| Batman: Battle for the Cowl | |
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Cover art to Battle for the Cowl #1, the first issue of the arc. Art by Tony Daniel |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | March – May 2009 |
| Number of issues | 3 |
| Main character(s) | Dick Grayson Jason Todd Tim Drake Damian Wayne Black Mask Batman Family Club of Heroes |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Tony Daniel |
| Penciller(s) | Tony Daniel |
| Inker(s) | Sandu Florea |
| Letterer(s) | Jared Fletcher |
| Colorist(s) | Ian Hannin |
| Editor(s) | Mike Marts Janelle Siegel |
| Collected editions | |
| Battle for the Cowl | ISBN 1-4012-2416-4 |
| Battle for the Cowl Companion | ISBN 1-4012-2495-4 |
"Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis" storylines, due to Batman's perceived absence and abandonment by the public. His disappearance is actually caused by the character's apparent death at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis, which causes dissension in the ranks of his allies and enemies who fight for the right to become the new Batman.[1][2][3]
Contents |
While the core story is to be presented as self-contained within the limited series, DC has published a group of related stories in various one-shots and limited series.
The titles Nightwing, Robin as well as Birds of Prey were canceled and Batman and Detective Comics went on hiatus for three months beginning in March 2009. The Battle for the Cowl plot focuses on the aftermath of the Final Crisis and R.I.P. and the battle for Gotham.[1][3][4]
Other publications tied into this story line are a three-part Oracle mini-series,[5] a three-part Azrael mini-series,[6][7] and two bookends titled Gotham City Gazette that encompass the changes in all of those series. In addition, DC published five one-shots focusing on key characters in subsequent story lines [8] featuring Man-Bat, Commissioner Gordon, the Network, the Underground and Arkham Asylum.[9]
At New York Comic-Con 2009, DC Comics' creative personnel announced the launch of several new series to coincide with the new Batman and Robin adjusting to Gotham City's altered status quo.[9]
The prelude to the story begins with Grant Morrison's Batman and Son, which is the first in a five part volume that includes The Black Glove and Batman R.I.P.
In Batman R.I.P. Batman is confronted by the head of the Black Glove himself, Dr. Hurt, who claims to actually be Batman's father, Thomas. He drugs Batman and leaves him for dead in the streets while systematically hunting down his partners. But Batman's preparation keeps him alive, as he regains his faculties and attacks the doctor. They appear to both plunge to their deaths in a helicopter crash.
In Last Rites it is told that Batman survives the attack, and goes on to join the Justice League in investigating the death of the New God Orion. However, he's ultimately captured by Granny Goodness and locked into a cloning device, with the intent of creating an army of mindless "bat-men" soldiers for Darkseid. But during the memory download stage, experiencing the collective trauma of Batman's entire life all at once proves too much for the clones, who commit mass suicide as he escapes.
Eventually Batman confronts Darkseid. Realizing there is no other alternative, he uses the Radion-coated bullet used to murder Orion, and shoots Darkseid. However, before falling to his injuries, Darkseid apparently vaporizes Batman with the Omega Sanction. It is implied though, that due to the nature of the Omega Sanction, Bruce's mind survived where his body did not and he rematerialized in the distant past.
Superman returns Batman's "body" to his partners. Chaos quickly breaks out in Gotham without Batman guarding it. Taking advantage of the madness, Penguin and Two-Face quickly take control of the different factions of the mobs.
The story begins with Tim Drake and Squire chasing three armed gangsters into an abandoned hospital. The gangsters are caught by a third party who leaves a note which reads, "I am Batman."
Nightwing cannot keep Gotham under control and is reluctant to succeed Batman, despite Tim/Robin's urging that the next Batman has to be 'one of us'. Black Mask II soon takes control of Arkham's inmates with implants that will kill them if they do not obey him. Among his recruits are Scarecrow, Jane Doe, Firefly, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Victor Zsasz. Damian Wayne, driving the Batmobile, is attacked by Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. Nightwing comes to his aid, but after being cornered in an old building by Black Mask's men, seeking to kill Nightwing (the de facto leader of the Gotham City protection effort), the two of them are rescued by a Batman impostor who shouts, "I am Batman!" Nightwing deduces that the impostor is Jason Todd. When Damian attempts to help, Jason tosses him aside and shoots him in order to avoid pursuit.[10][11]
Elsewhere, Two-Face and the Penguin prepare to attack one another, unaware of Black Mask's hand in things. Tim, stealing an old Batman costume, finds Jason Todd's "Batcave" in a subway station. There he is saved from a booby trap by Catwoman, who knows Tim is behind the mask. Jason ambushes them, first disposing of Catwoman, then engaging in a fight with Tim before impaling him in the abdomen with a Batarang. Assuming he is dead, Jason sneers, "One more to go."[12]
Nightwing, after having tended to Damian, resolves to find out the true mastermind behind the revolt and assembles his team to crack down on his operations. As he leaves to confront Jason, it is revealed that Nightwing's reluctance to become the new Batman stems from a message left behind by Bruce Wayne asking him not to, and also that there is a message Bruce left for Jason that may be the cause of his plan. While the GCPD contemplates the burning city, Damian has risen from the surgery table he is on and considers attacking Alfred to escape. While Alfred is quick to point out that he’s not in shape to fight, he does let him leave with his new chaperone, Squire. Alfred also provides Damian with a Robin tunic for his mission.
Black Mask is seen sitting in the darkness, his mask in his lap, speaking to either himself or someone else, saying the "master plan" is about to begin.
Nightwing traces Tim's signal to Jason’s 'Batcave' and discovers Tim's discarded cowl. Jason begins the battle proclaiming that he killed Tim and orders that Nightwing join him as Robin due to him being the original. In an attempt to calm Jason down, Nightwing plays Bruce’s 'last will' message to Jason. It implies that there is a deep, dark secret that Jason is hiding from his childhood (before becoming Robin). Bruce apologizes for not getting Jason the help he needs, saying that he still has a chance. Jason, however, becomes even more enraged at the message and continues his attack on Nightwing by detonating charges in his lair.
Tim, who barely survived Jason’s attack thanks to a special breathing reflex Bruce taught him, is faced with a collapsing floor with the detonation of Jason’s 'batcave' and begins the fall to his certain death, only to be saved by Damian and Squire.
While Nightwing and Jason move their fight onto a moving train, Jason mocks Nightwing for his supposed failure in saving Tim and Gotham. During this taunt, he reveals who the criminal mastermind behind Gotham’s downfall is—Black Mask. Nightwing is left to wonder if the Black Mask is the same who was killed by Catwoman or someone entirely new. As the fight escalates, Nightwing kicks Jason off the train onto the side of the track. Nightwing offers Jason his hand, but Jason merely says, "I'll be seeing you sooner than you think," and plunges into the bay.
As Nightwing contemplates Jason’s mistakes, he walks into the Batcave, with Alfred and a new Robin present (Damian) to assume the mantle of the Bat.[13]
The series and its secondary titles are being collected into individual volumes: