Batman Legends of the Dark Knight # 47 Heat Part 2

 By Mark Rodriguez

There is a mysterious mass murderer on the loose and due to his cat-theme, both Batman and Catwoman are being blamed for it by mass media. After getting into a fight with this Catman, Catwoman offers a partnership with the Dark Knight.

Catwoman stands before Batman as he carries Sharlene, the TV weathergirl he had just rescued and tells him Catman is more than he can handle alone. Since Batman rescued Sharlene, Catman managed to get away. Catwoman tells him that he will need a partner. Batman takes Sharlene back inside her penthouse and asks Catwoman why he shouldn't just take her down now. Catwoman says she's not a murderer and she thinks her feelings towards crime might have changed. She leaves her offer on the table and tells him if Catman continues using these tactics, it will take two people to stop him. Batman calls the police to check on the woman who might need psychological and medical attention. As he turns, Catwoman is already gone.

The papers hit with the Mayor's harsh comments towards the black community and the Mayor tells Gordon he meant them. Gordon says these comments will be divisive and counterproductive. Mayor Klass says he feels his comments will unite the law-abiding people. Gordon asks what he means by that, and the Mayor is about to blurt out a certain word. Gordon socks him in the face. The Mayor fires him. Gordon says it he's fired he'll hold a press conference announcing why. He accuses the Mayor of trying to ignite the fuse for a race riot and Gordon is his only hope to prevent it. Klass says Gordon is no longer fired but he'll make sure he'll never be commissioner. Gordon says maybe not under his administration but elections are coming up.

Bruce ponders in the Bat Cave for any patterns or potential motives for the Catman. Alfred tells him he has missed two meals and the Bat Signal has hit the nightly sky. Bruce suits up and tells him he was planning on visiting Gordon anyway because he needs full police reports. Alfred says he's missing his third meal and asks if he will also be missing a fourth. As Batman drives off, Alfred notices he was reading up on the files about Catwoman, not Catman.

Another weather man replaces Sharlene on TV and tells the viewers that the intense heat wave continues. Catman is watching the TV angrily. The man has flashbacks about how his mother used to lock him in the closet in the dark. He suits up and heads out. 

Batman visits Gordon on the police station rooftop. Gordon tells him that other than the murders they also have the problem of the mayor trying to incite race riots. Regardless the race of their mystery man, he must be stopped. Gordon had the files Batman needed but the Dark Knight tells him he needs help on this case. Batman tells him he will be enlisting the help of Catwoman. Gordon asks if he wants him to condone that. Batman isn't sure and wanted input, and Gordon flat out says no.

Gordon says it hasn't been that long since some of the police force has started to trust Batman. Batman asks what if this Catman is someone that one person can't stop without killing him, possibly the whole police force won't be able to stop him without killing him. Batman assures that he won't kill him and he's sure Catwoman won't either. Gordon walks off saying Catwoman is a criminal. Batman heads off. 

Elsewhere the Catman breaks into a woman's bedroom but her friend comes in and hits him with a club. The first girl grabs some mace but accidentally sprays her friend. Catman takes advantage of this and takes both women down and then kills them. 

Batman hears the police radio reporting the screams coming from Crystal Shore Apartments and turns the Batmobile towards that direction. Batman determines that even though this person's first target was a man in a robbery gone wrong, he's clearly now targeting women. 

Gordon and Byron investigate the crime scene and comment on how crime is getting worse as the heat wave continues. Catman watches the news about more race motivated crimes and has flashbacks of how his mother used to beat him. She took out her frustrations on him because his father left her. The new show some co-eds trying to cool off with some ice cream. Batman and Catwoman both see this and determine that since the man went after Sharlene after being on TV, he might be watching the news and decide to go after the co-eds.

Catman stalks the women's dorm at the college. Elsewhere a black kid is heading out of a liquor store and is surrounded by racist men armed with sticks, knives and bricks. Luckily Batman swoops in to fight them. One of the men figure it's 5 of them and only one of him so they should be able to take him down.

Catman sneaks into the dorm and plans to kill all the co-eds in their sleep. He thinks they might look innocent now but someday they'll grow up to be evil and cruel mothers too. Catwoman smashes through the window, waking everyone up. One of the girls turns on the light and most of them run out as Catwoman fights the murderer.

Batman continues to fight the men and the kid they were trying to attack helps out too. Batman lifts one of the men and throws him into another one that was grabbing onto the schoolkid. Batman thinks he doesn't have time for this, since the Catman could be making his move.

The sorority girls call security but one of them, Sharon, is still stuck in the bedroom with Catwoman and Catman. Meanwhile Batman and the kid defeat the rest of the men and they run. The young man thanks Batman, but by the time he turns around, the Caped Crusader is already headed towards the women's dorm. 

Catwoman has her whip wrapped around Catman's face, but he's able to slice it to ribbons with his claws. Catman dodges a kick and manages to sock Catwoman in the face. Sharon decides to make a run for it, right between both of the costumed fighters. Catwoman leaps in the way and takes the hit for Sharon, getting sliced up on her side. Catman kicks Catwoman in the face. 

Catman chases after Sharon but runs into security. He runs for the fire exit as security gives chase. Batman arrives in the dorm seeing Catwoman lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Catman has gotten away but since the girls mentioned Catwoman, they run back to check. By then Batman and Catwoman were already gone. 

Batman cleans up Catwoman's wounds and comments that she has changed, given she almost gave her life to defend those girls. Catwoman can't see and Batman turns on the lights. He says he's considered her offer, maybe they both need a partner. We see that Batman is patching Catwoman up in the Batcave. 

My Thoughts- 

This is a pretty intense story with some very intense themes. They weren't kidding when they say the Legends of the Dark Knight goes into more adult territory as this overall story deals with racism and parental abuse, and shows a lot of women in their underwear. At this point, Gordon and Batman still don't know that the Catman is actually a white guy under that mask, and they discuss how the racial tensions would escalate if in the end it turned out that he was black. Regardless they still have to stop him from killing people but it's interesting to see the comic tackle such themes. 

We finally get some insight into this person's insanity. His mother used to lock him in the dark and beat him with a belt as a child, taking out her aggressions on him. He constantly says he is evil and the evil was beaten into him. While his first crime was more a robbery gone wrong, now he's going out killing women as he sees the evil of his mother in them. I do wonder if we'll find out what did happen to his mother as the story moves forward. 

At this point Batman is taking a huge risk being associated with a known burglar, Catwoman. I can't wait to see how this develops next issue. I'm surprised he took her to the Batcave so early in his career. What will Alfred say? Yes, this comic book is old enough that Ozzy Osborne is on the back cover promoting his latest cassette tape but this is still my first time reading it so I'm not spoiling myself by jumping ahead. 

I did like seeing the kid fight alongside Batman though. Really gave me a classic Batman and Robin vibe there