Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #13 (December 1990)

Back in January of 2019, I took a look at Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11 (September 1990). It was the first part of one of my personal favorite Batman storylines: Prey. I would go on to review the second part of the storyline in June 2019. After I finished my review of Action Comics Annual #1 (1987), I had a bit of trouble figuring out which comic I should look at next. I figured that since I was still in a mood to look at something from DC, and we just had Halloween, maybe we could look at a DC comic that was creepy in its own way. Let's take a look at Legends of the Dark Knight #13!

The cover is a Paul Gulacy and Terry Austin piece. It has a bit of a movie poster vibe to it to me. Batman is front and center, surrounded by various other characters. It makes for a rather busy cover, in my opinion.

"Prey, Part Three: Night-Scourge!"
Writer: Doug Moench
Penciler: Paul Gulacy
Inker: Terry Austin
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterer: John Costanza
Editors: Andrew Helfer, Kevin Dooley
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with Hugo Strange doing himself a bit of hobnobbing with a date he has.

This woman has likely found better dates in cemeteries.

In particular, he's talking with Catherine Flass, the daughter of the Mayor. She's not exactly impressed with Strange's work on her father's anti-Batman task force. Strange has trouble holding back his anger at her for not being impressed with him. Thing is, she didn't agree to go out to dine with him because she liked the guy, she only did it as a courtesy to her father.

Strange accuses her of having a romantic attraction to Batman, considering that she stood up for him earlier. Keep in mind, previous issues have shown that Strange has raging Batman envy. Catherine tells him she wants to go home. He agrees...for now.

Strange heads home and makes a call for Max Cort to come over to his place. While Cort heads over, Strange grouses to his mannequin. He rants how women like Catherine never go for men like him, because he would figure them out. Yeah, he's a real prize, ain't he? Cort comes over, asking what Strange wants. You see, Strange wants to try a bit of therapy to help Cort relax. A bit of hypnosis.

Cort is reluctant, but Strange assures him that hypnosis can't hurt him or make him do anything he thinks is immoral. SThe bald psychologist wants him to imagine a warm summer night. There's a light in the distance. It's the full moon...full...bright...beautiful...big...silver...relaxing...zzzzzzzzzz...

...huh, what?! Oh! Now that's he in a nice lull, Strange discusses the Batman with Cort. The police files and the lab-analysis of Batman's glider have allowed the psychologist to draw up a profile on the man under the mask of the Caped Crusader. The glider is custom-made and composed of expensive materials. The Bat also has to sleep sometime, so it's unlikely he's a regular Joe with a day job.

To be a vigilante, he would have to be an athletic man, possibly a young adult male. He is also clearly the victim of a crime. Maybe he lost a loved one. And that's Strange's problem. He's been looking at the records the Gotham PD have kept of murders in the last five years, and there's no correlation with those records and his profile. He believes the Batman used his wealth to cover up the crime that made him what he was. Batman is above the law, and he needs Cort to confront him at that level. So, being the creative guy he is, Strange makes the policeman a gift.

"I think this outfit will bring out your eyes wonderfully, Max."

Cort is confused by the costume he's being given. Strange explains that there's power in costumes and symbols. Batman knows this well, and they're going to use that power against him. Cort could become more than a man, he could become something even more than the Batman.

While this was going down, Batman was patrolling. He knows the cops are after him, and he needs a plan. He does get a reverie from his troubles when he spots a pair of punks trying to break into a storage unit. He easily dispatches them.

It was at that moment the Batman realized he needed a hobby.

Cort stopped at the police station. He had gone to grab a file on a bar called the Skeleton's Closet. The police have suspected there was some arms smuggling going on in that dive. Cort's going to investigate, in his own way.

"Hey buddy, the bar you're looking for is three blocks over!"

Truly, the Skeleton's Closet is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Well, scummy people at least. The bikers and thugs there have a laugh at Cort's blue-and-purple spiky late-80s early-90s neon outfit, but Cort has no sense of humor about his fancy new suit.

"YOUR MOTHERS WERE SAAAAAAINTS!"

Cort demands to know where they go when they get the guns from here. He busts into the buyer's home. The buyer tries to shoot him, but the police officer shows some surprising athleticism, dodging the bullets and proceeding to give the criminal a series of Mighty Punches. After the gun buyer had been sufficiently Mighty Punched, Cort introduces himself as Gotham's newest vigilante: the Night-Scourge. Bruce Wayne learns of the Night-Scourge's activities on a radio while he works on his future Batmobile.

Hugo Strange called for a press conference, where he claims the Batman is responsible for the Night-Scourge, his presence spawning more violent destructive vigilantes. Bruce is about to angrily smash the radio, but stops himself and turns it off. He can't take the bait. He needs to talk to someone. And there's only one man in Gotham he hopes he can still trust.

That night, James Gordon is tucking in his young son James Jr. He hears a small rock impacting his window. Turns out the future commissioner has a guest.

"...I really need to make more friends. Maybe that Superman guy. He seems nice."

It's Batman. He wants to know if James Jr. is alright. This is a reference to Batman: Year One, where he saved the life of baby James Jr. Gordon says he is, thanks to the Batman. But Batman says Gordon doesn't owe him anything. He wants Gordon's trust and help, but only if Gordon feels he deserves it. As far as Gordon is concerned, Batman has earned that...but he can't help him. Strange is close with Mayor Flass, and that's got Gordon's hands tied up.

Cort is driving away, when he spots Catwoman on a roof. She's out to get herself a five-finger discount on some jewelry at a party. It's then that the Night-Scourge decides to invite the cat burglar to his own idea of party.

"IT SLICES! IT DICES! IT MAKES CATWOMAN SOUFFLE!"

The two fight, but the new vigilante is able to get the upper hand. Selina Kyle comes very close to having her head and neck no longer meeting, but Batman arrives in time to save her. The Bat and the Scourge then end up crashing into the skylight...and going through it like they're in ECW or something.

"BAH GAWD ALMIGHTY!"

...Mr. Joey Styles, I think you got this.

Thank you very much. Batman and Night-Scourge brawl some more, but Batman is able to come out on top. The Night-Scourge flees, thinking he's not good enough yet. He's not Batman. Well, yeah. The Caped Crusader tries to give chase, but the Night-Scourge has already vanished. An angry Catwoman whacks Batman in the back with a pipe, screaming that she didn't want his help. Yeah, you totally had the Night-Scourge handled, Catwoman. That's gratitude for ya.

Back at Hugo Strange's apartment, Cort is relaxing on a couch in his underwear, in a hypnotic trance. Strange assures him that he did not fail. After all, he was outnumbered. He got away from Batman and Catwoman. That's something he should be proud of. Hugo now wants to enact the next phase of his plan. All Cort needs to do is put on a new costume one time...

That night, Catherine Flass is presumably in the Mayor's mansion. A mysterious figure attacks her, attracting the attention of Mayor Flass. Who is it?

"It's not what you think! We're filming a scary movie! Get outta here, you're wrecking the shot!"

It seems that the Bat has gone bad. He's holding Catherine hostage, demanding the mayor call off the vigilante hunt...or else. Meanwhile, the real Batman is lying on the roof, still groggy from his injuries from his brawl with the Night-Scourge and ambush from Catwoman.

This issue was pretty darn good. We got some action, Batman and the Night-Scourge crossing paths, and we see Hugo Strange's plan move forward. Strange's ability to mess with minds is shown very well here as he uses hypnosis on Cort and uses the media to turn public opinion against the Batman. What I really liked about this storyline is that it showed that Batman is still human. He has limits. Even he can't save Gotham alone. He needs allies, people he can trust. And when a city is turned against him, it makes his mission that much more difficult.

Paul Gulacy turns in some spectacular art for this story as usual. I can't really describe why I like it, I just think it's good artwork.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! Join me next time when Superman deals with some issues with his mighty powers...