Opening with a drugs bust organised by the GCPD, narrated somewhat disdainfully by Batman from the shadows as he spots the undercover cops with ease, we see the genesis of the hatred that some members of the GCPD have for the vigilante doing their work for them. Max Cort, who later in this arc takes on a vigilante persona of his own, questions why his men didn't 'nail' The Bat when they had the chance.
Back at the station, Cort questions Gordon about why they let the Batman do what he does without intervention. In one of the panels Cort is seen to cast an imposing shadow against the wall of Gordon's office, an image which is mirrored later on with Batman himself casting a similar shadow. We see that Cort is driven, that he has pride, and that he doesn't like the idea of someone stealing his thunder. This drive is something that runs through the story arc, and we see that in some ways Cort is similar to Batman. Although the methods he will eventually use are much darker and more violent.
Hugo Strange makes his return here, and there is no mention of the 'monster men' from a few months ago. On the GCPD side this could be attributed to the cover up that took place, but it was odd that Batman doesn't even mention that he had encountered Strange before. Perhaps he chose to forget that story had ever happened, which is fine with me as it pales into comparison with this encounter with Strange.
Strange is more of a threat here, showing a mental aptitude similar to that of Batman, his plans are far reaching and he manipulates those around him to bring about the psychological downfall of Batman. He admits himself that he hates and envies the Bat because of his physical prowess, which Strange himself lacks. Instead he is forced to manipulate public opinion in order to force the Mayor into creating a task force to take down the 'dangerous vigilante'. While Batman is being worn down physically by his altercations with the police force, Strange tries to get to the bottom of who exactly is behind the cowl.
Using the media as his outlet, Strange repeatedly refers to 'the traumatic events of a single key night' which is the focus of his investigation. Initially he assumes it is a wife or child that died in a 'crime committed in darkness'. Clearly he underestimates the dedication that Bruce had to become the Batman, and the years he went about training for the role before returning to Gotham.
Strange hypnotises Cort, employing him as the brawn behind his own brains. At one point he even has Cort impersonate the Bat to continue his media attack against him. Batman has a couple of well scripted fight scenes with Cort, who almost gets the better of The Bat on the second occasion.
When Batman first confronts Strange at his apartment, he is gassed with a drug that Strange had prepared for this very event. This leads him down the usual route of reliving the deaths of his parents. Some people complain about how often this trope is used in Batman stories, but I like that the various writers keep coming back to this one night. It shows the obsession, the driving force behind the Bat. Without it, I think some of the stories would lose their power, as without it we are not constantly reminded of why Batman is doing what he is doing. It puts us in his shoes somewhat, as surely he relives that moment every time he is out on the streets, in the dark, fighting criminals and preventing other people from suffering similar tragedies.
As he falls from Strange's window, Batman cries out for his mother and father - which is the final piece of the puzzle that Strange needs to decipher his secret identity. This all culminates in a terrifying scene where Strange has infiltrated Wayne Manor and used mannequins to break Batman down mentally - presenting him with accusatory copies of his parents who blame him for their deaths. Batman retreats into the Batcave, staying their in order to heal himself ready to confront Strange.
Three days later he emerges with a new focus and a new Batmobile.
A huge part of this story, and the central point which Strange covers in his initial attack on Batman's psyche, is the idea that Batman is obsessed with the dark, a loner who accepts no help from others. The fact is, he relies heavily on the help of Gordon and Catwoman here to defeat Strange and then his protege The Night Scourge. It will be interesting to see how this factors into the next few storylines - will he accept help from others more readily?
Another central idea, one that is often returned to, is the idea of whether Batman should be allowed to carry on 'breaking the law'. Often in his career, he is forced to go it alone as the whole city and the GCPD turns against him. This was the final scene of The Dark Knight, where he sacrifices his freedom to move around the city in order to protect Gotham's 'White Knight' Harvey Dent. Time and time again, we see Batman lay himself on the line despite others questioning the methods he uses.
There are others, like Gordon, who argue that the Batman is exactly the sort of crime fighter that they need. The mayors daughter holds a similar line of thought, in that a man should be measured by his deeds.
In the end, as always, it is Batman's methods that save the girl and the city from the grip of the psychotic Night Scourge. Time and time again he will fight to save Gotham even as it fights against him from some corners of the city.
Gordon's final line of the story says it all for me - 'This city, god help it...it needs him.'
Next up - Collected Legends of the Dark Knight
No comments:
Post a Comment