Detective Comics # 794 2004 Monsters of Rot, Part One: Cleansing Fires pg 6 by Pete Woods & Cam Smith

Detective Comics # 794 July 2004
"Monsters of Rot, Part One: Cleansing Fires" pg 6
Writer: Andersen Gabrych
Pencils: Pete Woods (Signed top left)
Inks: Cam Smith (Signed top center)

In the harbor outside of Blüdhaven, a pirate smuggling immigrants discovers his cargo dead and rotting, victims of the 'Mugre', a supposed mythical disease. Fearing the spread of the disease and to hide the evidence of the rotted bodies, the smuggler, named Pepe, torches the boat.

At Gotham City, the funeral for entrepreneur turned gang leader Capo Siegel is being held. Among the patrons are "Matches Malone" and Gavin King, both of whom meet up with singer L'Shea, Siegel's widow, following the internment. Malone gives L'Shea a suitcase full of money and the singer in turn supplies lists of her husband's "friends and associates" as well as contracts, titles, and leases. L'Shea says with the money she is leaving Gotham for good and asks "Malone" to pass along her thanks to Batman.

In Bludhaven, Catalina Flores, a.k.a. Tarantula, learns from an old woman about the immigrants aboard the smuggling ship that burned up in 'Haven's harbor. They were refugees from Santa Prisca and the old lady's son was among them. Tarantula decides she must investigate the case.

Back in Gotham, Batman engineers a situation that allows Orpheus to take over the street gangs of the Hill, and lead them under Batman's control. Also in the Hill, several workers from a sanitation plant are found dead, also victims of the 'Mugre'.

Tarantula captures and questions Pepe about the burned ship. The man tells her about "The Mugre", but she doesnt't buy it and she gives him some time to rethink his answer. Coming for him a couple of hours later, she finds his dead body, rotten already and she encounters a being seemingly composed of sentient cockroaches.

Following the lead given to her by the smuggler, Tarantula goes to the sanitation plant in Gotham, where she encounters Batman. They are interrupted by men who have come to burn the plant down and end the threat of the 'Mugre'.