Batgirl #56
War Games: Act Two Part 6
Writer: Dylan Horrocks
Pencils: Mike Huddleston
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.50

This review contains spoilers.

As Gotham continues to burn, crumble, and bleed like the war zone it is, Batgirl is out on patrol. She swings through the sky and spots a young woman, alone, walking through the devastated streets. Batgirl scoops the young woman off the ground just in time to break her appointment with a bullet, aimed by an unseen assailant at the woman?s skull. Batgirl deposits the woman on a rooftop and tells her that she shouldn?t be out ? there?s a curfew on - and that she should stay inside until morning.

Batgirl tracks the trajectory of the bullet back to the sniper and bursts through the window next to him. He fires, but she?s too quick for him. She knocks him to the ground and asks him which gang he?s working for. He tells her that he?s freelance ? working for the Moxon?s to black access from the Hill Gang. Batgirl tells him that Moxon is dead, but he says he doesn?t care who?s in charge as long as he gets paid.

Batgirl shows the sniper a picture of Spoiler and asks if he?s seen her. He says that he hasn?t and if she?d been that way he would know. She points to the windowsill, which has several deep gouges, claw marks, on it and asks ?What?s that?? ?Uh, well?? he says before she knocks him unconscious.

Black Mask has returned to the location where he left Orpheus? body. He inspects Orpheus? helmet until he finds what he?s looking for. A small bat shaped object. ?A bat phone?? He says.

At the Thompkins clinic, the bodies of the wounded, dying, and dead continue to stream through the door, the flotsam of the never ebbing river of violence flowing through Gotham?s streets. ?What have we done?? Leslie asks herself. Batgirl, perched on a nearby roof, asks her if she has seen Spoiler. Leslie tells her that she hasn?t and that she doesn?t have time to talk when she needs to save lives. She lashes out at Batgirl telling her that this was all because of the Bat team. Batgirl tells her that Batman didn?t start the war. Leslie agrees that may be true, but she says that what he?s doing isn?t helping, either.

Just as Batgirl swings away, two cars pulls up to the clinic. It?s Lynx, and her Ghost Dragons. Lynx tells Leslie that they are commandeering the clinic for their own field hospital and tells her men to sweep the clinic for enemies. Leslie denies Lynx, saying that they will help those in need, but they cannot harm any of the patients. Batgirl swings back into the scene and takes down Lynx with one well placed kick. Lynx tells Leslie that she is not the only doctor in Gotham. ?Kill her. Kill them both,? she says.

As Black Mask examines the bat communication device he found in Orpheus? helmet, a voice from behind him says ?So, I was right, it was you.? Black Mask turns to find Hush standing behind him. Black Mask tells Hush he?d already given him the chance to join him since he?d make a good ally, but he?ll kill him anyway. Black Mask lunges at Hush with a large knife, but Hush easily swats it away before Black Mask can get too close. Hush tells Black Mask he doesn?t want to fight and he doesn?t care about the power struggle. All he wants is Batman. As a gesture he?s willing to offer Black Mask something incredibly valuable. ?I?ll tell you were to find?The Batcave.?

Back at the clinic, there are perhaps a dozen Ghost Dragons against Batgirl. That makes the fight about even. Batgirl flips, flies and flails through the air leaving another Dragon down with virtually every move. Lynx and her personal guards watch in near disbelief. ?She?s good. Better than her master the Batman,? Lynx says. One of her men tells Lynx that Batgirl has fought Lady Shiva twice ? that she knows what her opponent is doing before they do. ?Can she read the moves of a serpent?? Lynx wonders, and then tells the men to keep Batgirl distracted while she enters the trance of the Ghost Dragon.

When Lynx is ready, she rushes at Batgirl, her face twisted and enraged, she lunges into Batgirl and sends her crashing through the front door glass and into the clinic. The two combatants pursue each other room to room, leaving a path of destruction and terrified patients and medics in their wake. Batgirl finally brings Lynx down, pinning her arms to the floor. One of the Ghost Dragons draws his sword and begins to bring it down on Batgirl. Unfortunately for Lynx, she breaks Batgirls grasp and reverses the pin just as the blade hits home. Batgirl and the Ghost Dragon with the sword both look on in shock when they realize what has occurred.

With Lynx defeated, Batgirl makes short work of the other Dragons, but the damage is done. The clinic is a wreck. Leslie tells Batgirl ?I want you to pass on a message for me. To Batman. Tell him he?s finally?turned my clinic into a morgue.?

It looks like Batman is in for some trouble. Both his friends and his enemies are none too pleased with him. Leslie, who has always had severely conflicted feelings about Bruce Wayne/Batman and his war on crime seems to be near the end of her rope. And with Hush apparently willing to give Black Mask the location of the Batcave, it sounds like this war will soon be striking pretty close to home.

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