Batman #539

BONEYARD BLUES

A strange man is desecrating tombs and stealing the dead's bones while singing to a blues melody. Several people complain about the stealing of their relatives' corpses. There is a couple who explain their case to Sgt. Bock and tell him that the criminal had sent them a thank you note inside a box made of bones. Commissioner Gordon tells Batman about this new criminal who calls himself The Undertaker.  The Undertaker is at his hideout polishing the bones and talking to his father's skeleton in a clearly delusional way. Batman examines the bones box at the batcave and he realizes that the box is made out of the bones of someone's hands. The earliest grave-robbings are from a cemetery where the city's homeless are buried, and Batman discovers that these funerals are conducted by a firm named Ostine and Son. This name brings back some memories in Bruce and he askes Alfred about his parents' funeral. Alfred tells Bruce the same name that Gunt did.  Batman swears at his parent's grave that he will stop the man who is disrespecting the dead. Batman goes to the funeral parlor and he discovers a book with a list of names and the skeleton of Ostine's father. Batman searches the building and finds a strange room in the basement. The room is full of sculptures made of bones as a sanctuary from dead people's bones. The Undertaker attacks Batman, believing that it is his father coming back to haunt him. Both of them struggle for a while, but in the end Batman knocks the man unconscious. Batman apologizes to the death as he drags the Undertaker out of his sanctuary.  Three days later, Commissioner Gordon informs Batman that the Undertaker died before the trial. He was choked with a splintered bone. At last the Undertaker would rest in peace.