Shadow War (DC Comics)
Shadow War is a nine-issue crossover event published from DC Comics featuring Batman, Deathstroke, and Damian Wayne as Batman and Robin try to stop Deathstroke from committing an unthinkable act against the League of Assassins, Talia al Ghul, and Ra's al Ghul. Publication history. In December 2021, DC Comics announced "Shadow War" as Joshua Williamson temporarily becomes the new writer for Batman while DC Comics searches for a more permanent Batman writer. Deathstroke has committed a crime against the League of Shadows, where Batman and Robin must track down Deathstroke and bring him to  justice. Plot summary. Prelude. After Bane killed Alfred Pennyworth, Damian Wayne left Gotham City over his guilt and PTSD to participate in underground fighting tournaments. Damian finds out there are assassins trying to kill Talia al Ghul (his mother), and defeats them all. Robin is trying to participate in the League of Lazarus Tournament, where he meets Connor Hawke, Ravager, and new fighters like Flatline, and Respawn. Damian Wayne meets up with Ra's al Ghul and after a personal talk with Ra's Al Ghul as well as Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne regains his motivation where he fights off  the leader of the League of Lazarus Tournament, who is revealed to be Ruh Al Ghul, the mother of Ra's Al Ghul. Damian realizes that the tournament allows every fighters 3 lives, and every time they get revived, the Lazarus Demon starts to wake up. Damian Wayne rushes back to the tournament, where Connor Hawke is his last opponent after Connor defeats Ravager. Connor Hawke defeats Damian Wayne the second time, but is stabbed in the chest by the Lazarus Demon. Damian Wayne gets knocked out where he has a conversation with the hallucination of Alfred, where he realizes  that the first step for Bruce Wayne to become Batman was asking for help. Damian Wayne rallies the fighters in the League of Lazarus tournament, and they manage to defeat the Lazarus Demon. Ruh Al Ghul makes Damian unconscious and sends him into the past, where Damian learns Ra's Al Ghul created the Lazarus Pits to revive his mother, and Ruh Al Ghul had visions that the Lazarus Demon would awaken and burn the Earth, and in order to stop the demon, Ra's Al Ghul must destroy the Earth and recreate it. Ra's Al Ghul refuses, and  this conflict caused a civil war. Ra's al Ghul defeats his mother, but spares her and instead bounds her to the Lazarus Demon. Damian manages to break free, but just then Ra's Al Ghul and his troops arrive. Damian Wayne convinces Ra's Al Ghul to spare his mother, and Respawn reveals his identity to Ravager before running off to find Deathstroke. After Damian and his friends round up the rest of the enemy, he kisses Flatline and decides to go back to Gotham City to revive Alfred. Damian, still reeling from the effects of Ruh Al Ghul , fights a hallucination of himself before Talia Al Ghul calms him down. Damian explains he can not revive Alfred because Alfred will not be the same. Damian agrees to work with Talia Al Ghul, Ra's Al Ghul is revealed to be dying, and Flatline is working for Lord Death Man. Deathstroke has been working with Black Canary for an organization called TRUST. Black Canary and Deathstroke spar but offer a truce. Juliette (the leader of TRUST) and Prometheus sends them to a different dimension. Both of them break free of the dimension, and Juliette offers them a seat at  their Council to fight an upcoming darkness. Deathstroke kills several members and announces he will be the leader of the TRUST council. Black Canary manages to escape the council and go back to the Justice League for reinforcements. Deathstroke announces that he will be the leader of the Secret Society, and just then Ravager and Respawn arrive. Deathstroke finds Respawn and Ravager intruding, and Respawn reveals that he is the clone of Damian and was created by Ra's Al Ghul. Ra's Al Ghul injected Respawn with Deathstroke's serum to get a healing factor, and used Respawn as  a harvest organ donor in case Damian gets hurt and needs replacement organs. Deathstroke empathizes with Respawn, and announces he will destroy anyone who gets in his way, and he will build reinforcements to deal with a dark crisis. Respawn takes out Ravager, and Deathstroke announces they will prepare against the League of Shadows. Batman returns to Gotham City to deal with the Arkham Tower incident, and Deathstroke announces they need to distract Batman. Main plot. Ra's al Ghul goes to Markovian Embassy in Washington, D.C. to announce that he will allow the world to have access to the  Lazarus pits. While tailing Ra's al Ghul, Batman awkwardly meets up with Damian Wayne. During a press conference, Ra's al Ghul is shot by someone in a Deathstroke outfit who starts shooting at innocent bystanders, including Talia al Ghul. The Deathstroke imposter detonates a grenade near Ra's Al Ghul's body, with Batman preventing Damian Wayne from getting in the explosion. Damian Wayne announces that he will find Deathstroke, dead or alive after Batman accidentally insults him for not saving Alfred. Talia Al Ghul survives her wounds and calls out to the rest of the League of  Shadows to attack Deathstroke and kill anyone who tries to defend or allied with him. Meanwhile, on Zandia, Deadline confronts Deathstroke about the assassination, who later realized that he was framed until the league, led by Angel Breaker, attacked the headquarters. Batman and Cameron Chase investigate the shooting, and Batman deduces that Deathstroke only wanted to kill Ra's Al Ghul. Deathstroke and his son fend off the League of Shadows and escape while Damian Wayne meets up with Rose Wilson to take down Deathstroke. Batman visits Talia Al Ghul and confronts her if she orchestrated Ra's Al Ghul 's murder. Talia Al Ghul denies the assassination attempt and later revealed that she hasn't used the Lazarus pit to heal her injuries. Batman comforts Talia and they both kiss. Batman and Talia Al Ghul break away from their kiss, and Talia Al Ghul explains Ra's Al Ghul wants to share the Lazarus Pits with the world because of Damian Wayne. Batman leaves to find Damian after Talia informs him that she sends assassins to kill Deathstroke, while Deathstroke and Respawn go to a secret hideout, where he spies on the Titans, to plan their next move. While  bonding with Respawn, both of them are confronted by Damian and Rose. During the fight, Respawn reveals his identity to Damian Wayne as his brother and Batman arrives to take in Deathstroke. While Batman confronts Deathstroke to turn him in, Angel Breaker threatens Deathstroke and Merlyn kills his partner, Dr. Moon, after revealing his alliance with the Secret Society to the league. Before fleeing the scene with his children, Deathstroke throws a grenade at innocent civilians to distract Damian and Batman; both of them reconcile and make up after they learned that Deathstroke is innocent. Batman plans to use his  own Batman Incorporated to protect Deathstroke's assassins from Talia's assassins. Critical reception. According to Comic Book Roundup, "Shadow War: Alpha" #1 received an average score of 8.5 out of 10 based on 18 reviews. According to Comic Book Roundup, "Batman" #122 received an average score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 16 reviews.