Superman/Batman #77

Overall: This issue begins with Supergirl coming across a mass grave in the Suicide Slum section of Metropolis. SG is appalled by the site of so many bodies lined up on the pavement and decides she wants to help solve the case, but she's smart enough to realize that she's no detective... So what's a Supergirl to do? Head to Gotham and enlist the aid of the World's Greatest Detective, that's what! Unfortunately, Batman(Bruce Wayne)is still lost in time at this point, Batman II(Dick Grayson)is out with the JLA and Red Robin is missing, which leaves SG stuck with the pre-teen terror himself, Robin(Damian Wayne). SG reluctantly decides to take Damian with her and the two examine the bodies and learn two things, they were all a part of an internship program with Lexcorp, and they all died of heart attacks. The two cross Lex Luthor off the list of suspects after interrogating one of his cronies and decide to see if any other students in the internship program knew anything. As luck would have it, all of the students involved in the internship program are at a Halloween party... How convenient... Anyway, SG scans the crowd with her super-hearing and notices that all of the party-goers are terrified due to the deaths, except for one. SG charges after the lone unafraid man and gets a sprayed in the face with fear gas. The fear gas causes SG to believe Damian was Reactron, and she goes after him, trying to pound him into a fine paste. Damian dodges SG's attacks and shouts at her that she was under the spell of the fear toxin, which eventually gets through to SG, who manages to shake off the effects. With SG no longer trying to kill him, Damian easily takes care of the Scarecrow, who, as I'm sure you guessed, was the man responsible for spraying SG with the chemical. Scarecrow explains that his attacks on the students was a shot at Lex Luthor, who Scarecrow was still angry with thanks to Lex stealing Scarecrow's Sinestro Corps ring during Blackest Night. The heroes drop Scarecrow off at Arkham Asylum and SG takes Damian back home, where he gets teased by Dick, who figures Damian had a crush on SG.

This was a fun little Halloween story. I definitely enjoyed it. That's not to say it was perfect, because it was REALLY predictable at times(once the cause of deaths was determined to be heart attacks, who DIDN'T predict Scarecrow was responsible?), but it I'm not going to complain. It's rare for me to read a comic with Damian in it and come away smiling, so I can honestly say that Josh Williamson(writer)did a fine job here. Before I go I should also point out that Scarecrow's motivation for his actions here was a wonderful touch that made TONS of sense. It's nice to read a comic that harks back to an earlier comic and expands on an overlooked story point. Very good stuff here.

Score: 8 out of 10.Sometimes Damian's jackassery is SO over the top I can't help but laugh about it... "Now scan, alien." Awesome...