Comic Title: Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 HC
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: 2004
On Sale Date: June 16, 2004 Direct Market Date June 30, 2004
Source: Previews, Vol. 14 #4 (#184)

Direct Market Date June 16, 2004
Source: ComicList, New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Cover Price: $49.95
Page Count: 240
Editor: Robert Greenberger

See Also: The Guide to Graphic Novels and Collected Editions

Title: "The Silent Night of the Batman"
Pages: 8

Feature(s):
Batman (of Earth-1)

Writer: Mike Friedrich
Penciller: Neal Adams
Inker: Dick Giordano

Reprinted From:
Batman #219 (1970)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Batman #219; next appearance in Justice League of America #78)

Supporting Character(s)

• Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in Brave & the Bold #86; next appearance in World's Finest Comics #191)

Villain(s)

• A young street thief and his friends (no further appearances)
• An unnamed gunman (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Several police officers (no further appearances)
• A Christmas shopper and a blind man (no further appearances)
• Ted and Patty (a soldier and his wife; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Commissioner Gordon summons Batman on Christmas Eve. He asks Batman to join the police and sing Christmas carols. Batman reluctantly agrees although he knows that crime does not take holidays.

While Batman is singing with the police, a young boy steals a package from a last minute Christmas shopper. After getting away, he opens the package and discovers a Batman doll inside. He feels guilty, so he re-wraps the gift and returns it to the woman he stole it from.

Elsewhere a man brandishing a gun is walking the streets. He bumps into a man on the street. He aims the gun, then he sees that his target is a blind charity worker wearing a Batman costume. The gunman has second thoughts and tosses his weapon in the trash.

Finally, Patty, a soldier's wife, misses her husband who is away. She is depressed and heads for the bridge to jump. When she looks at the water below, the shadow of the bridge forms the Batman symbol. She decides not to jump. When she turns around, she sees a passing military vehicle. It stops, and her husband gets out reuniting the couple.

As the morning arrives, Batman realizes that he has been singing all night. He heads home surprised that he wasn't needed at all for one evening.