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| Issue |
Legends
of the Dark Knight 1 |
| Subtitle |
Shaman
book one |
| Date |
November
1989 |
| Writer(s) |
Dennis
O'Neil |
| Artist(s) |
Edward
Hannigan, John Beatty |
| storyline |
Bounty
hunter Willy Doggett was hired by Bruce Wayne to track
a man named Thomas Woodley in Alaska. Wayne watched as
the man took a sniper shot to the face. Woodley was the
shooter. Wayne struggled with the murderer, Woodley ended
up falling from the mountain - taking Wayne's coat and
supplies with him.
Bruce woke up in the home of a family. He'd been found
face-down in the snow after a trapper heard gunshots.
Her grandfather, a tribal medicine man, helped him back
to health with a story about a raven and a bat. A week
passed, and the granddaughter walked with him back to
the nearest town.
Later, Bruce returned to Gotham City for good - he was
ready to begin his quest. Against Alfred's better judgment,
he went out in veteran's garb looking for trouble. He
found it, wrestling with a pimp, hooker, and the police.
He decided to become a bat after one of the creatures
crashed through the window in his study. Alfred created
the costume, and Batman was born. His first task was to
go after some thugs who'd robbed Dr. Leslie Thompkins'
free clinic three times. Batman stopped the thugs easily,
but one of the victims committed suicide after seeing
him. |
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| Issue |
Legends
of the Dark Knight 2 |
| Subtitle |
Shaman
book two |
| Date |
December
1989 |
| Writer(s) |
Dennis
O'Neil |
| Artist(s) |
Edward
Hannigan, John Beatty |
| storyline |
Police
went in on a raid and found a voodoo ritual in full swing.
One of the cops was killed, the other wounded. Bruce Wayne
stumbled upon the scene and asked Gordon about it. Batman
foiled an attempt on the survivor's life that night. The
three would-be assassins had $80,000 and some heroine
on them. Human sacrifice was mentioned.
Batman, disguised as a shoe-shiner, spoke with Captain
Gordon about what he knew. Afterwards, Wayne found the
man he was to meet with a stake through him. As he died,
he said "batman." |
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|
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| Issue |
Legends
of the Dark Knight 3 |
| Subtitle |
Shaman
book three |
| Date |
January
1990 |
| Writer(s) |
Dennis
O'Neil |
| Artist(s) |
Edward
Hannigan, John Beatty |
| storyline |
The
man he was meeting was an associate of Spurlock, a professor
funded by Wayne to study the Alaskan Indians. Missing
from a museum exhibit was a tribal bat mask. Batman was
attacked by a man wearing the bat mask that night while
following up on some leads. Wayne questioned Spurlock
the next day, and he was killed by the man in the mask
- in broad daylight.
He took another trip to Alaska where he bumped into the
woman and medicine man that had saved him two years before.
She slapped him and told him that Spurlock had stolen
the culture by introducing them to civilization. En route
to the lodge, their truck was forced from the road. |
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| Issue |
Legends
of the Dark Knight 4 |
| Subtitle |
Shaman
book four |
| Date |
February
1990 |
| Writer(s) |
Dennis
O'Neil |
| Artist(s) |
Edward
Hannigan, John Beatty |
| storyline |
Bruce
leapt from the truck and was able to save the woman and
her grandfather from the freezing river. The medicine
man seemed to be in better shape than the woman. He told
Wayne to don his mask and tell her the story of the bat
- he no longer could.
They survived the night and got to a hospital. Bruce verified
that he was not the only survivor that night - Thomas
Woodsley had also survived. He somehow was connected to
Spurlock and his studies. Bruce paid their bills and vowed
to bring the man back his mask.
Back in Gotham City, Batman found the connection between
the two men and sabotaged the shaman costume. Wayne headed
home, not knowing that Woodsley had Alfred captive and
was waiting for his return. |
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| Issue |
Legends
of the Dark Knight 5 |
| Subtitle |
Shaman
book five |
| Date |
March
1990 |
| Writer(s) |
Dennis
O'Neil |
| Artist(s) |
Edward
Hannigan, John Beatty |
| storyline |
Bruce
realized a trap may be waiting and was ready for it. Woodsley's
arm was broken in the struggle, but he got away. Wayne
confided in Alfred that he knew Carl Fisk - a local banker
- was in league with the man.
Using the sabotage he'd planted in the costume, Batman
humiliated Fisk - as Chubala - at his next ritual. His
minions ran free, and the sacrifice victim was spared.
Fisk was scared into a confession; Batman went after Woodsley.
He found the man dying in the woods. The mask was recovered
and other artifacts were recovered and returned to their
owners. The old man was dead; his daughter told him to
keep and become the mask. |
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| trade
paperback edition |
 |
| Notes,
references to time, and chronology: |
|
This
storyline starts before Year One, and materializes over approximately
two years. |
|
Many
of the events of Year One are
shadowed. |
|
Six
months pass between books 1 & 2:
Bruce: "Yes...that's what the girl said six months ago...the
girl I rescued from those street punks."
Alfred: "The one who then stabbed herself to death?" |
|
Bruce
originally found the cave beneath Wayne Manor when he was four:
Alfred: "How long have you known about this cavern?"
Bruce: "Since I was four. I fell through a hole in the
yard. Landed here. Scared me stupid. I was a basket case by
the time dad found me." |
|
Two
years pass between books 1 & 4:
Bruce: "Look, you once saved my life...two years ago. I
was suffering from exposure..." |
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