Sword of Azrael

We open on a scene in a flashy apartment somewhere in Gotham. A man sits in a chair, his face near shrouded in darkness. An imposing figure wielding a flaming sword preaches to him in pseudo-religious speak. But the man is prepared, he has a gun with Arnold piercing rounds. This angel is only human it seems, and after being shot several times the figure falls from the apartment window and has to drag himself through a parade to safety. He arrives at the house of a slightly nerdy looking man, where he dies from his wounds.

Following police reports of gun shots in the apartment of LeHah, and the mysterious 'angel' that fell out of the sky, Batman is on the case. He follows the trail, tracing the possible final steps of the angel before discovering a link to an ancient order who worship St Dumas.

The young man we saw earlier takes on the mantle of Azrael, beginning his training with a strange dwarven man who talks about 'the system'. It seems that the man has been trained since he was young by his father to become the angel of vengeance, Azrael. This training only accounts for the cause though, the fight against criminals. It doesn't allow for Azrael to save innocent lives, only for the punishment of those who have done wrong.

Following an altercation between the three parties in a remote mountain location, LeHah begins to see visions of a demon known as Biis. This demon is the antagonist of the Order of Dumas. LeHah takes on the appearance of this demon in order to bring down the Order that he once belonged to. In that sense he is like the dark counterpoint to Batman - taking on a demonic visage in order to fight a group of people he believes is in the wrong.

In an interesting scene, back in Gotham, Batman finds himself having to fight in his 'civilian clothing' of Bruce Wayne. He struggles, finding the normal clothing 'cumbersome'. Or is it the persona of Wayne that stops him fighting? Many stories explore the duality of Bruce and the Bat - which one is the mask? Which is the true personality?

In the final scenes Azrael defies the system which forms his moral programming. In doing so he sets the scene for his involvement in the upcoming epic 'Knightfall'.

A great story, which incorporates new elements to the Batman mythology, as well as exploring several elements which make him the character he is. The artwork is strong as well, with the hulking LeHah providing a menacing opponent for Batman and Azrael.

Next up - The Vengeance of Bane