Random Happenstance

I could probably order it, but every show I keep a little eye out for Azrael: Agent of the Bat #100, the last issue of the book; for the year-end posts. Spoiler alert: I hate that issue. Azrael had been part of the Bat-family for some time by then, but like the weird cousin that was raised way too religious and doesn't quite fit in. Dr. Thompson is involved, trying to steer Jean-Paul Valley to a path of non-violence that wouldn't work for Batman in a million years; Batman's filled with guilt over using Azrael like a weapon, and Nightwing makes a brief appearance as back-up...and possibly, the favored son. There's a fake Azrael trying to turn the Order of St. Dumas into a racist national crusade: Jean-Paul feels like the Order was never like that before, maybe. There's also a guy in a demon costume as "Bis," who might not have cared which Azrael he gunned down, but of course the good one sacrifices himself to save the bad one. Jean-Paul appears to Batman in a vision, telling him not to blame himself; Batman of course figures that was just a hallucination caused by lack of sleep. I doubt that was explained away whenever Azrael returned. I kinda think I don't like Dr. Thompson, though: she feels really preachy there, which of course Jean-Paul would fall for.

So, let's look at a much more enjoyable issue, that I do have! From 1996, Azrael Annual #2, "Night's Fall" Written by Denny O'Neil, pencils by Barry Kitson, inks by James Pascoe and John Stokes. Hey, another Legends of the Dead Earth annual! On a future world, far removed from earth, the warrior-angel Azrael fights and defeats the demon Bis; although he laments his inability to banter to his companion Brian, who is dressed like he just graduated college. Brian also points out, the demon had probably appeared, because Azrael had been putting off the final ritual to leave childhood behind, to consult an oracle and learn his task. The cranky, sleepy oracle gives them a confusing prophecy, but straight-up tells them they have to go to Gotham City. The head of the order, Brother Rollo, puts a spin on that: go to Gotham and kill its king. Rollo is, of course, shifty as hell.

This story is being relayed to children, by a big bald storyteller; and here the story seems to become more fanciful: Azrael and Brian encounter Two-Face and the Joker, before arriving at Gotham. It had medeval-looking walls, but was a gothic-nightmare. The pair are greeted by an Alfred-type, who explains an ogre named Bane had come to town a month ago: Azrael assumes the Bat-King defeated the ogre, but nope! Bane had broken the Bat-King's back, and was still showing it on video all over town. (There wasn't a lot of technology on this planet, at least that we've seen so far.) Azrael feels he must face Bane, but takes off before Alfred could tell him something: he can't kill Bane, since Bane had put the Bat-King's heart in his body! How? Why? Gotham was full of weird crap like that; just because. But Bane isn't even the big-bad here...

We did some Azrael strips some time back: I like the idea of Jean-Paul beating the System, maybe realizing religion has been used as a tool to keep him in line. Still, I did enjoy this issue, even if it was more fairy-tale like than most of the Legends of the Dead Earth stories.