Batman (S4)

## Lead-Up

Batman has become a world renowned crime fighter and member of the Justice League. Dick Grayson has been Robin for around 3 years, and led a group of young heroes called the Teen Titans.

## **Prologue - "Graduation"**

Dick turns 18 and becomes Nightwing. The two work together on last case about Kirk Langstrom, kidnapped scientist. They trace his location only to find dead ninjas belonging to the League of Assassins and Langstrom who developed man bat serum; gets turned into man-bat. They defeat him, and batman finds trace of an old acquaintance, Ra's Al Ghul.

## **Chapter One - "Second Son"**

Batman realizes that if Ra's Al Ghul is coming to Gotham, then he will need more allies to help him defend Gotham. Ra's had previously been involved in a global crisis (Trinity). He finds Jason Todd stealing the tires off the batmobile. Enlists him in becoming the new robin. Also gets Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon's daughter to become Batgirl. She is revealed to be the one who threw the batarang to save Gordon. Mysterious ninjas test serum on Matthew Hagen, who becomes Clayface and attempts to attack city. The bat family goes into battle and defeats the villain. Batman uses mister freeze's weaponry to defeat the villain.

## **Chapter Two - "The Family"**

The three train. Batman is met by Talia al Ghul, an old flame who says that they are coming for Gotham. Gotham is in the midst of a financial depression following the fallout of last season. The GCPD is in crisis as well due to Harvey Dents mental break that discredits most of the good he did putting criminals behind bars. Jim Gordon is promoted to commissioner. Poison Ivy is created and assassinates prominent business moguls. She tries to kill Bruce Wayne, but the bat family saves him. The heroes discover that someone wealthy has been tampering with financial records and fortunes of the moguls that were killed by ivy (ra's).

## **Chapter Three - "The Demon's Head"**

Nightwing gets captured while on recon op in Infinity Island. Bats fights Ra's al Ghul to save Dick Grayson. Ra's explains that Gotham is a cesspool of crime on earth and must be eviscerated. Explains that since Gotham crime has been disposed of, this is the best time for the League to impose judgement. Offers Bruce on last chance to join him; declined. Batman is defeated and killed, resurrected in lazarus pit.

## **Chapter Four - "War Games"**

Bat family must face a Lazarus controlled Batman and save Gotham from league of assassins. Army of manbat ninjas led by Batman take Gotham, causing chaos on the already broken city, caused by the financial depression. Grayson escapes from his bonds but fights Talia. Catwoman vs Talia. The heroes take the fight to the cemetery and show Bruce his parents grave and he regains sanity. Batman ventures to defeat Ra's.

## **Chapter Five - "The Duel"**

Batman duels Ra's al ghul in the khadym, the ancient city of Lazarus. Flashback on Batman and LOA origin. Bruce came to the League for training against criminals but left following disagreement on morality of killing as due punishment. Two duels occur in the sacred city across two times: one for freedom, and one for vengeance.

*In the past, Batman is on the verge of losing when an avalanche occurs and knocks Ra's unconscious. Bruce saved Ra's and escaped.*

 In the present, Bruce uses Ra's tactics and succeeds in defeating the villain, but Ra's cheated by poisoning the blade. Though his plan ruined, he escapes, leaving Bruce to die. Talia gives Bruce the antidote, and the dark knight is restored.

## **Epilogue - "The Killing Joke"**

While Batman returns from the Middle East, Joker attacks the Bat-Family at their weakest point after having dealt with al ghul. He paralyzes Barbara Gordon and kidnaps Gordon, and Grayson, torturing them in order to drive them insane. Dick is placed in a locked safe and thrown into water, while Gordon is forced to view nude images of his daughter in pain. Jason and catwoman try to find Gordon and contact bats. They fail, and are too captured. As Joker is about to release joker gas across Gotham city batman arrives and confronts the clown, finding Selina & Jason infected and dressed up as joker's "harlequins". Batman battles his new nemesis, and defeats the clown prince of crime. The two contemplate the endless loop of their dynamic, with neither of them stopping in their opposite goals. Someday, one of them will have to die.

## Timeline

* This event is part of **The Silver Age**
* This event is preceded by **Teen Titans (S2)**
* This event is followed by **Tower of Babel**

## Links

* Full Reading Order
* Batman Reading Order