Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #161

Issue Details

Synopsis

LOYALITIES PART 3 The Chicago Police Department has Batman surrounded at Lasalle Street Bridge, which is raised, preventing his escape. Batman turns his motorcycle around and drives directly at the police officers, who shoot at him but only end up hitting each other. Batman makes a full circle and drives up the raised bridge and uses it as a ramp to soar over the Chicago River.   Batman climbs into a waiting car where Alfred Pennyworth asks him if this exercise was worth it. Bruce pulls off his mask and thinks so. He might have spooked Maseryk enough that he will lead Batman right to where he's keeping Gordon.  Jennifer Gordon wakes up to find her daughter gone, and she knows Babs went looking for her uncle Jim. Jen regrets taking that sleeping pill last night, and she gets into her car and starts driving around. Still drowsy and distracted by her worry for her daughter, she isn't paying attention to the road and she drives directly into the path of a semi-truck.   Babs is unaware of what happened to her mother. She gets off the bus near St. Christopher's Church, assuring the worried driver that she's meeting her uncle around there. She deduced the location based on the information she discovered on Hatchett's past.   Inside St. Christopher's, Hatchett has brought Barbara Eileen and Jimmy to see Gordon. Barbara Eileen says he'll be killed if he doesn't tell them the witness's name, and Gordon tells her they'll all be killed. Maseryk and Hatchett are silencing witnesses, and they are all witnesses now.   Hatchett says he'll blow out Jimmy's brains if Gordon doesn't tell him the name now, and Dan Morse steps forward. He didn't sign up to kill kids, he says, but Hatchett shoots him in the head before he can do anything about it. Hatchett reminds Gordon that Dan's father Ben crewed with him for ten years and he liked his kid, but he has no fondness for Jimmy. He holds his gun up to Jimmy's head.   Barbara Eileen says if Jim won't tell Hatchett, then she will. It was their niece Babs. She begs Hatchett for her son's life, but the scene is interrupted by Maseryk's arrival.   Maseryk was assaulted in his office a few hours ago by someone dressed like a bat, looking for Jim Gordon, and he wants to know who and what it was. Gordon laughs in relief. Maseryk and his cronies are finished, and they don't even know it. Batman is coming for him.   They might not have heard the rumors coming out of Gotham City about the bat-shaped creature who preys on the guilty, ripping out the beating hearts of his victims, draining their bodies of blood... Gordon and Batman work together, and Batman takes care of his own.   Hatchett doubts his story, and he holds his gun to Gordon's head, preparing to shoot. From up in the choir loft, a voice shouts "Stop!" Babs holds her cell phone up and tells them she's already called 911 and the police are on their way.   Hatchett calls dispatch and tells them to disregard the call, saying he overheard some punk kids making a prank call and he'll handle it. Gordon tells Babs to run, and he knocks the gun away. Hatchett orders his men to find Babs.   Batman comes out of the shadows, using batarangs to disarm Maseryk and one of his lackeys, and he rescues Gordon, his wife, and their son. Gordon tells him he's fine but Batman needs to rescue his niece, who is running up to the bell tower.   Babs climbs the church roof as Hatchett shoots her from behind. Her shoulder is hit, and she loses her balance, almost falling off but managing to grab hold just in time. Batman fights Hatchett as Babs' grip loosens. Both Hatchett and Babs fall off the church roof, and Batman jumps after Babs, catching her at the last second.   Batman goes to see Captain Gordon in his office at GCPD Headquarters, finding him on the phone. Batman initially believes he's speaking to his wife, but really it was Babs on the other line. Barbara Eileen and Gordon have separated.   Gordon is worried about his niece after she's lost both her parents, but she is very impressed by Batman. Gordon jokes that she's contemplating marriage.   Maseryk is going to jail with the late Hatchett's coworkers, so Gordon owes Batman big time. Batman asks him not to keep score. He prefers to think of them as...   Gordon cuts him off. They can't be friends if Gordon doesn't know who he is. Batman corrects him: Gordon knows everything important about him, and they've earned each other's loyalty. Gordon says, "I guess we have... friend" as they shake hands.