Batman #5
In "Fear State, Part 1," Batman emerges from Scarecrow’s latest terror, his mind fractured by fear, as Gotham descends into chaos. With Simon Saint promoting his Magistrate program on live television, the city’s underbelly reveals a deeper conspiracy—while a delusional Peacekeeper-01 roams the streets, warped by the same fear gas. Back at the Batcave, Batman reunites with Oracle, Cassandra, and Stephanie to uncover the full scope of Scarecrow’s new campaign, even as Harley Quinn and the Gardener work in secret to restore a broken Ivy. Written by James Tynion IV and brought to life by Jorge Jiménez on art and inks, with Tomeu Morey’s colors and Clayton Cowles’ sharp lettering, this pivotal issue sets a tense, psychological tone for the city’s unraveling. The cover, also by Jorge Jiménez, captures the unease with a haunting, stylized Gotham skyline.
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Batman escapes from Scarecrow, but his mind has been altered by fear. Simon Saint does a tv promotion on how his Magistrate program will make life better for residents of Gotham, but behind the scenes he is trying to track down a delusional Peacekeeper-01 who has been affected by Scarecrow's fear gas. Batman regroups with Oracle, Cassandra, and Stephanie, and learns the scope of Scarecrow's fear state initiative. Harley and the Gardener have a plan to restore Ivy to normalcy.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).