Comic Title: Detective Comics #585
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: April 1988
On Sale Date: January 5, 1988 Shipping Date January 5, 1988
Source: DC Releases, #47

Shipping Date January 5, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #132

Newsstand Date January 28, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #132

Copyright Date January 5, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

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

Title: "The Ratcatcher"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Batman (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Alan Grant
Writer: John Wagner
Penciller: Norm Breyfogle
Inker: Ricardo Villagran
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. 2 TPB (2018)
Suicide Squad Case Files Vol. 2 TPB (2021)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Batman #420; next appearance in Detective Comics #586)

Villain(s)

• Ratcatcher (next appearance in Detective Comics #586)
• Pinder and Tubbs (arms dealers; no further appearances)
• Two unnamed weapons buyers (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Wyatt Hogan (a judge; dies in this story; next appearance in Detective Comics #586)
• Cornelius Budd (name given only as Budd in this story; next appearance in Detective Comics #586)
• Stanley Konik (not named in this story; next appearance in Detective Comics #586)
• Sam Bellow (called Sarge in this story; next appearance in Detective Comics #586)
• Several unnamed police officers (no further appearances)

Comments:
This story continues in Detective Comics #586.

Synopsis:
Batman stakes out a warehouse waiting for crooks to arrive. Soon, Pinder and Tubbs, a pair of arms dealers arrive to conduct an illegal transaction. Batman moves in to stop them.

The fight is briefly interrupted when an old man emerges from the sewers. He is swarmed and killed by rats. Batman believes the rats were under human control. After leaving the crooks for police, he enters the sewers.

Batman spots a blond man in a gas mask in the tunnels. He confronts the man who calls himself the Ratcatcher and learns that other men are being held captive in the sewers. The Ratcatcher then orders his rats to attack. Batman drives them away with a blinding light, but the distraction allows his foe time to open the water main and begin flooding the tunnel.