Don't become what killed our families. 
- — Batman
Batman: War On Crime is a one-shot with a cover date of November, 1999.
Synopsis for "War on Crime"
Bruce Wayne is in negotiations with corrupt businessman Randall Winters, as he proposes to replace the Bayside area. That night in Bayside, Batman hears gunshots in a store and captures the mugger. When he checks the bodies, he notices something familiar and unexpected: a boy who saw his parents die. The boy, Marcus, is seen by Batman as a mirror to his eight-year-old self. As the drug trade in the area gets worse, Batman goes to the Iceberg Lounge, and intimidates the penguin. The next night, Batman takes care of a gang with Marcus as one of them, and he runs off. The very next night, Batman stops a drug location and confronts a gun wielding Marcus. Talking him down, asking him not to become what killed his parents, and he lowers the gun. Having given Marcus new hope for the future, Bruce Wayne decides to make changes without the mask by helping rebuild Bayside, not replace it. Randall is not so happy, but due to other things going on, Randall is arrested by Commissioner Gordon during a pool party at his mansion. Batman knows he is fighting a war he cannot completely win, but the small victories encourage him to keep trying, and hopes that soon he'll move on from his pain.
Appearing in "War on Crime"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Marcus
Antagonists:
- Randall Winters
- The Penguin
Other Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth
- James Gordon
- Selina Kyle
Locations:
- Bayside
- Wayne Manor/Batcave
- Iceberg Lounge
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The novel is reprinted in World's Greatest Super-Heroes (Collected).