Batman: War Drums #[nn]

In "The Surrogate, Part One: Lost and Found," a pregnant woman is shot in a brutal attack with no bullet recovered, leaving Dr. Thompkins to race against time to save both her and the unborn child. With the woman unable to recall her family, she turns to Batman for help in uncovering her past—before the truth vanishes with her.

In "The Surrogate, Part Two: The Blinding," Batman races against time to find Dr. Thompkins, abducted along with a pregnant woman she was treating for a gunshot wound. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling connection: Mr. Freeze is funneling weapons to gangs, all to empower an unseen force aiming to seize control of Gotham’s volatile Hills district.

In "The Surrogate, Part Three: Deliverance," Batman finds himself trapped in a collapsing building, forced to assist Dr. Thompkins in delivering a child amid the chaos. As the city's underbelly shifts beneath him, he presses on in his hunt for Mr. Freeze, determined to uncover who's orchestrating the takeover of Gotham’s Hill district.

In "A Life More Ordinary," Stephanie Brown embraces her new role as Robin with fierce determination, eager to prove herself under Batman’s strict guidance. Meanwhile, Tim adjusts to life beyond the mantle, finding unexpected comfort in the company of Darla Aquista, even as Scarab begins a deadly hunt among twelve boys—each a potential target.

In "Girl Wonder," Batman investigates a string of seemingly random crimes tied to the Aquista family, uncovering a deadly pattern that points to an assassin targeting their bloodline. As he and his new Robin close in on the threat, they face Scarab during her eighth murder—while Tim begins to see Darla Aquista in a new light, even as Stephanie grows distant.

In "Fired!", Batman and Robin face a relentless foe in the deadly assassin Scarab, who bests them both in brutal confrontations. When Scarab realizes Stephanie isn’t the target she was hired to kill, she shifts her focus—only for Batman to fire Stephanie from her role as Robin after she disobeys orders, demanding she stay off the streets as Spoiler. Meanwhile, Tim discovers Batgirl has been sent to protect him, adding tension to an already volatile situation.