Comic Title: Detective Comics #592
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: November 1988
On Sale Date: August 2, 1988 Shipping Date August 2, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #7

Shipping Date August 4, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #146

Newsstand Date August 27, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #146

Copyright Date August 9, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Dennis J. O'Neil

Title: "The Fear"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Batman (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Alan Grant
Writer: John Wagner
Artist: Norm Breyfogle
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Adrienne Roy

Reprinted In:
Legends of the Dark Knight:Norm Breyfogle Vol. 1 HC (2015)
Batman:The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 3 TPB (2020)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Cosmic Odyssey #4; next appearance in Detective Comics #593)

Villain(s)

• Cornelius Stirk (first appearance; next appearance in Detective Comics #593)
• Three muggers (no further appearances)
• Ronald Dillon and Dave (small time crooks; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• A mugging victim (no further appearances)
• Billy and his mother (no further appearances)
• A cab driver (no further appearances)
• Ed Hunt (a murder victim; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Two police officers (Ames named; no further appearances)
• A homeless man (next appearance in Detective Comics #593)
• Rolf Anton (a psychiatrist; dies in this story; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story continues in Detective Comics #593.

Synopsis:
While Batman is stopping a mugging on the streets of Gotham City, a body is being dumped into the trunk of a parked taxi. A small boy is the only witness to the body dump. He claims it was Jesus who left it.

Batman examines the body and discovers that the victim, Ed Hunt, experienced a high level of fear just before his death. He then begins tracking down recently released convicts. At his first stop, Batman apprehends Ronald Dillon, who has returned to small time crime following his release.

The next name on Batman's list is Cornelius Stirk. Batman finds Stirk's psychiatrist murdered. The detective seeks to track down the killer before he strikes again. Stirk has already abducted a homeless man and is attempting to scare him to death.