Batman #563

Issue Details

Synopsis

NO MAN'S LAND PART 3: LAW AND A NEW ORDER PART 3 - TACTICS Commissioner Gordon is confronted by the Street Demonz, who tell him the penalty for defiling their tag is death. The gang members are shot by an unseen Officer Pettit, who had followed Gordon just in case. They leave the gang members underneath their newly placed Loboys tag, and call for other members to come find them. Leading them into Loboy territory, a turf war starts. Later, in bed with his wife, Sarah, Gordon says he is prepared to do anything to save his daughter.  Barbara Gordon chronicles the Loboys and Street Demonz war. On Day 98 of No Man's Land, her operatives told her that there had been 42 casualties, none civilian. By Day 99, the Demonz were burning their dead, claiming them to be Loboys. And by Day 100, the Demonz were spreading propaganda against the Loboys cruelty, trying to recruit the people of the neighborhood to help in the war.   Near the Gotham River, three gang members see an old, seemingly-drunken man walking by himself. Telling each other that he would do, they confront him and bring him to the top of a bridge, telling him that he is going to be swimming out of No Man's Land. Their boss thinks that there are mines in the river, and they want to know if he's right. Before they can push the man in he starts to fight back, but he is pushed over the edge anyway. From above, however, Batman drops in on them. The old man, who is revealed to be Alfred Pennyworth, was caught on the edge of the bridge by his coat. One of the gang members threatens to kill him if Batman doesn't back off, but after a short fight, Batman beats them all back. One of them, however, falls into the river, and it is revealed that there are indeed mines in the river, as he explodes. Batman apologizes to Alfred for being late to the rescue. He blames it on the fact that Gotham has changed and is falling apart, and he must find new ways to navigate. Besides that, their recon mission was successful, and Batman knows there are mines in the river, and that someone is trying to bring something into or out of Gotham. While going into the sewers, Alfred convinces Batman that being a solitary warrior in No Man's Land may not be the best action.   The next day, Batman calls Oracle and tells her he is back. She lets him know that someone has been tagging buildings with his symbol, but he cuts off the conversation quickly. On Day 102, Commissioner Gordon issues the order to take the Demonz territory. The Blue Boys attack, and the battle is over quickly, with Sarah tagging the area as under their protection. The neighborhood residents aid them in getting rid of the Demonz, while Gordon finally reaches his daughter. When they finally secure the neighborhood, he lets her cross out a Demonz tag to tag it for the GCPD. The Demonz that remain are all in custody, but since there is no place to hold prisoners, Gordon tells them to leave and not come back or they will be killed. To reinforce this, despite Gordon's orders, Pettit kills one gang member. He is reprimanded, but believes that now the gang will not return.   In Batgirl's territory, she is chasing away a troublemaker, when Batman confronts her. Though he doesn't approve, she claims that Gotham needed a Bat and he was nowhere to be found. She tells him that he doesn't need to be responsible for her, and that she'd like to continue to wear the Batgirl costume because it is a powerful image. He lets her continue as long as she doesn't disgrace the symbol. He tells her that he will begin her practice of tagging, and that she is not disapproved for now.