Batman #405

A recently released mental patient from Arkham Asylum named Albert Blume has taken several children hostage and is threatening to kill them. Commissioner Loeb dispatches SWAT Commander Branden to the scene of the apartment to handle the situation. Lt. Gordon hears about the maneuver and intercepts Branden before he can do anything rash. Jim enters the building alone and single-handedly defeats Blume without causing him undue harm. He knows that if Branden's team had gone in, the results would have been disastrous.

A few nights later, Bruce Wayne makes his first official debut as Batman. He attacks a group of teenage punks stealing electronics and intercepts them on an apartment fire escape. The fight proves difficult, and one teen nearly loses his life. However, he succeeds in apprehending all three and promises to improve his technique before venturing out for a second time.

Over the course of several weeks, rumors of a "Batman" begin circulating throughout Gotham City. Even Detective Flass experiences a chance encounter with the mysterious vigilante.

Lt. Gordon holds a meeting with the other cops and addresses the Batman situation. Flass gives his jaded eyewitness account of Batman, but neglects to include details involving his own illicit affairs at the time of the encounter.

Four nights later, Batman breaks into the Mayor's mansion. The Mayor is hosting a party with several key city patrons, including Commissioner Loeb and crime lord Carmine Falcone. Batman throws a smoke grenade through the window and warns them that from this point forward, none of them is safe. Following the event, Loeb appoints Gordon the lead investigator in a special task force designed to bring down Batman.

Gordon begins investigating a chain of suspects – a chain that takes him all the way to the District Attorney's office. He interviews Assistant D.A. Harvey Dent and even begins to suspect that he is Batman. However, Dent has a solid alibi for his whereabouts, and Gordon crosses him off the suspect list. In truth, Dent is keenly aware of Batman's presence and has been secretly aiding him.

Later, Gordon and Detective Sarah Essen are nearly killed by a runaway truck driver asleep at the wheel. Batman arrives on the scene, and Gordon witnesses him rescue a wino who has fallen in the path of the out-of-control vehicle. He commands Batman to halt, but the vigilante darts down an alleyway. SWAT officers arrive and open fire, but Gordon begins to suspect that the Batman is not the evil creature that he read about in his files.

Batman runs inside a derelict building for shelter. Commissioner Loeb consults with the SWAT officers over the radio and authorizes the use of deadly force. Chief Branden uses a helicopter to firebomb the apartment building.