Detective Comics (1990) # 614

 By Mark Rodriguez

We continue going through the Batman/Detective 90's run. This time around, Batman deals with a street gang called the Street Demonz. Let's see what happens.

 

"Street Demonz" opens with Batman watching over some hoodlums stealing satellite dishes off of someone's roof. He says the kids are good and were able to dismantle two receiver dishes in the time it would take more crews to set up one. Batman says the kids look twelve and thinks back to when he was twelve. He said he used to attend a school that cost as much as the average family's annual income.

As a kid, Bruce would read books in Latin and then in German. He enjoyed gaining knowledge. He'd leave the house once a year to visit Crime Alley.

Batman tails the kids to a repair shop. He figures he shouldn't waste time going after the kids and wanted to see who they were working for. The kids knock on the wooden fence surrounding the repair shop and don't get an answer. When they think no one is answering, and arrow suddenly shoot into the fence.

An older Street Demonz member, named brute, shows off a new crossbow he stole off a sporting store. One of the kids say he almost took his hand off. Brute said he might have since he never fired a crossbow before. He unlocks the fence and tell them to bring the stuff inside. Once inside, Brute tells another guy named Slimer to keep his eyes open. The kids ask if they were expecting trouble that night. Brute says a lot of them are out tonight and they don't want rival gangs to take advantage. He says they have to protect their turf. Batman swings off and lands behind the fence as the kids bring in the stolen dishes.

Further inside the hideout, Brute asks the other guys if they didn't hear the kids knock. One of them, Pigpen, said they heard but didn't want the kids hanging around. Brute says their gang can't survive if they don't bring in new blood. One of the kids asks Brute how much he wants for the dishes and figures they'd be worth a couple of hundred. Brute says those are hard to sell so he offers thirty bucks for both. The kids complain. Brute says he can pay them in cash or give them a hundred crack twists. The kids would rather have the cash than drugs. One of the kids say they don't have to take the drugs themselves, rather they can sell it and come out 70 bucks ahead.

Bruce remembers his childhood and says the drugs were different, but the pitch was the same. As he walked down the street a man offers him speed and says he can sell what he doesn't use. Bruce keeps on walking and would rather give his spare cash to an old homeless lady. He leaves flowers for his parents on that fateful street in Crime Alley, when suddenly he is approached by several Street Demonz members.

Back to the present, Brute asks the kids if they want the cash or the drugs. Batman suddenly smashes into the building through the skylight. Batman kicks Brute back and tells the kids to run. Pigpen grabs the crossbow and says the kids must have ratted them out. He shoots Batman, but the Dark Knight lays flat on their table, letting the arrow stab the guy behind him. Batman kicks Pigpen back. Brute tries to get back into the fight but Batman flips the table into his face. Batman knows the sentry outside will be arriving soon so he kicks the door, slamming it into his face. Batman steps outside but the kids are long gone.

 

Later on, Batman is with Gordon as the police take the Demonz away. Four grams of crack between them isn't a lot but it's enough to put them away. Gordon, smoking as usual, says he doesn't understand how kids can still put drugs in their body after all the 'Just say No' and 'Drugs Kill' advertising. Batman says it makes one wonder, as Gordon is coughing due to smoking.

Brute is being taken away and he tells Batman they haven't seen the last of them once the rest of the guys find out. He says the kids aren't going to get away with their either. Batman tells the officer to hold on. Batman tells Brute that the kid didn't know if they are harmed, they will answer to him. He snaps an arrow in half to prove that point.

Gordon tells Batman he's wasting his time and the kids are lost, either to gangs or drugs. Batman says Gordon is growing cynical in his old age and one should always believe that they can make a difference. Batman swings off and tells Gordon that he should quit smoking. Gordon says he quit once before and can do it again... if he wants.

Back to the Crime Alley flashback, the gang members start pulling the petals off the flowers Bruce left for his parents. Bruce takes the flower back and one of the guy kicks him in the stomach. The Demonz bring in a kid, roughly Bruce's age named Skorp, and tell him to beat him up to gain full gang status. Bruce was full of rage and he socks the kid out before he can use his chain. One of the guys trips Bruce and make him fall into the trash. The gangster poke fun of the kid since Bruce landed a shot on him. The kid says Bruce just caught him off guard. He grabs Bruce and reels his fist back, wrapped in chains. He tells Bruce to 'pucker up, sucker'.

Back to the present, the kids are walking out of Side High School. One of them remarks that it's funny how they got away from Batman the night before and are now caught in detention. Another kid complains that they stole the dishes for nothing. Batman suddenly shows up.

The kids say they have nothing to say to him. Batman says he's not there to arrest them, but he wants to warn them that the Street Demonz think they sold them out and are going to want payback. The kids don't believe him and say they're friends. Batman says people like that are no friends and don't waste time getting rid of people after they're done using them. Ed Crimson, the school principal, arrives and asks Batman if they're causing trouble. Batman says they're only causing trouble for themselves. The principal tells the kids to head home.

The principal asks if the kids are running with the biker gang again. Batman says they got mixed up with petty theft and were close to selling drugs too. The principal laments the situation the kids are in and says the odds are stacked against them. He says the area is a ghetto and it breeds a ghetto mentality. They try to educate them and show them a different world, but it's one most of them will never be able to afford. Batman says he knows how he feels. Ed says the four kids all have rough lives. Chico Mendez has a father in jail and a sick dying mother. Jon Konik lost both parents and lives with his aunt along four others. Larry Doofner has metabolism problems and his unemployed parents can't afford his special diet. Leroy Snood has a mother in deotx. He says all four kids are bright and can make it in the world if given a chance, but it would take a miracle for them to stay out of jail... or out of the graveyard.

The principal leaves, saying he can go on and on but doesn't see the use. He tells Batman he can come over and talk to the kids whenever he wants. Batman gets in the Batmobile and drives off. So the Batmobile was just randomly parked outside a school? That must have been quite a sight.

Back to the flashback, the kid with the chain continues to beat up on Bruce until the old lady he helped earlier comes in and hits the guys with her purse. She says she knows them all and will call the cops. The guys already have Bruce's money so they run off. The lady checks on Bruce and calls him a hero. Bruce says he got beat up. The lady says heroes are guys to take the knocks and still come through. She gives him money to call home. He says he'll pay back the money. She says to forget it and consider it a gift from his fairy godmother.

Alfred soon arrives and is surprised to see Bruce in such a state. Bruce says his fairy godmother said he was a hero. Alfred says he hopes it's the last time he ever sees him like this.

Later on, the kids return to the repair shop to explain things. Larry asks what will happen if they really think they ratted on them. Chico says they have to believe them since it's the truth. The Street Demonz are on their bikes and are brandishing weapons. They say the kids saved them the trouble of looking for them. Chico explains they never told Batman anything and he probably followed them. One of the Demonz says Brute and the others are in jail and someone's gotta pay. He'll give the kids a chance to run. Chico tries to explain but the guy cracks his chain at him and tells him to run.

The kids start the run and the bikers give chase, making a game of which one will score first blood. Batman swoops in and kicks one of the guys off his bike, which makes the bike crash into the biker behind him. That guy crashes into a power pole. 

Batman tells the gang that the kids had nothing to do with this. He put their boys in jail so of they have a problem he's right there. One of the guys spins his chains and tells Batman to 'pucker up, sucker'. Batman kicks Skorp off his bike and tells him he hasn't changed much. Batman says Skorp won't remember but he owed him for a long time. He socks him out, which impresses the kids. Batman tells the gangsters that they can either step up one at a time or all once, there's only one of him and he's ready for them. The bikers leave and the kids are surprised Batman just stared down all of them. Batman tells the kids to get smart and fast, or the next time they see him they might be in Skorp's shoes.

 

The next day at school, the principal arranges a meeting with the class. He says that all of them have gotten in trouble with the law at some point and without the money for college tuition, they don't see any future in school so they take what they want from the streets. He announces that if they manage to graduate all secondary education will be paid off by their new benefactor, Bruce Wayne. Chico asks why he would send good money on kids he doesn't even know. Bruce says he has known a lot of kids like them, incredibly talented but they never had opportunities. Life has been good to him and  he wants to give others the chances he once received. The kids asks what's in it for him and he charged interest. The principal tells the kids to show respect. He explains if they graduate, Bruce will cover the rest of their education. Their parents will be getting a letter about it soon.

After class, Ed tells Bruce that he appreciates the gesture but sponsoring a class will take a lot more than just pledging money. He'll have to get to know the kids and be there for them when they need him. Bruce says he thought a lot about this and he will give them something to lean on. He says he won't let them fall. Ed asks exactly why he's doing this. Bruce says he needed help once, and it was there, so now it's his turn to play fairy godmother.

Later on, Bruce watches the city as Batman. He ponders that this won't be easy and as Bruce he'll have to get to know the kids as if they were his own children. There's also no guarantee that a good education will be enough to keep them off the streets. However if at least one of the kids pull through, it would all be worth it. 

My Thoughts- 

Oh man, something I have to say about the ending is that it only works in a vacuum. Sure it's a happy feel-good ending... but c'mon. Bruce barely has time for his regular life let alone somehow devoting considerable time to four street youths. I mean, I seriously doubt we're gonna see Bruce hanging out with Chico or Larry as they vent about their rough lives in upcoming issues. They'll soon find out that Bruce is going to be absent a lot considering all his time as Batman. Either that or we'll be seeing four new Robins in the next coming months.

Overall it was a good story and it goes into how gangs are often times product of their environment. Sure there are kids out there and choose to avoid the streets and fight against all odds to leave the ghetto life, but a lot of them end up getting consumed by it due to sheer necessity of survival. I like how the ending, as altruistic as it is, still reminds us that for some people just having a good education won't be enough to keep them on the straight and narrow. 

In a certain way Batman inadvertently caused the problem for the kids. The Street Demonz are so paranoid that they don't even trust their new recruits, so when Batman showed up, they thought the kids ratted them out. This painted a target on their backs, and sadly the kids were naive enough to go straight to them rather than stay out of sight.

We also get a brief look at Bruce when he was 12 and still dealing with the loss of his parents. He had a nasty run in with the Street Demonz but was saved by a good sanitarian. Not only does Bruce get to extend that extra help for the kids, he also got some payback on Skorp who sadly grew up to become a full fledged Street Demonz member.

I liked the sequential style of the fight between Batman and the Demonz when he attacked their hideout. It's similar to the fight at the end of the last issue against the corrupt garbage-men. It seems to be a style used in the Detective comics and I like it.

I recently got this issue thanks to the Hipcomics auction to fill in the gaps of my 90's. The next issue will be part of a three part Penguin story. Part 1 will be Batman # 448, part 2 will be Detective # 615 and part 3 will be in Batman # 449. See ya then!