This issue just hits differently now. Or misses differently.

For starters, I know I'm not the only one that sees that cover and always wishes this issue featured the Question instead. From 1997, Batman #542, "Faceless, part one: Murdicide" Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Kelley Jones, inks by John Beatty. Hey, Doug Moench already used that title for an issue of Aztec Ace!

It may have taken a few years worth of issues, but in Gotham-time, Batman feels he has fully recovered from Bane breaking his back. But while he felt Batman was at the top of his game, where was Bruce Wayne? Even if Bruce was only a mask for the Batman, he still knew he didn't have the balance right, like an actor alternating between living in and overplaying a role. His time with Vesper Fairchild may put him back on his game, if he wants to keep up with the "glib radio host." He does have a line I didn't scan there, that I kind of hate; that finding his balance as Bruce would be "a lie which is somehow true..." (OK, that part's fine.) "As elusive as the Joker...but equally worth the chase." What? Maybe don't use serial killers in casual metaphors, Bats. "This is going to be as hard as catching the Joker, but just as important!" "Um, the Joker killed 37 people the last time he was out; but no, I'm sure rebuilding your fake rep is the same priority on our to-do list, sure."

Meanwhile, postal carrier Joseph Zedno gets the axe, his supervisor giving him two weeks notice, citing too many complaints about undelivered mail. It's not immediately clear if that was Zedno's fault, but as we follow him on his route, he begins the already-dated process of going postal, getting more and more irritable at his stops that ignore him or hassle him. Back at his house...there's a lot of undelivered mail, okay, it's his fault. Zedno is also cut, but considers himself a nobody, faceless...despite the tattoo that says "Some body," and all I can hear looking at that is Smash Mouth. (I'm definitely not a tattoo guy, but if you ever see Manhunter: the killer had a colossal dragon tattoo, that would've been exotic and expensive in the 80's; and old-hat frat work by the millenium. Faceless's ink was probably not especially innovative when he came out.) Between Cliff Clavin and the postal-stereotype, it feels like postal workers were on the low end of respectability; and would take a long time for them to get back. Yet the term 'going postal' feels barely earned: they averaged like two a year? There's waaaaaay more school shootings. 

Faceless begins a murder spree along his postal route (which, come on, even the cops in Gotham should be able to puzzle that one out...well, you'd think. Actually, in real life that would probably still take the cops a while, and they'd probably either arrest the wrong guy, or arrest the right guy then let him go, or something) disguising himself like a punk-rocker type to murder him. That's his M.O, to dress up as a caricature of the victim, then steal their faces, possibly as trophies...or masks. He leaves messages written in the victims' blood, but did plan ahead and coat his fingertips in nail polish to cover his prints. (Would that beat DNA? Would that be a test even for Batman in 1997?) Faceless also makes...it's not really a mistake, it feels like hubris; sending photos to Commissioner Gordon and Batman. How many rookie killers in Gotham have pulled that one? "Ha, ha, can't catch me--Batman! How did you find me?" Later on his route, he bumps into Vesper, and considers putting her on his list, but no: she wasn't on his route. This florist, though...

Also, Robin makes a rare-for-this-run appearance this issue...I'm not sure he was a favorite for either Moench or Jones, and Jones draws him like Aunt Harriet. I distinctly recall a friend outright guffawing at that page.

Oh, no, Batman is cancelled! Well, bound to happen, I suppose. This is a lesser-effort in this run, but I almost think it's intentional? While we aren't digging deeply into poor Vesper Fairchild here, I suspect using a, frankly, lesser villain here may have been done to give her a moment to shine, not overshadowed by a bigger name bad guy.