Batman: Gotham Knights #56
War Games: Act One Part 4
Write Lieberman
Pencils: Al Barrioneuvo
Inks: Francis Portella
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.50

This review contains spoilers.

Hush has been heavily featured in Gotham Knights as of late and with this issue he begins to get pulled into the War Games. He doesn?t seem especially interested. A figure silhouetted in shadow proposes an alliance, but Hush says he doesn?t care about running Gotham. His only goal is to destroy Batman. The mystery figure (who we can see is wearing a shirt and tie and may possibly be bald?) tells Hush that this is his only chance to join ? in essence that he?s either with him or against him.

When the mystery figure has departed, Prometheus, who has recently allied himself with Hush, steps out from the darkness and asks, ?Can I kill him?? But Hush tells him ?Not yet? since he may be useful.

The scene shifts to a warehouse ? a warehouse that appears to be significantly more secure than most - no windows and the exterior completed armored with metal plates. Why all of the security? The warehouse is a stronghold for The Penguin, who?s holding an ?Auction? with some of the gang leaders who have been trying to claim the city. The warehouse is full of crates from the hijacked ship (see Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182). Some of the crates are open, revealing their contents to be machine guns. Penguin is also surrounded by super villains, including Firefly, Killer Crock, and Trickster, as well as several assassins. ?Fifty for the hardware, 75 for an army of one,? Penguin tells them. The mobsters aren?t buying at those prices, though, and they all go their separate ways.

Oracle sends Batgirl to Tarantula?s territory to deliver orders that she is to merge her gang with Orpheus?. Batgirl runs into some of Tarantula?s foot soldiers on her way into the territory, but the freshly minted ?gang? members are no match for Batgirl. Tarantula blindsides Batgirl with a flying kick that sends her flying through a plate glass window into a nearby building. Tarantula tells her that she?s sorry, but she didn?t want the gang to know that the two weren?t enemies. Batgirl delivers Oracle?s message, but Tarantula would rather things herself. ?If Batman wants them off the street, I?ll keep ?em off the street. My way. Not his.? Having overheard the conversation, Oracle agrees to let Tarantula try, but both Oracle and Batgirl are wary of her unproven skills as a leader.

Prometheus and Hush pay the Penguin a visit ? throwing his beaten and unconscious scout on his desk. It would appear that they didn?t appreciate the unexpected visitor. Penguin tells Hush, ?I see you got my message.? But Hush tells Penguin that he?ll tell him the same thing as the other who tried to sign him up ? he has no interest in the war. However, when Penguin asks if the location of the Riddler might interest him, Hush is upon the Penguin in seconds, knocking Deadshot aside. Holding the Penguin aloft by his collar, Hush tells him that if he knows where Riddler is, he should tell him - now. Penguin says he does not. Hush tells him that if he finds out differently, he will be back.

While Tarantula is unwilling to ally her gang with the Orpheus? Hill Gang, the only other group currently under Batman?s influence, consolidation is taking place on the criminal side. The Odessa mob double-crosses another of the gangs and allies itself with. Scarface and his gang. Alexandra Kosov, leader of the Odessa?s tells Scarface that she sees things in two separate steps ?Mergers and acquisitions.? Now that the gangs have merged, they are going to acquire Darla Aquista, daughter of Henry Aquista ? the heir apparent to Junior Gallante?s crime family. Unbeknownst to them, she is also a close friend of Tim Drake, the former Robin.

While there is no question that this issue keeps the story moving at a good clip, it?s becoming harder to keep track of the players without a scorecard. I think Lieberman could have put a little more exposition into the dialogue without compromising the story. There are getting to be so many characters and factions involved in War Games that I sometimes have to reference other issues to find the names of characters or gangs. On the other hand, to Lieberman?s credit it feels like we?re getting closer to some answers about who the mastermind behind the War Games is. Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but I?m guessing it may be ?Act 2? before we get a real line on the culprit.

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