Comic Title: Batman #445
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: March 1990
On Sale Date: January 30, 1990 Shipping Date January 30, 1990
Source: Previews, #11

Shipping Date February 1, 1990
Source: Advance Comics, #13

Direct Market Date February 1, 1990
Source: Comic Shop News, #139

Copyright Date January 30, 1990
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1990

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $1.00
Page Count: 32
Editor: Dennis J. O'Neil

Title: "Red Square Bloody Square"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Batman (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciller: Jim Aparo
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Adrienne Roy

Reprinted In:
Batman:The Caped Crusader Vol. 3 TPB (2019)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Secret Origins of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes TPB; next appearance in Batman #446)

Supporting Character(s)

• Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in Batman #444; next appearance in Detective Comics #612)
• Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in Batman #443; next appearance in Detective Comics #613)
• Vicki Vale (last appearance in Suicide Squad #26; next appearance in Batman #446)
• Tim Drake (last appearance in Batman #444; next appearance in Batman #448)

Villain(s)

• NKVDemon (Gregor Dosynski; first appearance; next appearance in Batman #446)
• Slasher (no further appearances)
• Nikolay and Yakov (associates of NKVDemon; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Nikita Krakov (a Soviet police detective; next appearance in Batman #446)
• Dmitri (a Soviet police officer; no further appearances)
• Yuri Gregaroff (a member of the Politboro; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Mr. Kesegan (a liasion; no further appearances)
• Vasily Ramenki, Marsala, Ivana, and Hasek (a Politboro member, his wife, and children; Ivana and Hasek die in this story; no further appearances)
• Anna Petrova (from the Bureau of Economic Development; next appearance in Batman #446)
• Rebecca Curley (a boarding school student; no further appearances)
• Boris (Anna's assistant; next appearance in Batman #447)

Comments:
When the Earth Dies Chapter One

This story continues in Batman #446.

Synopsis:
Bruce Wayne travels to the Soviet Union after learning that Gregor Dosynski, a disciple of the KGBeast has been killing members of the Politboro. Bruce has some difficulty evading detection to become Batman. Once he does, he contacts Nikita Krakov, a police detective who provides him with information on Dosynski's associates. Batman sends a message to Dosynski, also known as the NKVDemon, and the two meet at a prearranged location. The NKVDemon gets the upper hand in the ensuing fight, but Batman has brought reinforcements, led by Krakov. Dosynski is forced to flee into the underground sewer system to escape.