Batman spends much of this issue not being Batman. He's broken, and he's freaking out.

So, props to Starlin and Wrightson for trying something different, even if they didn't really pull it off. Again, I believe that's down to the boring nature of Deacon Blackfire, a blowhard who talks way too damn much, and doesn't have a hell of a lot of motivation for what he's attempting to do.

I think my biggest issue with this storyline is, I have not yet read a comic that can really dig into cultish behaviour, and there's never been a comic book cult leader who's come across the least bit convincing, in the ones that I've read.

So, when I can't buy into the central plot point, it's really hard to buy into the rest of it and enjoy it. ( )

The second of a four-part Batman graphic novel as Batman (with the help of the short-lived second Robin, Jason) escapes the cult of Shaman Blackfire, as the cult solidifies its hold on Gotham by selective terror and assassination. Batman is broken, his mind wracked with torture and drugs. The final splash page here is a masterpiece of horror by Wrightson. ( )