Robin III Part 50: Detective Comics #644 (May, 1992)

Tim tries to track down a murderer...and is cut short.

I have this issue.

Tim’s on patrol with Bruce when the Bat-signal appears. Attorney Arthur Rome has been found dead at his rooftop apartment – electrocuted.

They meet up with Gordon, who tells them that Rome is the second body killed this way. The first one was Sidney Lester, a Prison Warden. 

Back at the ‘cave, Tim works the Bat-computer searching for a connection between the killings. Bruce brings out maps of Gotham’s power stations and the underground tunnels that connect them and tells Tim that the killer must be using a weapon requiring a tremendous amount of electricity…which needs recharging.

Another victim is discovered, and Tim stays behind to track down any recent power fluctuations. Two power spikes are found which correspond to the first two murders and he has Alfred call Gotham Power and Light to see if anything more recent turned up. One has, over in Neville. Tim informs Bruce, who tells him to meet up there. He loads up the van and tells Alfred to take the wheel.

When they arrive, Tim learns that Bruce is underground at a power junction. He lowers himself (and the insulated gear he brought) into the sewer system to hook up but is told to contact Gordon and tell him that they’ve figured out the pattern the killer is using.

Before Tim can learn any more, the line goes dead.

Notes of Interest:

1) Not much character development, but it was cool that Tim thought to bring equipment necessary for the job. Seems he learned a lot from his one-on-one with Joker.

WTF? Moment: Didn’t Tim create a map of all the underground tunnels in Gotham already? Why would Bruce need to pull out diagrams and charts when Tim could just pull it up on the ‘puter?

WTF? Moment #2: That was a mean trick Tim played on Alfred…but a good one.