From: [c--ve--n] at [cae.wisc.edu] (Michael Blakeman Cleveland)
Subject: ZERO HOUR SUMMARIES: 4/7:  BATMAN #511
Date: 18 Jul 1994 17:06:09 GMT


Non-spoiler review:  This issue both begins and ends with scenes from Zero
Hour #4.  The first five pages or so duplicates material from ZH#4 and
leads into the plot of the issue.  The last page then rejoins ZH.
Although the issue is surrounded by Zero Hour events, you're not really 
missing anything important to Zero hour by missing this book.

Overall, I thought that this was the best of the crossover issues this 
week (even better than the three books I regularly buy.)  It reads 
essentially like a mild Elseworlds story, and was brought off well, IMHO.

For Zero-Hour purists: Not necessary, but...

Just plain recommended.  Period.


But for those of you who are still going to skip it ;)
Summary w/ spoilers:



































The first five pages or so of this issue are repeated directly from Zero
Hour #4.  Batgirl captures the Joker.  batman and Robin arrive on the
scene, and while they try to sort out their confusion, the Joker escapes.
Meanwhile, another, younger Robin looks on.

While Batman and Batgirl try to sort things out, the police show up.
Batgirl tries to escape.  Batman wonders why, until they start shooting at
him.  It turns out Batgirl's from a different timeline (as Bats proves by
verifying the continued existence of Oracle).  There, the Joker
shot and killed her father instead of crippling her.  Harvey Dent succeeded
to become Commissioner (The Joker killed Maroni before he could disfigure
Harvey.) and started a campaign to eliminate the vigilantes.  Oh, and 
Bruce and Barbara are a couple.

batman keeps his mind on business, though, as the Joker decides to kill
the next comissioner.  He digs up Gordon's body and brings it to Dent's
office.  Batman captures the Joker in the showdown, Jim is restored to life,
Harvey becomes Two-Face again, and the Joker and Two-Face disappear.  (I'm
not sure if batgirl does, too.)

Batman then summons Superman in the scene repeated in MOS and ZH#4.
(continued in Zero Hour #4.)