Batman: Mitefall

The book is in excellent condition: Near Mint

Writer: Alan Grant

Penciler: Kevin O'Neill

Year: 1995

Story:

Bob Overdog is an inmate in Arkham Asylum. He admits that, while he may have been a bad man at one point -a strung out drug addict- he is no longer addicted and is now "a hero, a champion". Despite his protests, Doctor Arkham had managed to convince him to keep a diary of his time at Arkham (the source of narration). His first two entries are uneventful, simply saying, "Nothing interesting happened." The third, however, mentions he may have had a flashback hallucination, but he is unsure. The following two days are the same as the first.

The sixth day, he writes that a man named Bane blew up the asylum, stating how he thought it was peculiar that the guards would not warn the inmates before having him do that (he was under the impression he had been hired for the job by Arkham staff). During the commotion, several inmates break out of their cells, the Joker setting Bob free on his way to torture Doctor Arkham. After determining he is a villain, Bob attempts to fight him, only for Joker to shoot him in the chest. After he leaves, Bob gets up, realizing his diary had taken the bullet for him and saved his life.

Escaping the asylum, Bob travels around Gotham City to attempt "doing good". He decides that, before he can proceed, he must get rid of everything that reminds him of his former self, starting with his name. He chooses the moniker of "Underdog" after determining his last name would be too threatening for a hero. Arriving at a graveyard full of junkies, he attacks them, trying to convince them to give up substance abuse and join him in his crusade for good. In response, the men beat him and hold him to a tombstone intending to kill him. Before they can, the leader decides that, since Bob showed them the "error of their ways", they will repay him by giving him some of their drugs. They force-feed him three LSD tablets before knocking him out and running off. As the thugs flee, they are spotted by Batman (Bruce Wayne), who pursues them. Moments after he leaves, Bat-Mite appears, pleading for help.

As the drugs take hold, Bob staggers to the top of the church, intending to wait out the effects. Reaching the top of the tower, Bat-Mite appears before him, begging for his help as he did Batman. Blaming the Mite for his incarceration after what happened during their last meeting, he strangles Bat-Mite (though he believes him to be a drug-induced hallucination). Moments later, he finds himself paralyzed by the imp's powers. He then explains why he is there: Bane-Mite had destroyed Arkhamite Asylum, setting free all the villains inside. Bat-Mite fought for weeks to round up the escaped imps, a process which used up the majority of his magic energy. With his powers weakened, Bane-Mite appeared, beating Bat-Mite in battle with the help of his Toxik drug before breaking his back over his knee. Leaving him for dead, Bane-Mite sets out to conquer the rest of Mite-World before breaking through dimensions to conquer Earth, then the entire universe. Bat-Mite used the last of his magic to heal himself and teleport to Earth to seek help.

Overjoyed that the perfect chance to prove himself had appeared before him, Bob gladly accepts the offer to help. Donning an outfit similar to Jean-Paul Valley's Batsuit, he takes the name "Overbat", leaping from the top of the tower, only to be reminded that Bat-Mite had not yet given him the ability to fly. Meanwhile, in Mite-World, a parallel of the Justice League of America appear to challenge Bane-Mite. They are quickly defeated after he administers another dosage of Toxik, all of them being tied up by Bane-Mite's henchmen. Robin-Mite remarks that, once the Super-Mite Family return from their mission in space, he will pay for his crimes. Bane-Mite simply laughs, smacking Robin-Mite's head around and into Green Lantern-Mite. As Bane-Mite awaits the return of the Super-Mite Family, he broods. One of his henchmen asks why he broods, receiving an angered response, then a summarized history of why he is always brooding, explaining that his father, from the time he was born, kept him in a metal cage, the only activities he was able to do being isometric exercises and brooding (both of which he excelled at). He then adds that his story can be read in-depth by buying 'Vengeance of Bane-Mite,' $4.95, on sale soon!"

Back on Earth, Overbat is grappling from building to building while exploring the new powers his suit gives him. With his "binocular vision", he spots a mugging, rotating his hand to blow a billboard over on the two criminals. Bat-Mite remarks that they have no time to loose and must go to Mite-World. In Mite-World, the Super-Mite Family has finally returned, destroying several things as they descend from the sky. Preparing for the battle, one of Bane-Mite's henchmen injects a special Toxik formula into him. They fight, the Super-Mites realizing the new Toxik must contain Kryptomitenite, as their attacks are having no effect. Bane-Mite defeats all of them, taking one last dose of Toxic before blasting them from existence.

Overbat appears in Mite-World on a small bridge suspended over a volcano. Though is afraid to move, as one false step could send him falling to his death, he proceeds anyway. Bat-Mite congratulates him, saying that placing him there was the only way for him to fully prove to himself that he was truly a hero. He reveals that he had recruited the last of the Mite heroes during this time, appearing with Mite versions of lesser known and Vertigo characters. Elsewhere, Bane-Mite whips the other Mite villains, commanding them to work faster. Penguin-Mite complains, saying that the villains agreed to join forces with Bane-Mite as partners, not slaves. In response, Bane-Mite whips off part of his nose and his hat, saying that all they are to him are his slaves, except for Ra's al-Mite. The villains are being forced to complete work on a cloning machine. As it is finished, it creates duplicates of Bane-Mite, giving the original an army to take over Earth and the universe with. Overbat arrives, ordering Bane-Mite and his army to surrender.

Unimpressed by the mere human, Bane-Mite orders his army to attack. Overbat begins to glow, destroying the clones. He states that one time, while high, he'd read something that he'd never forget, "...that when the Golden Light of Purity shines, no evil or corruption can exist in the glow that it casts!" (The editor remarks that it was probably from a Silver Surfer comic book.) As Bane-Mite is destroyed, Bob remarks that he is good. As the other Mites congratulate Bat-Mite for bringing Overbat to help, Bob removes his cowl, spying the Toxik injector Bane-Mite used. Though he resists, he eventually gives in to huffing the fumes, much to Bat-Mite's horror. Bob says that a small amount would not be enough to harm him before his head explodes. On Earth, two police officers are investigating the graveyard, finding the broken body of a man lying against a tombstone. They confirm him to be Bob Overdog, one of the escaped Arkham patients. They suspect, from the drugs laying on the ground, that he had gotten high and jumped from the top of the church tower to his death.

In Mite-World, Bat-Mite and the others hold a memorial for Bob, saying that, despite failing to give up drugs, he did save their entire world and should be honored for his strength and heroism. He then unveils a golden statue of an unmasked Bob, an engraving at the base saying, "Bob Overdog, a.k.a. Overbat-the man who saved the world." Bat-Mite, mimicking Porky Pig, appears in a circle, stating to the reader, "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!" before disappearing.