Batman: Gotham Knights #58
War Games: Act Three Part 5
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo
Inks: Francis Portella
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.50

This review contains spoilers.

Tarantula and her Ara?as run through the streets of Gotham - the GCPD still in pursuit. One of the gang members, Felix, comes to a halt and says that he wants to stop running - he wants to stand and fight. Tarantula tells him the she can guarantee if they do that “it’ll be the last fight you get into. And you’ll lose.” Just as Felix is telling Tarantula he’s not afraid of the cops, bullets ricochet off the ground near their feet. A group of police in riot gear armed with machine guns have caught up with them. “Well they’re not scared of you either, Tarantula says. Come on!”

At Gotham Central, Commissioner Akins is holding a press conference with the press. Things aren’t going well for Akins, the reporters are giving him quite a grilling: has he been asked to stand down, why are there no arrests, are the police even capable of handling the situation, when are they going to do something? Akins can’t get a word in edgewise as he’s continually deluged with more questions.

After the conference, an enraged Akins tells his men that he wants a win, he wants arrests, he wants to show everyone what the force is capable of. One of the men tells him that they have word that S.W.A.T. has one of the groups cornered - Las Aranas. “I want them. Whatever it takes,” Akins tells him.

At the Ara?a hideout, word comes down to the officers on the scene to take the gang down by whatever means necessary. S.W.A.T. begins to move in, but they find that the perimeter of the building is booby trapped - the hard way. One of the officers trips a tripwire that is attached to a bomb. The officers call in for backup. Tarantula looks out and sees that the officers have tripped the bomb. She smiles and says “Well, as long as they’re out there and were in here, we’ll be…”

“Bam, Bam, Bam, the windows shatter and one of the gang falls. The GCPD aren’t using rubber bullets any longer. They’re firing on the gang using live ammo. Tarantula promises that she’ll get them out, but it’s apparent that even she isn’t quite sure how.

As the streets of Gotham burn, Black Mask walks through enjoying the sights, with new allies Killer Croc and Scarecrow in tow. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” He asks them. Croc asks him what’s next and Mask tells him the rest - all of gotham. He instructs Croc and Scarecrow to gather everyone that they can and get them to the North End of the city. They ask Black Mask what’s in the North End. “Oh just a little hole-in-the-wall place someone told me about. I guarantee you’ll LOVE the decor.

Back outside the building where Las Ara?as are holed up, the police have regrouped and resume their assault. They fire a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher into the building, shattering the floor that the gang are standing on in a split second. Felix falls deep into the bowels of the building, Tarantula unable to catch him in time. Over their bullhorn, the police tell them to put down their weapons and leave the building - “You have five minutes before we take action.”

Tarantula tries to raise Batman on her communicator, but is startled by sniper bullets striking a piece of stone near her head and drops the communicator into the abyss below her. She goes down after it, but at the same moment, the S.W.A.T. team begins their advance on the building. “Batman, where the hell are you?” Tarantula wonders.

Batman is preoccupied with a mission of his own. He’s trying to find out what happened to Spoiler. Simultaneously, he’s wondering how he let everything get so badly out of control - unable to recognize his own plan - a plan that hinged on Orpheus, now deceased.

Tarantula reaches her Bat communicator, but the area it fell in is already swarming with police. “I better get hazard pay for this,” she says quietly to herself. Just as she retrieves the communicator an officer gets the drop on her from behind. Tarantula leaps for the shattered rafters and swings up to the floor above, but not before the officer opens fire and radios that he’s got a “bogey on the second floor.”

Batman reaches Orpheus’ hideout and finds blood and pieces of Spoilers purple costume on the floor. He has Oracle check all the area surveillance cameras and shortly, Oracle sees spoiler on the roof of a nearby building. “She doesn’t look good,” Oracle tells Batman. As Spoiler limps along, broken and bleeding, Batman reaches her just before her legs betray her. Batman holds her to him as she whimpers, “I just wanted to help.”

Tarantula and her gang run for their lives through the lower levels of their building. She tries to radio Batman, but Oracle answers. “Batman’s busy. What’s up?”

“I got a situation here,” Tarantula says.

“How bad.” Oracle asks.

“Very. Where’s Batman?”

At the Thompkins Clinic, Batman asks Leslie to save Stephanie, who is lying on a gurney at the edge of consciousness. “I’ll do what I can,” Leslie says. “Just…save her. Please,” Batman tells her.

At Gotham Central, Akins asks for an update on the Tarantula situation. They tell him that there are already two S.W.A.T. teams on location and a third on the way. One advisor says they need to act now before the gang can regroup. Akins tells them to send them in. “All of them.”

Spoiler awakens in her hospital bed to find Batman at her side. “Is Orpheus dead?” She asks. “Don’t worry about it,” Batman tells her. “Tell me. Is he dead?” She asks again. “Yes, he’s dead.” Batman says, grimly. Stephanie tells Batman that she’s failed, she’s ruined everything. Batman tells her that for everything she’s done and everything she’s been through the city owes her - and so does he. The quiet moment is broken as Oracle comes in over Batman’s communicator. “Batman! It’s Oracle. I found Tarantula.” She tells Batman she’s at the old McNulty warehouse and needs help. “How much help?” Batman asks. “A lot,” Oracle replies.

Back at the warehouse, Tarantula and her gang look to the skies above them where half a dozen helicopters and 20 or more officers descend upon them.

Spread the word!