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Batman
Batman: Legacy
A deadly plague has been loosed upon Gotham City, forcing Gotham's wealthiest citizens to take refuge in a guilding ghetto of their own design, unaware that money is no protection from the virus. Now it's up to Batman and Robin to find a cure for the mysterious virus--with the help of their unlikely allies, Catwoman and Azrael. And when the virus returns in mutated form, Batman and his allies must race across the globe to find its source--and a cure. Graphic novel format.
This contains the Legacy Story Arc seen in Batman #533-534, Shadow of the Bat #53-54, Catwoman #35-36, Robin #31-33, and Detective Comics #699-702.
This contains the Legacy Story Arc seen in Batman #533-534, Shadow of the Bat #53-54, Catwoman #35-36, Robin #31-33, and Detective Comics #699-702.
Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Doug Moench
2,071 books122 followersDoug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok. Moench has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and many other smaller companies; he has written hundreds of issues of many different comics, and created dozens of characters, such as Moon Knight. In 1973, Moench became the de facto lead writer for the Marvel black-and-white magazine imprint Curtis Magazines. He contributed to the entire runs of Planet of the Apes, Rampaging Hulk (continuing on the title when it changed its name to The Hulk!) and Doc Savage, while also serving as a regular scribe for virtually every other Curtis title during the course of the imprint's existence. Moench is perhaps best known for his work on Batman, whose title he wrote from 1983–1986 and then again from 1992–1998. (He also wrote the companion title Detective Comics from 1983–1986.)
Moench is a frequent and longtime collaborator with comics artist Paul Gulacy. The pair are probably best known for their work on Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, which they worked on together from 1974–1977. They also co-created Six from Sirius, Slash Maraud, and S.C.I. Spy, and have worked together on comics projects featuring Batman, Conan the Barbarian and James Bond.
Moench has frequently been paired with the artist and inker team of Kelley Jones and John Beatty on several Elseworlds Graphic Novels and a long run of the monthly Batman comic.
Moench is a frequent and longtime collaborator with comics artist Paul Gulacy. The pair are probably best known for their work on Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, which they worked on together from 1974–1977. They also co-created Six from Sirius, Slash Maraud, and S.C.I. Spy, and have worked together on comics projects featuring Batman, Conan the Barbarian and James Bond.
Moench has frequently been paired with the artist and inker team of Kelley Jones and John Beatty on several Elseworlds Graphic Novels and a long run of the monthly Batman comic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 8, 2019
Basically one long or extended chase sequence, Batman: Legacy features the Dark Knight and members of his 'Bat' family - Tim Drake's Robin, Nightwing, Huntress, and even a quick story arc featuring a trapped Catwoman - pursuing criminal mastermind Ra's al Ghul and henchman Bane across the globe to prevent the spreading of 'The Clench' virus. (While it's mentioned to be a life-threatening plague, that name sounded more appropriate for something caught while eating at an unsanitary restaurant. Yuck!) The book, published back in the mid-90's, shows its age on occasion - Batman remarks "It's getting harder and harder to move around the world without leaving some ripple in the global datapool," a year or so before cell-phones, the Internet, and GPS became commonplace - but it is well-paced and heavy on the action sequences, though the dialogue is often pedestrian.
November 24, 2019
Batman "Legacy" is a crossover story arc. This volume collects the entire run. It's mostly a Moench/C. Dixon story, so it has its moments.
The gist? Ras Al Ghul is planning on poisoning everybody again. Robin has been infected with the Clench virus and may die. Many are already dead and Batman, ill-Robin and Nightwing run into Ras and Bane over their fight.
As this is a crossover events, other characters like Huntress also make an appearance. The story is ok, nothing new or original. The art really varies. Sometimes it's quite decent for the time and others it shows its age. Sadly, the story also shows its age. The 90's weren't the best time for the quality of certain comics. Nightwing with the ponytail is a hallmark of that era. It's not to my taste.
Not a great arc by any means, but not terrible either. Considering the time. I suppose this had more of an impact. It's lost a lot with time.
The gist? Ras Al Ghul is planning on poisoning everybody again. Robin has been infected with the Clench virus and may die. Many are already dead and Batman, ill-Robin and Nightwing run into Ras and Bane over their fight.
As this is a crossover events, other characters like Huntress also make an appearance. The story is ok, nothing new or original. The art really varies. Sometimes it's quite decent for the time and others it shows its age. Sadly, the story also shows its age. The 90's weren't the best time for the quality of certain comics. Nightwing with the ponytail is a hallmark of that era. It's not to my taste.
Not a great arc by any means, but not terrible either. Considering the time. I suppose this had more of an impact. It's lost a lot with time.
April 2, 2024
3 stars might be a tad bit of a stretch in this one. This crossover event is entertaining in a couple of issues, but also feels like a bit of a stretch in content that didn’t need to be there for a few issues. I love the characters involved in this one, which is why I bumped my rating to a 3 over a 2.5. Not great. Not horrible.
September 8, 2024
Part of my Batman comic book reread project. Continued from The Long Halloween.
First, here's what Bats has to deal with before we get to the "Legacy" story.
Batman and Deadman (Boston Brand) take on Killeen, a modern-day conquistador trying to rob and murder an ancient Inca tribe that's been well-hidden for several centuries.
Deep in the heart of Tawantinsuyu!
(I don't know. That just doesn't roll off the tongue.)
Anyway, it doesn't work out for big K.
After that, Narcosis raids the scene and tries to poison all of Gotham with some bad dreams juice in their milk.
Maxie Zeus is back and tangles with Robin while trying a Trojan Horse scheme.
Over in Legends of the Dark Knight, a couple of dudes who were the result of a government experiment gone wrong have been genetically encoded to never run out of bullets as long as there were dead bodies around because they could absorb the bones and turn them into bullets which they fired from their arms. They were also insane, and sacs on their backs could infect other people if one of them got killed. The government, after failing to capture them, just took their ball and glove and went home and pretended they had nothing to do with it; let the Gothamites deal with it. After all, nobody cares about Gotham. Batman wins, of course, but it sure wasn't easy. He leaves one of the heads and a batarang on the desk of the government big wig who was behind the experiment. I sometimes like these dark twists.
Lock-Up kidnaps criminals who are guilty as hell but use the system to get and stay free and puts them in his own jail. He gets captured twice, but he's an escape artist and keeps getting away, at least until Batman ties the bonds.
Bernie Sambre, who is scheduled to be arrested the next day, is holed-up at the top of his 81 story building, and each floor is filled with deadly obstacles and henchmen. Batman can't batarang to the top since the outside is electrified. He manages to run the whole gauntlet, makes it to the roof, and then...
Yes, Mr. Sambre, not looking where he's going on a really windy night, runs into the the tail rotor of his own helicopter, making him a one and done in Gotham.
The Speedboyz try a bit of grand theft auto... again..., but Robin and Wildcat take care of it pretty easily.
That was really just a sideshow to Tim Drake's issues with his girlfriend which are just as stupid and boring now as they were when they started. Tim, dude, ditch the bitch. We also find out that Mayor Krol, who had been cured of the Apocalypse Virus (AKA the Clench, AKA Ebola Gulf Strain something something, AKA something else; just pick a name and stick with it!) previously has suddenly died from it. Looks like the virus' new Unicron variant is on the way...
...and it's all back, and it's coming on; it's gonna get right back where it started from. Fun times seem in store for Tim and hundreds of thousands of others who also had the original strain, and thus do we segue to...
LEGACY (Beware of spoilers; I'm not hiding them.)
Azrael clues Batman in to where the Clench originated, so he, Nightwing, and Robin leave Huntress in charge of Gotham while they head to the desert in Sudan to find a cure before too many Gothamites bite the dust. They find a cave with a riddle which they solve and shows them the way through a labyrinth that's supposed to lead to something; they're not sure what. Halfway there they encounter a cave-in, so they dig out, pop back into the desert, then head in the direction where they know the end of the labyrinth is which should be just over the next dune. Once they crest the hill, they discover a giant well-digging rig surrounded by a city of tents. Now, my question is, did they not see this when they went to the entrance to the cave of wonders and be all like "hmm?" I mean, it's a pretty big steel structure towering into the sky surrounded by miles and miles of desert. Regardless of the dunes, it's not in a valley or anything. I guess it's not important.
They discover Ra's Al Ghul, his daughter Talia and a giant dude named Ubu who turns out to be Bane in disguise. At the end of the new dug shaft is the Wheel of Plagues!
It's a "table for configuring the structure of microorganisms, viruses, and plagues." Ra's had used it to make the Clench, but it was stolen and released in Gotham, and blah, blah, blah. His plans were grander, but since the wheel has been discovered by others, he's digitized the whole thing and put it on his computer before destroying the wheel and fleeing to parts unknown. Our heroes escape, but they leave Catwoman behind. They didn't do it on purpose; they didn't know she was a prisoner there. We get a side story with Catwoman escaping, and that's the end of her part in this tale.
With help from the Oracle, they determine Ra's might've gone to one of three places to release a new plague which will kill 90% of humanity: Paris, Edinburgh, or Gotham. Robin and Nightwing foil the attempt in Paris, and Batman the one in Edinburgh. Oracle then tells Batman there was another destination possibility: Calcutta. So, he heads there and foils that attempt as well. They all meet in Gotham, and Batman saves the day AGAIN with the last of the produced virus. He also knocks Bane out for good measure. Meanwhile, Robin, Nightwing, and Huntress find Ra's' yacht with Oracle's help. Robin let's Oracle into Ra's' computer which uses Windows 95 (this tickles Robin) but apparently doesn't have Norton Antivirus. Oracle gets the whole code, the boat explodes during the fight, and Ra's and Talia disappear while the rest of their henchmen get blown to hell.
Oracle and company figure out the cure to the Clench, it's mass produced, and many Gothamites are saved. However, not all of them are. Bruce Wayne is dismayed when he sees how many body bags are at the hospital, and he orders all kinds of refrigeration units put at the hospitals disposal. He's rather shaken by this, and beats himself up about it, but Alfred reminds him and Tim they're only human and admonishes them to eat their suppers; he "didn't prepare them to be moped over."
The end.
Sponsor spots are mostly for movies and other comics now, but there's an occasional gem. This isn't one of the gems, but I'm dropping it since the movie Twisters just came out a month or so ago, and it's the sequel to this one:
I saw this at the theater with a friend and his parents. I enjoyed it, and I don't mind watching it if it's on, but you'll never find me seeking it out. There are several confusing and unbelievable moments in it, but the one that completely flummoxed my friend and his dad who both knew a thing or two about cars was this:
It's a head-scratcher alright.
Here's the 1996 Olympia Sales Club sheet. Just look at all the neat prizes you could win just for selling greeting cards, gift wrap, and stationery!
A Super Nintendo! A cordless phone! A phone/clock radio! All kinds of shit which is obsolete now, though this may be a moot point. Are kids even allowed to sell stuff door-to-door nowadays? The 80s and 90s were a simpler time. I remember selling magazine subscriptions and chocolate candy bars for middle school every year and doing rather well with it. I think I was the top seller for the magazines one year, or at least pretty close, and I definitely helped my first period room get the most sales. The prize for the class was a gigantic, and I do mean gigantic, Hershey bar we all shared over the course of a few days. And it wasn't "here ma, pa; do this for me and take this to work and get your friends and coworkers to buy shit" which goes on nowadays. I hit up the extended family and just about every house in the neighborhood, trying to get there before the other kids who were trying to do the same thing. Good memories, good memories.
Next checkpoint: Robin: Final Night.
(FYI: There isn't a major crossover story in the Batman books for at least two years after "Legacy" because the writers had had enough. This is easy to understand since the "Knightfall" saga went on for like three years and had other inter-DC crossovers as well, and they needed a break. That being the case, I'm going to pick some random issues to serve as checkpoints every few months so there won't be a huge update when I get to "Cataclysm.")
First, here's what Bats has to deal with before we get to the "Legacy" story.
Batman and Deadman (Boston Brand) take on Killeen, a modern-day conquistador trying to rob and murder an ancient Inca tribe that's been well-hidden for several centuries.
Deep in the heart of Tawantinsuyu!
(I don't know. That just doesn't roll off the tongue.)
Anyway, it doesn't work out for big K.
After that, Narcosis raids the scene and tries to poison all of Gotham with some bad dreams juice in their milk.
Maxie Zeus is back and tangles with Robin while trying a Trojan Horse scheme.
Over in Legends of the Dark Knight, a couple of dudes who were the result of a government experiment gone wrong have been genetically encoded to never run out of bullets as long as there were dead bodies around because they could absorb the bones and turn them into bullets which they fired from their arms. They were also insane, and sacs on their backs could infect other people if one of them got killed. The government, after failing to capture them, just took their ball and glove and went home and pretended they had nothing to do with it; let the Gothamites deal with it. After all, nobody cares about Gotham. Batman wins, of course, but it sure wasn't easy. He leaves one of the heads and a batarang on the desk of the government big wig who was behind the experiment. I sometimes like these dark twists.
Lock-Up kidnaps criminals who are guilty as hell but use the system to get and stay free and puts them in his own jail. He gets captured twice, but he's an escape artist and keeps getting away, at least until Batman ties the bonds.
Bernie Sambre, who is scheduled to be arrested the next day, is holed-up at the top of his 81 story building, and each floor is filled with deadly obstacles and henchmen. Batman can't batarang to the top since the outside is electrified. He manages to run the whole gauntlet, makes it to the roof, and then...
Yes, Mr. Sambre, not looking where he's going on a really windy night, runs into the the tail rotor of his own helicopter, making him a one and done in Gotham.
The Speedboyz try a bit of grand theft auto... again..., but Robin and Wildcat take care of it pretty easily.
That was really just a sideshow to Tim Drake's issues with his girlfriend which are just as stupid and boring now as they were when they started. Tim, dude, ditch the bitch. We also find out that Mayor Krol, who had been cured of the Apocalypse Virus (AKA the Clench, AKA Ebola Gulf Strain something something, AKA something else; just pick a name and stick with it!) previously has suddenly died from it. Looks like the virus' new Unicron variant is on the way...
...and it's all back, and it's coming on; it's gonna get right back where it started from. Fun times seem in store for Tim and hundreds of thousands of others who also had the original strain, and thus do we segue to...
LEGACY (Beware of spoilers; I'm not hiding them.)
Azrael clues Batman in to where the Clench originated, so he, Nightwing, and Robin leave Huntress in charge of Gotham while they head to the desert in Sudan to find a cure before too many Gothamites bite the dust. They find a cave with a riddle which they solve and shows them the way through a labyrinth that's supposed to lead to something; they're not sure what. Halfway there they encounter a cave-in, so they dig out, pop back into the desert, then head in the direction where they know the end of the labyrinth is which should be just over the next dune. Once they crest the hill, they discover a giant well-digging rig surrounded by a city of tents. Now, my question is, did they not see this when they went to the entrance to the cave of wonders and be all like "hmm?" I mean, it's a pretty big steel structure towering into the sky surrounded by miles and miles of desert. Regardless of the dunes, it's not in a valley or anything. I guess it's not important.
They discover Ra's Al Ghul, his daughter Talia and a giant dude named Ubu who turns out to be Bane in disguise. At the end of the new dug shaft is the Wheel of Plagues!
It's a "table for configuring the structure of microorganisms, viruses, and plagues." Ra's had used it to make the Clench, but it was stolen and released in Gotham, and blah, blah, blah. His plans were grander, but since the wheel has been discovered by others, he's digitized the whole thing and put it on his computer before destroying the wheel and fleeing to parts unknown. Our heroes escape, but they leave Catwoman behind. They didn't do it on purpose; they didn't know she was a prisoner there. We get a side story with Catwoman escaping, and that's the end of her part in this tale.
With help from the Oracle, they determine Ra's might've gone to one of three places to release a new plague which will kill 90% of humanity: Paris, Edinburgh, or Gotham. Robin and Nightwing foil the attempt in Paris, and Batman the one in Edinburgh. Oracle then tells Batman there was another destination possibility: Calcutta. So, he heads there and foils that attempt as well. They all meet in Gotham, and Batman saves the day AGAIN with the last of the produced virus. He also knocks Bane out for good measure. Meanwhile, Robin, Nightwing, and Huntress find Ra's' yacht with Oracle's help. Robin let's Oracle into Ra's' computer which uses Windows 95 (this tickles Robin) but apparently doesn't have Norton Antivirus. Oracle gets the whole code, the boat explodes during the fight, and Ra's and Talia disappear while the rest of their henchmen get blown to hell.
Oracle and company figure out the cure to the Clench, it's mass produced, and many Gothamites are saved. However, not all of them are. Bruce Wayne is dismayed when he sees how many body bags are at the hospital, and he orders all kinds of refrigeration units put at the hospitals disposal. He's rather shaken by this, and beats himself up about it, but Alfred reminds him and Tim they're only human and admonishes them to eat their suppers; he "didn't prepare them to be moped over."
The end.
Sponsor spots are mostly for movies and other comics now, but there's an occasional gem. This isn't one of the gems, but I'm dropping it since the movie Twisters just came out a month or so ago, and it's the sequel to this one:
I saw this at the theater with a friend and his parents. I enjoyed it, and I don't mind watching it if it's on, but you'll never find me seeking it out. There are several confusing and unbelievable moments in it, but the one that completely flummoxed my friend and his dad who both knew a thing or two about cars was this:
It's a head-scratcher alright.
Here's the 1996 Olympia Sales Club sheet. Just look at all the neat prizes you could win just for selling greeting cards, gift wrap, and stationery!
A Super Nintendo! A cordless phone! A phone/clock radio! All kinds of shit which is obsolete now, though this may be a moot point. Are kids even allowed to sell stuff door-to-door nowadays? The 80s and 90s were a simpler time. I remember selling magazine subscriptions and chocolate candy bars for middle school every year and doing rather well with it. I think I was the top seller for the magazines one year, or at least pretty close, and I definitely helped my first period room get the most sales. The prize for the class was a gigantic, and I do mean gigantic, Hershey bar we all shared over the course of a few days. And it wasn't "here ma, pa; do this for me and take this to work and get your friends and coworkers to buy shit" which goes on nowadays. I hit up the extended family and just about every house in the neighborhood, trying to get there before the other kids who were trying to do the same thing. Good memories, good memories.
Next checkpoint: Robin: Final Night.
(FYI: There isn't a major crossover story in the Batman books for at least two years after "Legacy" because the writers had had enough. This is easy to understand since the "Knightfall" saga went on for like three years and had other inter-DC crossovers as well, and they needed a break. That being the case, I'm going to pick some random issues to serve as checkpoints every few months so there won't be a huge update when I get to "Cataclysm.")
February 15, 2013
Ra's al-Ghul prepares to unleash the second "clench" epidemic on Gotham City, culled from the ancient Wheel of Plagues. Yes, "Batman Begins" derives from this cool story which is a direct sequel to Contagion. Bats, Robin, Nightwing, and the Huntress have to stop the Demon's zany plan. In the process Batman gets to go mano e mano with Bane again and kick his ass. Dark and disturbing and all for naught since Gotham gets levelled by an earthquake in the next story arc. Best line: Commissioner Gordon and co. are preparing riot gear to go into the streets and battle the rapists and looters running rampant in Gotham City. The Commish looks down as he loads his shotgun and complains, "This coffee is cold."
November 19, 2018
Batman: Legacy is a story arc that ran through the various Batman family comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It concerns the returning outbreak of a lethal disease in Gotham City, and Batman's attempts to combat it with his closest allies by discovering its origin in the Middle East. This trade paperback collects: Batman #533–534, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53–54, Catwoman #35–36, Robin #31–33, and Detective Comics #699–702.
Batman: Contagion has a mysterious and lethal virus unleashed on the unknowing inhabitants of Gotham City again. Batman found the source of the disease from the Middle East and it is known as the Apocalypse Plague, the Filovirus, Ebola Gulf A or more popular nickname – The Clench. An unlikely alliance searches the world for a possible cure including Batman, Robin, Oracle, Nightwing, Huntress, Azrael, and Catwoman.
Batman faces two of his deadliest foes: Ra's al Ghul and Bane. The Gotham Knights travel throughout the world as they race to stop The League of Assassins from releasing the pure strain of the virus across the globe, and Gotham itself would be a place for the rematch between the Dark Knight and Bane.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling throughout the story arc there were three main writers: Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Alan Grant and for the most part they mesh somewhat well with each other. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Legacy is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies – some unexpected to team up to eradicate and prevent the distribution of a very deadly disease.
Batman: Contagion has a mysterious and lethal virus unleashed on the unknowing inhabitants of Gotham City again. Batman found the source of the disease from the Middle East and it is known as the Apocalypse Plague, the Filovirus, Ebola Gulf A or more popular nickname – The Clench. An unlikely alliance searches the world for a possible cure including Batman, Robin, Oracle, Nightwing, Huntress, Azrael, and Catwoman.
Batman faces two of his deadliest foes: Ra's al Ghul and Bane. The Gotham Knights travel throughout the world as they race to stop The League of Assassins from releasing the pure strain of the virus across the globe, and Gotham itself would be a place for the rematch between the Dark Knight and Bane.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling throughout the story arc there were three main writers: Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Alan Grant and for the most part they mesh somewhat well with each other. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Legacy is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies – some unexpected to team up to eradicate and prevent the distribution of a very deadly disease.
December 2, 2024
This is a sequel to and in many ways a better version of “Batman: Contagion.” Its predecessor introduced a plot and then didn’t really know what to do with it, resulting in a very disjointed crossover that was about 3x longer than it needed to be. This is also a crossover but at least it establishes its story parameters early on and then follows through. Is the story great? It’s nothing extraordinary or original, but it kept me engaged. Was I entertained? Yes I was. At the end of the day, it’s a 1990s Batman comic. Out of a decade that was overall decidedly mediocre, this is a solidly average and enjoyable story.
Note: It’ll help to have read the four-issue “Batman: Bane of the Demon” to get some back-story for this narrative, but it’s not essential. That story arc is also a solid 3/5 stars.
Note: It’ll help to have read the four-issue “Batman: Bane of the Demon” to get some back-story for this narrative, but it’s not essential. That story arc is also a solid 3/5 stars.
September 18, 2017
Mes de Batman 08/23
Siendo sinceros, esta saga me pareció exactamente lo mismo que Contagion, solo que con otro virus.
¿Por qué tiene 4 estrellas entonces? Bueno, por culpa de Nolan. No puedo leer Legacy sin que se venga a mi cabeza la película de Batman Begins.
Eso y la pelea con Bane. Man, that was nice.
Also, Gordon: aquí es donde dice la emblemática "This coffee is cold".
Siendo sinceros, esta saga me pareció exactamente lo mismo que Contagion, solo que con otro virus.
¿Por qué tiene 4 estrellas entonces? Bueno, por culpa de Nolan. No puedo leer Legacy sin que se venga a mi cabeza la película de Batman Begins.
Eso y la pelea con Bane. Man, that was nice.
Also, Gordon: aquí es donde dice la emblemática "This coffee is cold".
April 25, 2025
This was a alright follow-up to Contagion. Reading as a precursor to No Man's Land
Would have hated being a bat family reader in the 90s with how they handles crossovers, but love the idea of them now when everything is in one collection.
Doug Moench is starting to become my guy. I have been reading a lot of Moon Knight.
Would have hated being a bat family reader in the 90s with how they handles crossovers, but love the idea of them now when everything is in one collection.
Doug Moench is starting to become my guy. I have been reading a lot of Moon Knight.
May 12, 2025
This storyline follows the bats chasing down Ra’s Al Ghul who is intending to release a second wave of the Ebola virus around the world. There were some great character interactions and fun side plots but I wasn’t impressed with the re-hashing of the virus plot line that immediately proceeded it. Oh, and Bane is here too.
3.25 stars.
3.25 stars.
August 17, 2021
3.5 stars
Not really as big or dramatic as Contagion, it's basically just one long wild goose chase with some villain cameos along the way, but I actually think I liked the final climax n resolution of this better. And the character banter was a surprising element that really stood out to me.
Not really as big or dramatic as Contagion, it's basically just one long wild goose chase with some villain cameos along the way, but I actually think I liked the final climax n resolution of this better. And the character banter was a surprising element that really stood out to me.
December 26, 2022
This follow-up to Batman: Contagion is a fun little adventure. A quest type story that serves as a nice little break between the ominous pandemic tale and the even more tragic story to come in Batman: Cataclysm.
November 8, 2021
A big cross-over-event should really be read like this and not trying to collect single issues.
This was way better than I remembered. Nice 90s art and fast story.
This was way better than I remembered. Nice 90s art and fast story.
May 27, 2022
Continuación y desenlace de la saga Contagio, en la que una plaga mortal se ha desatado sobre Gotham City.
June 7, 2022
A direct sequel to Contagion that wisely tries to make the threat a little more concrete this time, but otherwise is a prime example of how poorly conceived and executed these crossover events could be, with this one seemingly forgetting about or maybe straight up abandoning many of the story ideas it sets up early on. A couple of nice goofy touches, and you do finally get to see Batman square off against Bane for the first time since Knightfall, although the rematch doesn't land as hard as it should. And boy, they sure didn't know how to satisfyingly end these big crossover events, did they?
C
C
March 6, 2017
One of my favourite batman stories. Cont on from the plague story arc, introducing Ras to the plot and the extended bat family.
June 9, 2025
Resulting from the events of Contagion, the bat family connects the dots between the deadly viral outbreak in Gotham and it's mystical origins as a weapon constructed the Order of St. Dumas. As they dig deeper they find the trail leads to the immortal Ra's Al Ghul who has been utilizing the work of the Order to put a grand plan into motion.
This was pretty meh, but if you're willing to suspend your disbelief around the ludicrous set up developed in Contagion it's a somewhat fun romp. Dixon's issues are the most entertaining and have some good Ra's moments at the very least even if nothing really stands out. Plus, the art has at least moved on from the horribly proportioned "action figure" aesthetic from its precursor so it is also a bit nicer to look at.
This was pretty meh, but if you're willing to suspend your disbelief around the ludicrous set up developed in Contagion it's a somewhat fun romp. Dixon's issues are the most entertaining and have some good Ra's moments at the very least even if nothing really stands out. Plus, the art has at least moved on from the horribly proportioned "action figure" aesthetic from its precursor so it is also a bit nicer to look at.
December 3, 2014
Следующий большой “готэмский” ивент после “Batman: Contagion”.
После пандемии вируса “эбола” прошло несколько месяцев, когда болезнь внезапно вернулась, ударив сначала по тем, кто уже был исцелен. Понимая, что помимо тысяч горожан скоро загнётся и Тим Дрейк, Брюс Уэйн и его бригада отправились в Ливан на поиски источника болезни. Именно там в руинах Эритреи, согласно похищенным Азраилом манускриптам, скрыто древнее “Колесо Всех Недугов”.
Готэм, тем временем, остаётся на попечении Охотницы.
Очень быстро выясняется, что за появлением “эболы” стоит Рас аль-Гуль, который решил радикально сократить человечество, чтобы править его остатками в постапокалиптическом мире. Вместе с дочкой и её новым хахалем - Бэйном.
Четыре вирусные бомбы уже отправлены в четыре крупных города планеты - Париж, Эдинбург, Калькутту и Готэм, поэтому команде приходится разделиться. Дрейк отправляется во французскую столицу, надеясь переманить на свою сторону Генри Дюкара (если кто забыл, это персонаж Лайама Нисона из Batman Begins и выступать против Раса он не намерен). Эдинбург и Калькутта остаются за Брюсом (в Индии он встречает Леди Шиву). И, разумеется, Готэм ждёт всех. В первую очередь - опять же Брюса, которому предстоит раз и навсегда решить свой спор с Бэйном.
Несмотря на заявленных персонажей, ивент очень дурацкий и плоский. Все злодеи ведут себя очень истерично и одномерно (от Раса и Бэйна этого вовсе не ждешь), остальные персонажи ничем от них не отличаются. Единственная, у кого хоть немного прописан характер - Селина Кайл, которую забыли в затапливаемой тюрьме посреди ливанской пустыни.
Международные приключения напоминают школьный травелог, да и Готэм прописан ничем не лучше шотландской столицы. Одним словом, плохой и неудачный ивент, ценность которого лишь в продолжении мифа человека из Санта-Приски.
После пандемии вируса “эбола” прошло несколько месяцев, когда болезнь внезапно вернулась, ударив сначала по тем, кто уже был исцелен. Понимая, что помимо тысяч горожан скоро загнётся и Тим Дрейк, Брюс Уэйн и его бригада отправились в Ливан на поиски источника болезни. Именно там в руинах Эритреи, согласно похищенным Азраилом манускриптам, скрыто древнее “Колесо Всех Недугов”.
Готэм, тем временем, остаётся на попечении Охотницы.
Очень быстро выясняется, что за появлением “эболы” стоит Рас аль-Гуль, который решил радикально сократить человечество, чтобы править его остатками в постапокалиптическом мире. Вместе с дочкой и её новым хахалем - Бэйном.
Четыре вирусные бомбы уже отправлены в четыре крупных города планеты - Париж, Эдинбург, Калькутту и Готэм, поэтому команде приходится разделиться. Дрейк отправляется во французскую столицу, надеясь переманить на свою сторону Генри Дюкара (если кто забыл, это персонаж Лайама Нисона из Batman Begins и выступать против Раса он не намерен). Эдинбург и Калькутта остаются за Брюсом (в Индии он встречает Леди Шиву). И, разумеется, Готэм ждёт всех. В первую очередь - опять же Брюса, которому предстоит раз и навсегда решить свой спор с Бэйном.
Несмотря на заявленных персонажей, ивент очень дурацкий и плоский. Все злодеи ведут себя очень истерично и одномерно (от Раса и Бэйна этого вовсе не ждешь), остальные персонажи ничем от них не отличаются. Единственная, у кого хоть немного прописан характер - Селина Кайл, которую забыли в затапливаемой тюрьме посреди ливанской пустыни.
Международные приключения напоминают школьный травелог, да и Готэм прописан ничем не лучше шотландской столицы. Одним словом, плохой и неудачный ивент, ценность которого лишь в продолжении мифа человека из Санта-Приски.
June 30, 2024
(16 June, 2023)
A giant race against the proverbial clock with a few big themes sprinkled throughout. Ra's Al Ghul, so very often beyond mere humans morals, wants a world populated by the strongest, would-be survivors of a global pandemic. All of them to be ruled by Talia's children, planned to be, if not exactly übermenschen, some sort of Overmen. As always, Batman stands in his way.
Batman works well alone but he needs a team for this mission, and what a team: Nightwing, Robin, Huntress and Oracle, wowy zowy! Dick and Tim do as they have always done, and they do it extremely well. Helena is awesome and she really does want to do some good, helping to save billions of lives is now on her resume. A bit more of her would not have hurt 'Legacy' at all. The best thing here is done by Barbara, she follows Batman's example to perfection by embracing Utilitarianism. She 'borrows' a few computer systems from numerous sources for a truly justified end. The result is a victorious Bat family... with Batman simply thinking of the next time! After all is done, Bruce and Tim stand thunderstruck by what they witness, a great addition reminding us they are human.
The numerous artists in this collected work are not complimentary but it still works. The reader is left only slightly jarred by the radically different styles of the changing artists, it's not a big deal. Additional dialogue and less action would be more to my liking but that's only my tastes, this is good!
Batman rules!
A giant race against the proverbial clock with a few big themes sprinkled throughout. Ra's Al Ghul, so very often beyond mere humans morals, wants a world populated by the strongest, would-be survivors of a global pandemic. All of them to be ruled by Talia's children, planned to be, if not exactly übermenschen, some sort of Overmen. As always, Batman stands in his way.
Batman works well alone but he needs a team for this mission, and what a team: Nightwing, Robin, Huntress and Oracle, wowy zowy! Dick and Tim do as they have always done, and they do it extremely well. Helena is awesome and she really does want to do some good, helping to save billions of lives is now on her resume. A bit more of her would not have hurt 'Legacy' at all. The best thing here is done by Barbara, she follows Batman's example to perfection by embracing Utilitarianism. She 'borrows' a few computer systems from numerous sources for a truly justified end. The result is a victorious Bat family... with Batman simply thinking of the next time! After all is done, Bruce and Tim stand thunderstruck by what they witness, a great addition reminding us they are human.
The numerous artists in this collected work are not complimentary but it still works. The reader is left only slightly jarred by the radically different styles of the changing artists, it's not a big deal. Additional dialogue and less action would be more to my liking but that's only my tastes, this is good!
Batman rules!
May 3, 2013
A sequel to "Contagion", "Legacy" is another crossover of the various Batman books at the time (Batman, Detective, Shadow of the Bat, Catwoman, and Robin). The art is generally pretty good, but the story, concerning Ra's Al Ghul coming up with another scheme to wipe out most of Earth's population, is not the most original idea ever, and the work as a whole gets pretty repetitive as it goes, with the Bat-family going around the world having to beat up a bunch of henchman, get a bottle containing the plague Ra's wants to unleash, and then run off again.
There is also little opportunity for character development, with the various characters just running from point A to point B, and even the rematch between Bruce Wayne and Bane is cut-short and ultimately underwhelming. Chuck Dixon and the various other writers do a good job with the various characters' individual voices, however.
I think the writers were shooting for a globe-trotting James Bond vibe, but ultimately little happens, making this a fairly forgettable story.
There is also little opportunity for character development, with the various characters just running from point A to point B, and even the rematch between Bruce Wayne and Bane is cut-short and ultimately underwhelming. Chuck Dixon and the various other writers do a good job with the various characters' individual voices, however.
I think the writers were shooting for a globe-trotting James Bond vibe, but ultimately little happens, making this a fairly forgettable story.
April 13, 2010
A follow-up to Contagion - as it turns out, the cure to the plague known affectionately as "the Clench" wasn't really a cure and everyone in Gotham is still in danger of infection. So Batman and his boys head out to find out who's responsible. There aren't too many surprises in this one - mostly it's a solid story with a few good moments (and plenty of really melodramatic ones).
Things I liked included: Robin and Nightwing working together (something I ALWAYS love to see), Nightwing's Magic Hair, shots of Nightwing's butt (surprise!) and most of all, Alfred telling Bruce and Tim to "eat [their:] suppers. I didn't prepare them to be moped over." Alfred > anyone, ever.
Things I liked included: Robin and Nightwing working together (something I ALWAYS love to see), Nightwing's Magic Hair, shots of Nightwing's butt (surprise!) and most of all, Alfred telling Bruce and Tim to "eat [their:] suppers. I didn't prepare them to be moped over." Alfred > anyone, ever.
March 7, 2012
I had read that this story was really good, but was disappointed by the reality of it all. It's really just a quick run through, with both Bane and Ra's feeling like wasted potential. I think Ra's might be a great idea, but hard to pull off in actuality. He's never really has a victory against Batman and you have to wonder why people stay afraid of him. Bane gets taken down much faster than the Knightfall trilogy would have you believe, but he also doesn't come across very threatening. The end comes quickly and without fanfare and I was just left wondering what the point was. There's a lot of good moments between Batman and his sidekicks, and some decent art, but otherwise I was let down.
June 19, 2015
So the virus from Contagion is back and the rich of Gotham are infected. They all seem to be stuck in this building for the rich, (don't remember those details because it has been so long since I read it) Of course it is up to Gotham's hero to save them all. I do like crossovers, I just thought this could have been longer but it is a quick little follow up to an previous crossover, so i guess i can be ok with that.
August 6, 2010
It felt a bit more like a re-run than a new story at times, but the addition of Ra's Al Ghul and the reintroduction of Bane made it worth reading.
June 2, 2013
Dreadfully boring, laughably bad 90s art, unintentionally funny. The "world is at stake" and yet all I can think about are mullets and ponytails.
August 12, 2015
The art isn't great and the dialogue is awful, but there's a good plot and some great character moments.
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