Batman: Evolution is a Batman storyline written by Greg Rucka, with art by Shawn Martinbrough and John Watkiss.
Synopsis
It's been ten weeks since Gotham was re-opened following No Man's Land and Commissioner James Gordon is returning to work after suffering the loss of his wife. When a mob-hit takes out two GCPD officers, Gordon becomes enraged and confronts the Russian mobster supposedly behind the hit. Gordon's suicidal rage nearly gets him killed when he storms the Russian stronghold by himself and brings the mobster in.
Unbeknownst to Gordon and Batman, the Russian has been framed. Ra's al Ghul has sent two of his disciples, Kyle Abbot and Whisper A'Daire to Gotham city to circulate a new highly addictive drug which promises eternal life, but mutates the user into horrible beast like creatures. By turning the rival gangs of Gotham against each other, Ra's planned on using the remaining mobs to mass-produce and distribute his serum.
After the beautiful Whisper A'Daire catches the eye of Bruce Wayne at a re-opening gala for Gotham, Bruce decides to investigate the beautiful seductress. What he finds is shocking to say the least. The gorgeous woman that everyone in Gotham is talking about (including the mayor himself) is actually close to ninety years old and shares DNA with a King Cobra snake. Whisper seems to be a hopeless addict of the same drug she has come to Gotham to spread to the streets. Bruce captures Abbot and forces him to confess the duo's plans. Batman then tracks down and destroys the plants manufacturing the serum in Gotham. Whisper slips away, seemingly falling to her death. When Batman searches the area Whisper supposedly fell to he finds only Whisper's skin, shed like a snake and left behind.
Meanwhile it seems like Gotham has even more to worry about when the returning Gothamites who fled during No Man's Land (dubbed "DeeZees") are hounded by those that stayed behind when the burg was closed down (calling themselves "OGs"). Bruce Wayne, himself considered to be a DeeZee witnesses the hatred first hand when he is accosted outside of the re-opening gala. A short time later a Wayne owned building is destroyed in an explosion, killing one person.
Tensions skyrocket when an OG is convicted of murder when defending the property he squatted in during NML from its legal owner (a returning DeeZee). Afterwards another bombing takes out the leader of the OG movement and the Mayor - also a DeeZee - wants the matter wrapped up as quickly as possible. When Gordon wants to pursue the case further his motives are questioned and the Mayor pegs him as a stubborn OG trying to defend his own.
Gordon, not even originally from Gotham, pays it no mind and pursues the case further with the help of Batman. It turns out that the bomb was planted by the property owner to stir up tensions and reclaim their insurance money after the development slowed.
With the bombings settled, Batman decides to finish business with Ra's by tracking down his daughter, Talia. He finds Talia but is quickly attacked by Whisper. He cures Whisper of her physical addiction to the drug and in the process makes her begin to age normally. Whisper turns on the Dark Knight, deciding to forgo the detective's help to stand by her master's side and once again start taking the drug. Batman successfully battles his way out of the situation and detonates Ra's manufacturing facilities putting a permanent stop to the drug. Both Talia and Ra's flee the scene leaving Bruce alone with his city safe once again.
Issues
- Detective Comics #742 (Prelude)
- Detective Comics #743
- Detective Comics #744
- Detective Comics #745
- Detective Comics #746
- Detective Comics #747
- Detective Comics #748
- Detective Comics #749
- Detective Comics #750
Links and References
  This event or storyline is specifically related to Batman, or to members of the Batman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Batman Storylines category. |