Batman: Deathstroke Vol 1 1

Appearing in "The Assassin Returns"
Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Locations:
 * Batman
 * Robin (Dick Grayson) (First Appearance)
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Martha Wayne
 * Huntress
 * Commissioner Gordon
 * Deathstroke (First Appearance)
 * Ra's al Ghul (First Appearance)
 * League of Assassins (First Appearance)
 * Joker (First Appearance)
 * Gotham City
 * Wayne Manor
 * Ace Chemical Processing Plant
 * League of Assassins' Underground Lair
 * Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane

Synopsis for "The Assassin Returns"
Deathstroke returns to Gotham after being shown up by a mob boss thirty years since. He had killed the boss en years before he had returned, but still craved revenge. He couldn't resist his compulsion to don the costume of the assassin Deathstroke and return to his place of shame and exact revenge. He went to Ra's al Ghul, an assassin himself, Ra's welcomed Deathstroke into his league.

Deathstroke declined Ra's' offer, and just wanted information on Batman, the main target of his attack on Gotham. Once he got the information he so desired, Deathstroke targeted Joker and broke him out of Arkham Asylum. He then lured him to the Ace Chemical Plant and beat him to the brink of death. He left the Joker to rot in the plant. purposefully not killing him. Batman investiagtes the plant to later find Joker.

Batman and Robin discuss the possibilty of a villain with personal ties to him targeting Joker. They also conjecture that this won't be the last crime pointed at Batman. Batman is out the next night when he sees Deathstroke. Deathstroke responds to Batman's question (if he is related to Batman in some way and was wronged in the past) by saying, "I haven't got a vendetta towards you. I've got one towards Gotham. Nothing personal." Deathstroke then shot Batman, leaving him in the wake of a smoke bomb.