
 * Part IV: The Tempting
 * Part V: Pinocchio and Jonah's Too!
 * Part VI: Barred
 * Part VII: A Small Itch
 * Part VIII: The Big Sticking
 * Part IX: Branches Like Bones
 * Part X: The Dark Trade
 * Part XI: Under the Wind
 * Part XII: Fated Fete

Individuals

 * Batman
 * Robin
 * Catwoman
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Harvey Bullock
 * James Gordon
 * Julia Pennyworth
 * Talia al Ghul
 * Vicki Vale
 * Black Mask
 * Black Spider
 * Calendar Man
 * Captain Stingaree
 * Catman
 * The Cavalier
 * Clayface
 * Cluemaster
 * Crazy-Quilt
 * Dagger
 * Deadshot
 * Doctor Double X
 * Doctor Phosphorous
 * The Joker
 * Killer Croc
 * Killer Moth
 * Mad Hatter
 * Mirage
 * Mr. Freeze
 * Night-Slayer
 * The Penguin
 * Poison Ivy
 * Ra's al Ghul
 * The Riddler
 * The Scarecrow
 * Tweedledee
 * Tweedledum
 * Two-Face
 * Stick Chuvalo

Items

 * Batarang
 * Batrope
 * Batsignal
 * Lazarus Pit

Vehicles

 * Batplane
 * Batmobile
 * The Joker's helicopter

Locations

 * Gotham City
 * Arkham Asylum
 * Batcave
 * Exotica Emporium
 * Belly of the Whale
 * Gotham City Police Headquarters
 * Gotham State Penitentiary
 * Wayne Manor