Azrael #10 - DC

I love Fabian Nicieza's work, but . . I'm equally as thrilled to see that David Hine is writing this next story-arc. I'm not sure if he'll be taking over the creative reigns of this book, but . . he'll at least be here for this part of it. Also Guillem March is doing the pencils. Anyways, we start out this chapter by finding out that the Order of Purity is under attack again. Michael thinks that it might still be La Saligia, but Father Day know that the person responsible is a guy who seems very similar to Michael Lane's Azrael. But he's called the Crusader. It appears that Father Day, as well as 4 other people in the Order, are privy to a secret. The Crusader goes after Jean-Claude Dupuy first. But he obviously doesn't give up the secret because he then goes after Carolyne Vega. And then he goes to see Reverend Morrisey. He's traversing the globe in this endeavor . . first Paris, then California, then London. Besides Father Day, the last of the five is in Somalia . . his name is Khalid. Anyways, the secret is a name. I'm not sure what the relevance, or importance is, but . . the Crusader seems intent on moving Heaven and Earth to get it. And apparently it's important enough the these five are willing to die to protect it. But . . it's only the first chapter. So this issue is really just stacking up the players and the settings. From this issue, this looks to be a very interesting story. And hopefully we'll get the story behind this Crusader fella also. I've liked this book so far. And with David doing the scripts . . we could get a whole different feel for this character. I'm excited to see what's going to happen. By the way, once again . . the beautiful cover is by Francesco Mattina. This might be a book to keep an eye on. I'll let you know.

Azrael #9 - DC

I kind of thought that this whole cult thing . . the cult of la Saligia, representing the seven deadly sins of man, was all just a little bit strange. I guess I can understand where Fabian Nicieza was going with this. But in the end, I think it all came off a bit . . odd. These . . characters, have been trying to recruit Michael for the last couple of issues. When he found out that the 8the deadly sin of man . . the one he's been chosen to represent, was Faith . . for him, everything seemed to fall into place. I don't think he necessarily agreed with all of it, but . . they chose the right person. He is a man who's been defined by Faith his whole life. As we see in the flashback's of him as a child. Some of the conversations and questions he had with his Father . . not his 'real' father, he was Catholic . . they were conversations and subjects an adult might rarely have with their clergy. But to him, they were like the questions that defined his life. So anyways, he falls into their group . . they give him a mask and a name . . Ermine . . 'the living embodiment of the black void of pure faith!' Then they start out on their mission. But almost immediately they're attacked by the White Ghost. You know, Ra's al Ghul's second in command. I'm not sure what Michael was planning here. At first I thought he was just going along with it to get on the inside . . to infiltrate and bring them down. However, the more the story sent along, the more it seemed that he was fully immersed into his new persona. It seems that the White Ghost is trying to protect him because of the Suit of Sorrows. Or maybe it's the swords. All I know is that he's probably the only one that could've brought Michael back from this abyss. Batman, Robin . . if anybody else had done this role, it would've came off quite different. So, after the White Ghost stops Michael from killing the pope for them, he then goes on to show Michael that the rest of the group are sinners themselves. They go through them one by one, catching and killing, trying to regain his mask. It turns out that what Michael really wants to know, his current questions of Faith, can only be answered by Ra's. 'To know the truth about why your armor burned in the tomb chamber of the 8th sinner? Why the sigils of the seven deadly sins glowed and caused a reaction in your suit? Why the spirits of the dead constantly whisper to you? Why your swords are able to impart the sins of life and path to salvation on to others?' That's when Michael decides, 'I won't be free of the sins inside me . . until I have justice against them.' And that's what set him out upon the others. The issue ends with the White Ghost telling him, again, that he won't have the answers to the suit or the swords until the moment 'When you are prepared to die.' Whatever that means. So now he has to struggle between believing what the White Ghost, and Ra's, has in store for him, and his Christian tenets. The White Ghost seems to think his conversion will be inevitable. While Michael says, 'It'll never happen!' So my question falls into why, with this group being around thousands of years, Michael can so ignominiously bring them down in only a couple of days. It all just seemed rather neatly packaged when it should've been much, much more messy. I get the story. It gives the reader an awful lot to think about. I just had a little trouble with the progression of events. However, having said that . . it did give me a lot to think about, and several questions. So . . in that regard . . it was successful. I don't know. I guess I'll reread the last few issues and see if maybe there's something I missed along the way. I'm glad we'll be moving on to a new story-arc next issue. And by the way, Ramon Bachs did a great job, once again, with the art. Also a beautiful cover by Francesco Mattina.

Azrael #8 - DC

We started to see a little of the beginning of this story last issue. It appears that there's one more cult swimming around in the world out there . . along with their own. It's the Cult of the Eighth Deadly Sin. Apparently the Seven Deadly Sins have taken human form, and human hosts. So they're looking to first resurrect the Eighth Deadly Sin, by sacrificing members of their Order of Purity in Europe. And then they plan to use Michael Lane's body as a host for it. We don't really know why they've specifically targeted him, but . . they're doing everything they can to draw him into a trap of their own creation. Their clue, or prophesy is . .'Seven to seven to pray for the eighth at seven and seven before the eighth.' Whatever that means. Anyways, the White Ghost pays Michael a little visit this issue also. He wants Michael to know that the Suit of Sorrows is Ra's al Ghuls. It was stolen from him and then erroneously given to Michael. 'Regardless of your obfuscation, the armor is his. You wear it at his discretion . . until such time as you prove you deserve to own it. By ridding the sorrow from the suit and becoming empowered by it's stolen souls . . rather than burdened by them . . you must die to be reborn.' That's a rather ominous warning. Michael figures out the clues, and of course it's a trap. He doesn't seem to be prepared to face these 7 opponents. And by the end of the issue he appears to be beaten. 'Kneel before the Seven Deadly Sins and accept your role as the Eighth Sin of man. It is a role you are uniquely suited for. You have been a fervent follower of this sin your entire life, Michael Lane. Accept your destiny now as the Eighth Sinner. And serve as willing host to the last, long unknown sin of man . . the Eighth Deadly sin is FAITH!' Huh? Well I hope next issue explains what that is all about. Fabian Nicieza is weaving a nice little tale here which I assume is purposed with explaining more to us about this character . . and the suit of sorrows. It seems like all Michaels's done is been pushed around since he donned this costume. I think it's about time he started pushing back. I enjoy Ramon Bachs pencils on this issue. They aren't 'flashy' or 'pretty', but . . I think they suit the story quite nicely. They have a raw, kind of gritty feel to them. And I love these covers by Francesco Mattina. I still kind of question how long this series will actually last. I don't know that it has the staying power of other characters. But no matter what happens, it should be an interesting ride in the meantime.

Azrael #7 - DC

To me, what really makes this series is Fabian Niceiza's stories. He has a fantastic way of sewing all of this information together, while at the same time still stirring in some character development. This issue Michael is obsessed with the abduction of a child. Apparently he's relating it back to when he was a child and witnessed an abduction. His brother . . maybe? Anyways, I think that he felt helpless at the time, even though he witnessed it . . and it's been eating at him ever since. So, when a new similar case opens up in his own backyard . . he dives in head first. And he's not coming up for air until he finds this kid. Almost to the point that his obsession is starting to make the other members of the Order of Purity question is sanity. I mean they all know that sooner or later the Suit of Sorrows is going to drive him crazy. They've just been waiting for him to step over the cliff. 'His eyes . . he has so much anger. Adrian was right . . it appears that Michael . . is starting to succumb to the madness of the suit.' However, I think that if he can reconcile with his family . . or at the very least use them as a sounding-board . . I think he can work through this anger and frustration. The problem is . . his sister has committed a horrendous act. Yes, she was under another's influence . . and Micheal knows that, but . . I'm sure when he sees it in his head, he still sees her doing it. And unfortunately, even after she's acquitted of her acts . . he still seems to be distancing himself from her. At the time, it might be because of this abducted kid, but . . if he doesn't watch it, the gap will never be crossed. In the end he ends up saving the kid, but he's still haunted by Willis. Also, I think the Order has given him a therapist. She doesn't tell him who she works for, and I could be wrong, but . .'Someone hired me . . to set you free. You might not understand right now, but you will . . very soon. Enjoy your freedom, Mr Lane.' I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. But . . the more I read it, the more I'm getting in to it. Also, I really like Ramon Bachs' pencils. As with the story itself, I think he gets better and better with every issue. By the way . . that's a fantastic cover by Francesco Mattina.

Azrael #6 - DC

Now that he's gotten a little bit of a breather . . Michael has decided to look into this 'cult' a little bit. You know . . the Order of Purity, that's recruited him to be their voice and warrior. The problem is . . the book he's reading has been written by all the various people that have been given the Suit of Sorrows and the swords over the years. And most of them . . seem to have been driven to madness. Michael seems to have staved off the madness, and the 'voices' . . so far. But as he's reading this tome, he starts to notice a pattern. ' . . every sixth line of every sixth entry of every sixth chapter . . ' He's started to notice the pattern in the messages, but . . I don't think he's noticed that he's just utilized the number of the beast to find them. The messages throughout all of the stories though seem to be pretty much the same. The Order recruits their soldier, but as he gains power they become suspicious of the demons driving him. Eventually they all seem to fall into the abyss of madness, and their 'handler' has to ' . . end their suffering.' Or at least that's what they tell themselves. But basically they have to get rid of the soldier they can no longer handle so that they can replace them with a young, naive recruit. One that hopefully they'll be able to control better. However, the cycle just keeps repeating itself. Isn't that the definition of insanity? Even Adrian, the guy who's supposed to be helping him, has been given the means to take him out should the need arise. Anyways, he reads through this book over and over again . . for 6 days. And after all of that he's been able to decipher a clear message. 'Kill them before they kill you.' I believe Michael may have started on the road to madness. I enjoy Fabian Nicieza's stories, and I think he's doing a terrific job with this book. My only problem is . . if it stays on this path . . it doesn't seem to have much of a future. However . . it's early. I think if we wait to see what's going to happen, we'll probably be pleasantly surprised. I'm also enjoying Ramon Bachs pencils. I'm actually glad that the Azrael character this time isn't as intimately tied in with the Batman mythos. There's enough history with the Order of St Dumas, and the Order of Purity, that I don't think it's no longer has to be dependent upon Batman for legitimacy. But . . it still needs readers. And being tied with Batman did do that. So . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Azrael #5 - DC

This was a good book, but . . the point of the story was a little oblique. I was kind of confused at the end. Anyways, this all comes down to people trying to make other people pay for their crimes. Azrael does it with his swords, and Ragman does it by making people face their sins. It's kind of a story about racism and spiritual differences, but . . it's also more than that. There was a Palestine boy that was beaten in a crowd in Gotham last issue. Azrael is trying to figure out who did it and why. He comes across an Israeli Special Force team that is also after the boy. But he doesn't know what's going on. That's when the Beth Din approach Rory and ask for Ragman's help. It turns out that this wasn't random violence, but a targeted assault because of a bombing of a Tel Aviv daycare center 2 years ago. However, it wasn't the boy that was involved but his brother. But he won't tell anybody where he's at. So it appears to all come down to, 'an eye for an eye'. This family wants to pull away from the deeds of their brother, but at the same time they want to protect him. And the other faction is just trying to get justice for the horrendous deed that was committed, even if they have to go through the perpetrators family to get it. Azrael asks Ragman who's telling the truth. To which he replies, 'What if they all are?' So then Azrael wants to know who's right. 'What if no one is? And that confusion you feel is when righteous zealotry usually takes over . . which leads us into messes like this in the first place . . it's all they know how to do. What about you?' I'm thinking that all of this was done, story-wise, as a way of opening up Michael's eyes as to the blind-faith that he's been using to follow the religious order's plans and instructions. Like I said, it's a little oblique in it's message and conclusion. I liked it, but at the same time felt kind of . . humbled, I guess. As always, I think Fabian Nicieza is a brilliant writer. He has a way of infusing so much more into a story than just the random pieces of the plot. There's emotion and feeling here. I have a feeling that I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Also, Ramon Bachs is getting better and better every issue. I really think he's a great talent, and he's growing all the time. I think I'll be with this title for a while. It makes you think.

Azrael #4 - DC

Well, Fabian Nicieza gives us some more of Michael Lane's background story this issue. It seems a couple of years ago Michael's brother and sister, Marion and Gwen, were killed in some type of satanic ritual . . a cult. Batman and Robin have come across this cult, and the find a cache of old weapons . . swords, knives and such. They examine them all for blood and DNA samples. With this information they find links to several unsolved murders. But the most important one is a link to the murders of Michael's brother and sister. It seems one of the blades has their blood on it, with some finger-prints on the hilt. They belong to Marion's wife, Jen . . Michael's sister-in-law. Despite Batman trying to stop him, he goes to her for answers. He enters the apartment as Azrael, but it isn't long before he removes the mask and asks her the questions as her brother-in-law, Michael. However, she has no idea. No memory of the event. Upon entering, Michael tells Jen the purpose of the swords. After they're knocked out of his hands by Batman, she decides that she needs to find out the truth. So . . she impales herself on them both. She sees a demon, or devil guiding her actions. But it doesn't really make sense. And when Michael removes the swords . . she doesn't have any wounds. It looks like we'll have to wait until the next issue to get to the bottom of this story. I thought it was brilliantly written by Fabian, and I really like Ramon Bachs art. He's got a gritty, 'dirty' style of art to him. And it fits this story, and character perfectly. I think this title has a ton of potential. And with Fabian guiding the ship . . I think it'll definitely reach it. By the way, that's a beautiful cover by Francesco Mattina.

Azrael #3 - DC

This issue shows us a bit of Michael Lane's past. Apparently he was in the military, before becoming a police officer, and a night with his troop is Shadegan is coming back to haunt him. When they were stationed there, they weren't supposed to go into Shadegan. But they got some intel on an arms pipeline that was running through there. They had the best of intentions. They thought that if they could figure it out, who was behind it, they could stop it and save future deaths of their fellow soldiers stationed there. However, everything fell apart. One of their own went over the edge. He just wanted to kill everyone. And they didn't get any useful intel. They ended up having to leave, but before they did Sandshark blew up the people's house that they had stopped at. Sandshark was the code-name for one of the guys in his troop. His was EZ Squeeze. Because he was a sniper. Anyways, the other 2 guys in the troop figure out what Sandshark is doing and they call in Michael. They go to confront him, but now they don't know what to do. If they let him go, not only will he kill more people, but eventually he'll get caught and what they did will come out into the light. But on the other hand, they can't bring themselves to kill him either. After all . . he's one of their own. In the end they let him go, but . . it looks like Azrael kills him with one of his swords when he get on a train out of Gotham. I thought this was a great story by Fabian Nicieza. It really showed the personal demons that he's wrestling with, besides the ones imposed by the cult, or the suit of sorrows. He's a man with a lot to make up for in life, and a lot to prove. This should be an interesting ride. Next issue . . Batman shows up. Ramon Bachs did the art. It looked great. The book really had a good feel to it. And Jock does the cover. I don't know how long I'll stick with this one, but . . for now, it looks to be pretty interesting. We'll just have to see how it all pans out.

Azrael #2 - DC

Seeing as how this is a new series, and we've barely scratched the surface of this character . . I really wasn't sure what to expect going in to this issue. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the superb story that Fabian Nicieza crafted here. First of all Michael Lane, Azrael, has someone helping him out now, Adrian Paratino. He's an information broker, and Michael's contact when he's in the field and he needs some information or a question answered. Kind of his own Oracle, if you will. Anyways, he helps him out this issue because Ra's al Ghul has decided to send the White Ghost to Gotham to test this guy out. As he puts it . . 'Are you worthy of serving the Demon's Head? And with that determination are answered matters of life and death, right and wrong. Those worthy of serving live to serve.' So he sets up a test for him. He's captured 2 people, a man and a woman, and have them hanging capriciously from the top of Gotham's twin towers. The White Ghost wants Azrael to choose which one he's going to save, since he obviously doesn't have enough time to do both. He tells Azrael their names, and that the woman is a Minister's wife, and the boy has fled Syria because he's suspected of killing some people with a car bomb. From Adrian he finds out that the woman is also an adulteress, and the man may be guilty but he may have been framed. With that information in hand, he then turns the gambit back upon the White Ghost. 'You better make your choice now. Earlier, I asked you "why?". I didn't mean "why are you doing this?", I meant "why should I?". This isn't a test of my character, it's a test of yours. If you let someone you know is innocent die . . then how can you be worthy of serving any higher cause?' The ropes break, almost simultaneously and the White Ghost saves the man, while Michael catches the woman. And then . . to add insult to injury, Michael also tells the White Ghost 'Tell your boss . . that tonight . . you both failed my test. Eventually all false prophets and the acolytes who serve them . . will face God's judgement.' I thought that was a fantastic twist of the story. Also at the end, Adrian had mentioned to Michael earlier that the more traditional members of the Order of Purity were beginning to accept him because there was a package arriving from Europe to help them out. It turns out that the package is intended for Adrian, and it's a dagger. 'Only one thing forged by man can quiet the screaming voices of madness brought on by the Suit of Sorrows. The question then, Mr Paratino . . when the time comes . . will you be able to deliver the message?' I think Fabian is doing a fantastic job with the story here. But this issue I was really impressed with Ramon Bachs' pencils. I don't know if he had a different inker or colorist this issue, but . . the whole book looked fantastic. I like Ramon's work, but honestly . . this was the best thing I've seen from him yet. The whole book had a great feel to it. Anyways, I think we're off to a great start and I can't wait to follow the adventures of this character.

Azrael #1 - DC

I'm so thrilled that Fabian Nicieza is writing this book. He's written the stories leading up to the launch of this series, but I was a little afraid that they might bring in someone else to handle this book. I'm glad they didn't. I love Fabian's work. I think he's a fantastic writer. I'm also thrilled that they brought this character back. Yes he's different, but . . he's still kind of the same too. I think that's kind of the point. Sure he's a different guy, Michael Lane ex-cop. And, he's being backed by a different order, the Order of Purity. But, I think in the end . . the results . . what he'll turn into and what it'll do to him as a person, will probably be pretty similar. I mean, he's wearing the Suit of Sorrows, and he's brandishing 2 swords called the Sword of Salvation, and the Sword of Sin . . one given to him by the Order, the other by Talia . . I don't think it's to much of a stretch to see what kind of effects all of this is going to have on his psyche . . eventually. In this issue alone he questions going after a hired killer because the killer's cause is just. The killer's going after after a list of people, but it seems to be mostly about vengeance and payback. He's already asking the question, 'How could I punish him for what he's doing when I do the exact same thing?' So, while we see him on one of his first cases this issue, we also get a glimpse into the future. It's set 6 months, 6 days, and 9 hours in the future. In it, it seems that Michael has gone over the edge. Also Harvey seems to be going after fellow police officer Farelli. Officer Farelli has gotten wrapped up in Michael's dealings and has helped him on more than one occasion. Now, Harvey wants some answers. But they may be hard to come by as . . on the final page of the issue we see that Michael has taken off the armaments of the Order and has sacrificed himself upon the alter of their church. Where does this story go from here? I thought it was a fantastic opening chapter. I was sad to see Ramon Bachs leave the Red-Robin book, but . . I also really liked his work here. He's got kind of a gritty look to his stuff, and it fit the mood and style of this book perfectly. This should prove to be a very interesting series. By the way . . just for 'shits & giggles', does anyone remember that when this character originally appeared , in 1995, that Joe Quesada played a huge part in his creation? He and Denny O'Neil did that first mini-series . . Sword of Azrael. Man that was a great mini-series. You can still get it fairly cheap at Mile High Comics or on E-Bay. If you're interested. Anyways, this is a great character and, I thought, a good opening chapter. I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Detective Comics Annual #11 - DC

I think it's great to see Annuals back on the schedule again. They've been very sporadic in recent years. And, for a while there . . there wasn't any at all. But I remember back in the 70's and 80's when they came out every year. It was a good time. Anyways, this is the second part of the story that appeared in Batman Annual #27 last week. Dick and Renee are trying to stop this Amon character from bringing the eighth original sin back to life. It has something to do with this cult, the La Saligia. Most of the information on them comes from the group the Order of Purity that back's Azrael, . Also, Dick substituted Damian for one of the kids that was kidnapped. Apparently it's their blood that is supposed to bring this 'sin' back to life. Anyways, long story short . . Dick and Renee figure out where the La Saligia is performing this ritual and she and Azrael go in to retrieve the children. Of course it helps that Damian breaks free. And once they realize they don't have the real Canton child, it's pretty easy for Batman to deduce that they'll make another play for him. What he isn't expecting though is Azrael's actions. When they get to the ceremonial chamber, he seems more interested in the corpse than the children. I guess he's following the direction of his Order, and they want him to eliminate the vessel for the resurrection. Which he does, but at the end Amon gives him a warning. 'You have earned a lifetime of enmity this day, soldier of God. This will not stop us. We are a part of you . . we will always return . . and when we do, we will need a new host to contain the Eighth sin of man . . and that host will be you!' Batman also gives him a warning because he doesn't like the tactics that he used. Plus, even though he knows that this is a different Azrael, I'm sure there's still a lot of sour feelings after the last one's performance. Overall, I thought this was a great story to lead into the new series that'll be out next week. This issue was done by Fabian Nicieza and Tom Mandrake. Issue #1 of Azrael will be done by Fabian and Ramon Bachs. Which explains why he's leaving Red Robin. There's a back-up story here also, by Mandy McMurray and Kelley Jones. It also started in the Batman Annual. It's about a new character, Stygian who believes himself to be a vampire. Therefore Looker is brought in to help deal with him. However, he seems to have a fixation on Barbara, so . . the story goes largely unresolved this issue. I'm assuming that it'll continue in Batgirl, or maybe a future Birds of Prey book. We'll have to wait and see. I enjoyed Kelley's artwork, but the story was a bit confusing. I guess they don't want to give away to much here so it can play out later.

Batman Annual #27 - DC

As we get ready for the Azrael series that is being prepared, it appears that this Annual, plus next weeks Detective are serving as an introduction to his presence in Gotham. This Azrael is ex-cop Michael Lane, and has been given power and purpose by the Order of Purity. To fulfill that, he's wearing the suit of sorrows and has been given 2 swords. The Sword of Salvation was given to him by the Order. While the Sword of Sin . . he took that sword from Talia in their last meeting. Anyways, now he's tracking Amon. He's working for a cult called La Saligia. They've got him looking for seven keys. Seven keys that open one lock. Apparently it's a lock that contains a secret. A secret that could . .'Adversely affect the church. By that I mean . . completely destroy the institution of the church and ignite a series of religious wars that could consume the planet.' Ok! I think that's a serious enough threat. Anyways, Amon is a man, but . . he looks like a demon from Goetia. 'Amon is a seventh spirit, a marquis in hell who wields great power. "He appeareth like a wolf with a serpents taile. He reconcileth controversies between friends and foes." He represents wrath. One of mans seven deadly sins.' Which goes with what we find out on the last page of the issue. Amon has abducted the children of some wealthy people. Batman intercepted his last though by replacing the boy with Damian. But on the final page Amon has them all strapped down on separate tables in a circle. He calls them their blood bounty. 'So that all man's sins can be absolved . . by God's decree, the eighth deadly sin must be restored . . and the children of the seven shrouders of sin must die!' It looks like Damian is in it neck deep this time. This issue is brought to us by Fabian Nicieza and J Calafiore. Both do a terrific job. The second part of this story, in Detective Annual #11 will be brought to us also by Fabian with the art of Tom Mandrake. And then the following week starts Azrael's new series with Fabian again continuing on with the scripts, and Ramon Bachs on the art. Which means of course that Red Robin will be getting a new artist also. So if you want to get in on this story with Azrael, from the beginning . . I suggest you pick up these 2 Annuals. Plus, don't forget about his back story that appeared in Battle for the Cowl: Azrael - Death's Dark Knight. That was a 3 issue mini. Also by Fabian and Frazer Irving. Who will be providing the covers for the continuing series. See how it's all connected? Are you excited yet?

Battle for the Cowl: Azrael - Death's Dark Knight #3 - DC

So, in this series we find out that Michael Lane has been given the Suit of Sorrows and Sword of Salvation by the Order of Purity. They're connected to the Order of St Dumas, the ones that created the original Azrael, but . . they're not the same thing. Then he fought Talia, and took the Sword of Sin from her. So, now he has the suit and both swords. This issue he finally comes face to face with Dick. They start out fighting, but . . they end up coming to an understanding. There is a bit of a mystery here though because, Michael has given up the costume that he wore when he was a test subject of Doctor Hurt. However, someone else has taken to wearing his suit. Actually I thought it was Jason Todd. But when Michael's nephew runs into him by accident on the street, he immediately recognizes him. So if it's not Jason . . who is it? Anyways, Dick pretty much opens up the road for Michael to pursue this path. He tells Talia how it's gonna be, "You let Lane keep the Suit of Sorrows. If he goes over the edge, he becomes my responsibility." And, after erasing Michael's memories of the Bat-cave and everything Batman related, he also gives him his blessing. When Michael wakes up after being drugged, he finds the suit, both swords and a note hanging on his door . . "This was a gift from her father to my father. Now I give it to you. Screw up and I'll take it back." Then the Order of Purity gives him someplace to live. "Leland McCauley willed this brownstone to the Order . . and if you accept the role of Azrael . . and agree to let us work with you . . it's all yours." But we find out that the Order doesn't actually serve god . . it serves Ra's al Ghul. "For now, I prefer to see how far this man can go before the madness overtakes him. I will manipulate certain events, provoke certain challenges . . all to see if the armor makes the man or the man makes the armor. If he survives . . the the Order of Purity will have an unstoppable weapon." And . . all of this leads directly into Azrael's own series coming out this fall. Fabian Nicieza and Frazer Irving did the creative part of this book. However, as with Batgirl, we don't really know yet who'll be doing the new series. My vote is for Fabian and Frazer. I think they did a good job with this mini.

Battle for the Cowl: Azrael - Death's Dark Knight #2 - DC

Last issue we found out that Michael, one of the experimental Batman replacements . . the one that went a little crazy and was involved in Batman's demise . . Michael is now the new Azrael. Although I don't think the Order of Purity is necessarily calling him that. They just gave him the Suit of Sorrows and the Sword of Sin to go out and help restore a little order to Gotham. The Police and citizens that see him are calling him Azrael because of his similar look to Jean-Paul's previous costume. But, he no sooner gets out into Gotham than he comes across Talia Al Ghul and her assassins. Also she has the Sword of Salvation, which when crossed with the Sword of Sin seems to provide some kind of psychic backlash. She fills Michael in on the story of the Suit and the Sword. Which ends up making him a little leery. He's already gone a little crazy. He doesn't want this suit to drive him even farther. He looks to his mother, whom is in a mental hospital, for answers. "What if I had a chance to maybe do a lot of good . . for a lot of people . . make up for so much . . what if I had that chance and all it would cost . . is my life . .? Suicide is a sin against God. Killing is a sin against God. So if God wants me do to good . . why is he asking be to do both . . ?" He knows he's not going to get any answers from her, but . . I think he just has to go through the process. Then, at the end of the issue, he ends up in the Bat-cave confronting Nightwing. Fabian Nicieza has put together a rather intriguing story here. I'm interested to see how it's all going to wrap up next issue. Is Michael truly going to end up being Azrael, or . . is he going to end up being a different character in the Bat-universe? Hmm! Also, although I'm not a big fan of Frazer Irving's pencils, I thought that his style is fitting this story perfectly. It's looking like August is going to be the relaunch of the Bat-universe . . and all it's various adaptations and changes. I can't wait to see what's going to happen. Same Bat-time . . . different Bat-channel!

Battle for the Cowl: Azrael - Death's Dark Knight #1 - DC

Well . . Azrael is back. Kind of. Obviously Jean Paul Valley is dead, and the guy who recently inherited the Suit of Sorrows was ultimately consumed by it. So the Order of St Dumas was forced to rescind their decision and 'recall' the suit. Well, not actually the Order of St Dumas, but rather a splinter group of it calling themselves the Order of Purity. They're the one that actually forged the armor in the first place. After the recent set-back, they'd been wondering which direction to go in when the answer falls in their lap. Michael Washington Lane was one of the 3 men picked by the GCPD, and the government, to train to replace the Batman . . should he fall in battle. He was also a major component in his downfall. So he goes to a Father to confess his sins, "I helped kill the Batman." This Father is also part of the Order of Purity and he shares his findings. Since the man has already trained to be the Batman, and has the proper psychological motivations, they decide to ask him to wear the suit. They have all their conversations and arguments planned out but Michael's response is . . . "Lose the Bat symbol. Call me when it's ready." But he's not about to get any acclimation time. When he leave the church, Talia has her assassins ready to retrieve the suit. They fail to take him down, but the old men inside are easy targets. In the confusion, he rushes in, puts on the suit, and using the blood of one of the victims paints a cross on his chest. As he begins to fight the assassins, he tells them " . . I am the Dark Knight of God! I am Azrael!" With his Sword of Sin he feels that he's ready for the confrontation. However, Talia slips in from the shadows and strikes him with the Sword of Salvation. He didn't think it was going to be that easy, did he? I thought this was a great reintroduction of this character. And it was only logical that the Order would choose Michael as their next agent. It'll be interesting to see how he changes when he assumes this identity. I thought Fabian Nicieza did a great job with this first issue, and I love Frazer Irving's art. And thus steps up the next bidder in the Battle for the Cowl.