Summary
- Batman and his family are at odds over Catwoman’s plan to train low-level criminals to target the wealthy, causing a major internal conflict.
- The Bat-Family members are divided on whether Catwoman’s plan is effective in reducing crime or if it goes against their values.
- The intense debate between the Bat-Family members could lead to a devastating schism and potentially the end of the team.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1!A wedge issue is doing the impossible and causing an internal war between Batman and his family. A bold initiative is already causing strife between the team and setting up a devastating schism for the Bat-Family.
In Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Tini Howard, and Mike Hawthorne, Batman has woken up from a slumber that’s lasted nearly two months. Refreshed for the first time in weeks, Bruce notices that things have changed in Gotham and that villains are floundering. Tim Drake tells his mentor that Catwoman has something she wants to say to the Bat-Family.
The team meets with Selina Kyle, who informs them that she’s begun training Gotham’s low-level criminals to target the wealthy, a plan that’s seen a 75% reduction in crime. Batman is outraged at the idea, but he’s even more angry that several of his allies consider entertaining the idea. Signal, Spoiler, and Batwoman discuss the merits of Catwoman’s plan while Tim suggests studying it further. Bruce’s son Damian vehemently disagrees with the plan while Nightwing also discounts it. Batman storms out, aghast that any of his allies could agree with Catwoman.
Bat-Family Members Are Siding With Catwoman to Save Gotham
The Bat-Family has been working with Batman for years to help save Gotham from the many threats within it. However, no matter how many times the team puts away threats like Joker, Two-Face, or Riddler, there’s always some element of crime that’s waiting to fill the void. Even with the Bat-Family larger than ever, Gotham still suffers from high levels of street crime, corrupt police officers, colorful criminals, and the occasional world-ending event. But the team carries on, fighting alongside their leader to protect the innocents of Gotham.
It’s no wonder that several of the Bat-Family would want to at least discuss Catwoman’s idea. In Bruce’s absence, the team saw crime go down in real time, so they know for a fact that what Selina’s done is working. However, Batman has a point: They can’t stand by and allow a specific group to be victimized. Batman also points out that everyone in the Bat-Family is a victim of crime, and it’d be against the spirit of the team to look the other way. As the Bat-Family faces this intense debate, cracks are already starting to form in the beloved family of heroes.
Can the Bat-Family Survive Batman and Catwoman’s War?
A team as large as the Bat-Family is going to have disagreements occasionally. However, rarely do those arguments target the ideological ties that bind Gotham’s heroes. Catwoman’s mission is forcing the team to look inward and see what values each member holds. While every Bat-Family member wants to help out Gotham, they don’t all seem to be on the same page as to what that help looks like. If the Bat-Family can’t agree on whether Catwoman’s plan is helpful or not, then there might not be a Bat-Family for much longer. Fans can see more of the growing rift between the team in Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1, on sale now.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
