comics

Shadow of the Bat #17 Recap

Batman II, you’re taking on Scarecrow – hope you sur-wait, I’ve just been informed that’s the wrong franchise. Crap.

Shadow of the Bat #17

Written by Alan Grant
Art by Bret Blevins
Colors by Adrianne Roy
Letters by Todd Klein

Scarecrow is sending his mind-wammied followers off to perform their tasks when he pulls aside the young man from earlier who recognized him. Not only is he the son of someone Scarecrow killed, he’s the son of his first victim – an antiquarian book-seller named Paul Harold. Crane had meant to steal Harold’s collection after the murder, but now he has a second chance.

“Murder is such a hassle, I wonder why I even bother!”
“It’s not like I’ve blundered into a booby trap from Scarecrow in the past few days!”

Elsewhere, Batman II roughs up two goons (and not even that far-away from where Scarecrow is, when the police scanner picks up the report of the killing, along with multiple kidnappings at the university. There the police find a VHS tape meant for Batman. Bullock insists on watching the tape now (and doesn’t notice Batman II slipping into the room quietly.)

Fortunately, Batman II puts together that the tape is booby trapped and pushes Bullock and Montoya out of the way before it blows (making two times in the past few days where Bullock’s impatience has nearly gotten him killed by a booby trap related to Scarecrow.

“Look at it from my perspective! How many of your villains use some variety of booby trap?”

Scarecrow’s minions have placed a series of devices in position around Gotham, while Anarky takes on members of a biker gang called the Anti-Batz, while wondering how to bring down Batman himself.

You can be okay sometimes Anarky. It’s just your aim is off.

Meanwhile, Scarecrow is going through the Harold collection with a sense of joy. Scarecrow then recounts his origin, leading to Harold’s murder, and his plan to unleash Fear Gas on numerous targets throughout the city.

The attacks start, with Anarky intercepting one minion before they can deliver their payload. Batman II comes to another attack after the fact, just as Scarecrow sends a message to Gotham through holo-emitters in the sky, demanding that he be worshiped as a God, or else he’ll destroy the City. With that, Batman II and Anarky go to bring him down.

Seriously – this should put him on Bane’s shit list.

This does make me wonder – what’s Bane doing during all of this – this is Scarecrow straight up challenging him for control of the city.

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