Battle For the Cowl

The story begins months after Final Crisis with hundreds of criminals in Gotham attempting to rise due to the absence of Batman. Two-Face and the Penguin are leading a mob war while, unbeknownst to them, a third candidate arrives into the battle, Black Mask. After tricking Arkham Asylum's inmates into working for him, Black Mask begins his attacks on Two-Face and the Penguin, the strongest organized crime presences in Gotham.

An impostor has taken on the Batman Mantle and uses exceptionally lethal tactics to bring down the enemies of Gotham City. Tim Drake (most current Robin) goes out searching for this impostor disguised as the Actual Batman. Drake finds the Impostor, but is taken down and almost killed.

Nightwing (Dick Grayson and the original Robin) forms a team of allies to put a stop to the the one reeking havoc on Gotham city. However, Dicks main concern is finding this impostor who is giving batman a bad name. He has, through a series of events deduced who this impostor is posing as Batman...Jason Todd, who was Robin after Dick Grayson left Batman and fought crime on his own under the name Nightwing. Jason wants to bring order to Gotham, but feels that Grayson's way of fighting crime will not suffice.

Nightwing is constantly conflicted with what to do. Should he take up the mantle of Batman? Being pressured by all who are closet to him to do so, but being told by Bruce Wayne himself that he does not need to, Dick continually dialogs how he isn't sure if he should or shouldn't.

After finding Jason Todd, and a very brutally beaten alley Damien Wayne (Bruce Waynes son, Dick and Jason have it out. In this final battle, Dick pushes Jason off a cliff (unintentionally) and Jason is there hanging from the edge. Dick tries to bring him up, but Jason lets go of the cliff and falls into the river below. jason is most likely not dead but we are to presume that he is.

Dick decides that it is needed for Batman to rise again. So, along with Damien Wayne as the new Robin, Grayson put on the Cape and Cowl and officially has become the new Batman!



I wasn't particularly a fan of this 3 part series, however it was needed to help bring Dick Grayson in as Batman in a very dramatic way. It also allowed for future story lines to come out in the open. Since we know the Black Mask was killed by Catwoman, then who was this mysterious man posing as Black Mask? And how will Jason Todd return and to what intensity? I did enjoy the read, but I wished some type of a twist was made on Dick Grayson becoming Batman.

So now, the new series "Batman and Robin" will begin next month which will start with writer Grant Morrison. The current Batman title will still be running, but it's in addition to the new series.