The Brave and the Bold #184

"The Batman's Last Christmas!"The Batman drops off a large bag of gifts at the Gotham Children's Home. Responding to the Bat Signal, Batman meets with Police Commissioner James Gordon. They discuss Gordon's uncertain future under the new mayor, Hamilton Hill. Gordon asks Batman to bring in mob boss "Spurs" Sanders' accountant's records. Batman closes in on the gunsel currently in possession of the accountant's records. At that same moment, the Huntress arrives in Gotham City, to spend the holiday with her "Uncle" Bruce. Batman subdues the mob goon. Perusing the records, Batman runs across a shocking bit of information, regarding his father, Thomas Wayne. Momentarily distracted, Batman doesn't see the gunsel drawing on him. The Huntress disarms the thug, then kicks him into unconsciousness. Visibly shaken, Batman asks the Huntress to accompany him, to Wayne Manor, to talk. While Alfred serves refreshments, Batman contemplates the possibility that his father may have been a gangster. The Huntress convinces Batman to investigate the matter further. As Bruce and Helena Wayne, they pay a visit to Amos Randolph, Thomas Wayne's old accountant. The aged Randolph is a sickly man with a nervous habit of tapping his fingers. The Waynes are only allowed a half hour to visit with him. Randolph produces Thomas Wayne's old financial records, which seem to corroborate the evidence found in Sanders' records. Batman and the Huntress storm Sanders' estate. Once all the guards have been dealt with, Batman demands to know Sanders' connection to Thomas Wayne. Sanders plays an old tape recording of Thomas Wayne agreeing to funnel money into Sander's bid to take over Gotham's criminal underground. The voice is unmistakably Batman's father's.Shaken to his very foundation, Batman travels, alone, to his father's gravesite. There before the tombstone of Thomas Wayne, Batman renounces his war on crime, and ends his crime fighting career as the Batman. Concealed behind a nearby tombstone, the Huntress...