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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