This is the last chapter of a five-part story that is basically Batman's version of "the Big Sleep." Bruce Wayne gets involves with a dame who may be either victim or villain. The dark secrets of wealthy Gotham families are dragged out into the open. And solving this crime may result in Batman's secret identity being revealed. This is pretty good detective story, featuring a very flawed Batman who agonizes over his failures. The ending may be a tad too convenient but is satisfying to say the least. The art, which looks like it was painted, makes Bruce Wayne look a little too contorted but still results in a very impressive looking Batman. However this is a very involved story, one which requires the reader to follow every detail. And yet, as with too many comics today, there is no re-cap of the previous issues, no summary of what has gone before. Those who arrived late are left to wonder what is going on. In most cases, they will probably leave this comic on the shelves. This kind of formula practically ensures the sales of this title will decline over each succeeding chapter. Some people say that the quality of comic writing is better than ever. That may be true but it is just as accurate to say that the writers are aiming for a smaller and smaller audience. Maybe DC was hoping to put this story in a trade paperback but it is clear they didn't expect any newcomers to give this comic a try.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 198