BAT-FAM

After months of anticipation,

GokiFluff Series 77 is finally upon us, Trudy.

Yeah! We're coming for you, Gubbub.

Yeah, that Gubbub card looks kind of cool.

Kind of cool?

Gubbub is the deadliest GokiFluff ever and has destroyed entire cities!

Only five of these cards were made. That's "kind of" cool?

Ignore Judy. She’s just being dramatic.

Yeah, we’re huge GokiFans, and yes, we run GokiFreak,

the go-to site for all things Goki, but it’s not like we’re obsessed.

No GokiFluff cards?

More like No-ki Fluff. Our entire shipment was stolen.

Stolen? Like they're gone?

Yeah, that's what "stolen" means. There's been a wave of Goki-robberies.

You won’t find a Series 77 GokiFluff in all of Gotham.

It's okay, guys.

I bet a certain dynamic duo is already on this GokiFluff case.

Sorry, Damian, we can't right now.

But, Dad, Goki-Kids all across Gotham are going to suffer.

Yeah, and all those Goki-adults,

who probably still live in their parents' basements.

Hey, I love GokiFluff, and I live in the attic.

But I still come down here for my morning pick me up.

Uh, that's a rock tumbler, not a coffee grinder.

Coffee? No way. That stuff messes up your teeth.

Look, Damian, we can't go after any cards until Bright and I finish here.

- Oh, cool. What are you guys doing? - Uh, just boring adult stuff.

Right, Alicia?

Uh, yeah, we're doing... taxes.

- Yeah, that's it. Taxes. -

So you're both in the Batcave in your crimefighting gear, doing taxes?

Mm-hm.

- Boring! Guess I'll fly solo on this case. - No, Damian, no solo flying.

No solo flying? But what about the GokiCards?

Oh, all right.

- Taxes? - I choked! I hate lying to Little D.

Why can't we just tell him we're working on a device to track the AntiGlow?

Hey, I hate it too.

But for his own sake, we got to keep this AntiGlow case a secret.

- - Three Gubbub’s down, two to go.

"Big money for Gubbub card," and post.

Now, we wait.

Dad may not think this Goki case is a big deal, but I sure do.

What's this? The detective foiling the aspirations of my munchkin?

Dad hasn't wanted to go Batman-ing with me at all lately.

What did I do?

- Innocent mistakes any child would make. - And there's the monster on game night.

- But Skaratata was fun, wasn’t he? - Yeah.

But it's kind of like Dad doesn't want to be partners anymore.

- You don't need him. - But he said I couldn't fly solo.

Perhaps you don't fly solo then.

Wait, you mean you'd be my partner?

Together, we shall deliver a fiery vengeance!

You and I will ensure these fiends know eons of suffering!

- Uh, maybe? Let me think on it. - Suffering fools!

If I can catch this GokiCard thief with another partner,

then I can prove to Dad that I am a good partner.

Lucky for me, there is plenty of qualified heroes in this household.

When last I played sidekick, I learned a valuable lesson.

How to say no. So, "No."

- Pass. -

I already told you no.

Boil them alive.

- - Seriously, get lost.

- - Hey, little buddy. Why the long face?

Oh, hi, Dr. Langstrom. I'm okay. I just...

I'm sorry. I was talking to my flea buddy.

- You're friends with your fleas? - Eh. We have a love-hate relationship.

Mostly, I love them, and they hate me.

- Especially... Scott! -

Oh, you seem a little sad.

Is it because your dad cares more about taxes

than trying to find the scoundrel who stole all the GokiFluff cards?

You heard about that?

Well, I don't miss much with these babies.

You do not want to know what Alfred is doing right now.

Whoa, so you heard about the GokiCard thief, too?

Of course. It's all anyone's posting about on GokiFreaks.

Luckily, I got Series 77 pre-launch packs before this mess started.

Hold on. You're a GokiFan?

Whoa! Hold up, Dr. Langstrom. I just had an idea.

Man-Bat used to be a superhero sometimes, right?

I was more of an antihero,

but antiheroes were all the rage in the 90s.

That and the Macarena.

You can help me catch the GokiCard thief.

Me? After hearing you get rejected by everyone in the house,

you thought of me, Man-Bat, to be your partner?

I'm touched.

But it's been a while since I've seen some action.

Don't worry. I'll get you up to speed in no time.

- Ah, what the heck? Let's do it, partner. - Yeah!

Oh, Scottie, quit it! Bat down!

Help me, partner!

- Where is he? He's so late. - An hour and 45 minutes late.

- Claire, what are you doing here? -

I wasn't missing you training your new partner.

I even brought popcorn.

- -

Whoop, sorry I'm late. I was finishing my costume.

Dynamic duos must coordinate, you know.

But since I already have a bat face, a bat cowl won't work.

- So ka-bam! -

I'm workshopping a new name. Half bat, half man.

From now on, call me Man-Batman!

I'd stick to Man-Bat. Now, come on. Let's get you into superhero shape.

- -

Don't forget my cane.

What happened to you out there, Man-Bat?

Oh! Interesting fact about bats.

High-pitched sounds can make us go what we scientists referred to as...

cuckoo bananas.

Come on, hurry. City Comics just got a shipment of GokiCards.

- Goki! Goki! - Oh, no way!

Perfect. We can go stake it out in case anyone suspicious shows up.

Nah, it's too late. City Comics is getting robbed right now.

I can hear the owner screaming about it. Hey, wait. He's barricading the door.

Oh, the thief has nowhere to go.

Never mind. He smashed the window, and he got out.

What? Then let's go grab that GokiGoon.

There. Once this is online, it should be able to track the AntiGlow.

Then we come clean to Little D.

I know you don't like secrecy, but it comes with the job.

Can't we just tell him about the AntiGlow and say this case is for grown-ups only?

You know how dangerous the people looking for it are.

Damian has a big heart, but it tends to get him in trouble.

Remember I told him to wait on the GokiFluff case?

Well, him and Langstrom are working on that case right now.

- And that doesn't worry you? - Oh, sure.

Langstrom is a few Batarangs short of a utility belt, but he's an old friend.

I meant D working the GokiFluff case.

- Oh, no. I got eyes on him. - You got eyes on him?

- How? - I'm Batman.

Fine. I'll keep an eye on the Damian-Langstrom fail wagon.

- Yeah! I owe you one. - For the watch.

Let me guess. You bribed Claire to tail him.

Let's focus, Bright.

Hm, the L-Drive we ordered for our tracker went missing.

Maybe it got lost in the mail.

Except mechanical parts have gone missing all across Gotham lately.

So either the post office is failing, or someone's up to something.

Oh, yeah. They stole the GokiFluff cards, all right.

Why break in and steal them just to scatter them around?

- It's like he's looking for something. -

Let's ask that guy with all the GokiCards.

Bingo. Now, let's get 'em, partner.

Yeah! The bat boys are back in action, baby.

- -

- -

- -

Man-Bat!

Leave me. Don't be a hero.

Wait! Actually, don't leave me. Be a hero.

- Be a hero! -

- Oh, my chest. - Well, the bad guy got away.

- - I really wanted to show my dad that I...

Dr. Langstrom, those peas were for your ribs.

So your dad doesn't want to be your partner. So what?

Neither did Alfred or Claire or Selena.

Well, technically, Selena didn't say no. She said, "Meow."

Was it like... Or like...

It was more like a... "Meow."

Oh, no, that's a no. I speak cat.

But, hey, it's okay. I was a social pariah once too.

But then you came along, and now we're best friends.

- And my life is perfect. - Uh...

So let me return the favor.

I promise that, together, we will find the GokiThief.

Because when Man-Bat starts something, nothing can stop him from fai...