First published 1998
Bruce Wayne wakes from another nightmare about Mr. Winchester, the merciless schoolmaster who tormented him as a boy. The dreams feel too real, too vivid to dismiss. When reports surface of a mysterious figure terrorizing Gotham's underworld, Batman investigates and discovers the impossible: Winchester has returned, now wielding dark supernatural abilities that make him far more dangerous than any ordinary criminal. The sadistic teacher who once ruled over Wayne's childhood classroom now seeks to reshape all of Gotham City according to his twisted vision. Batman finds himself fighting not just for the city's survival, but against the deepest fears rooted in his own past. As Winchester's power grows and his plan unfolds, the Dark Knight must confront whether the traumatized boy he once was can overcome the monster who helped create him.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, gothic
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Gotham City
Period: 20th-century
128 pages · Paperback · DC Comics
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse