Legends of the Dark Knight #26

Dreaming He Is a Butterfly

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Legends of the Dark Knight has produced some of the best Batman stories coming out in comics, but it is not always the greatest comic on the market. A constantly changing creative team necessitates at least a little shift of quality from arc to arc, and the last two arcs have been varying degrees of disappointing. However, the last issue was an excellent introduction to a two part Scarecrow story, and it was of much greater quality than the excruciatingly trite and canned Scarecrow story being featured in the current issues of The Dark Knight. Does the second half of this story prove this to be the superior Scarecrow arc, or was the first issue nothing more than a frightening illusion?

In this issue, Bruce Wayne, though maimed beyond hope, uses his intellect to help Commissioner Gordon stop crime.

Crippled with Fear

This is a somewhat sad story, but it is excellent. Seeing Bruce Wayne portrayed in a more realistic fashion is both refreshing and frightening. It hurts to see a hero brought so low in a way that seems to reach across the fictional divide and bring actual distress to my heart. Silly, I know, but it is difficult to read a story about someone who tried so hard to do the right thing only to be defeated by his own frailty.

This issue reminds me of the soldiers who have sacrificed limbs defending freedom and killing monsters without complaint. It reminds of the elderly who die slowly and painfully in nursing homes because their bodies simply cannot sustain them any longer. It reminds me of the cold, harsh reality that death is a part of life, and in many ways, it is what defines our lives.

Perhaps I am being a little overly sensitive at the moment for I am sympathizing with my girlfriend whose best friend will be having major brain surgery for the second time in the last few years due to brain cancer. She is only about thirty years old, and even though it is a common story, it is painful to see someone fight off cancer for years only to have it remerge once more. Hopefully, all will go well tomorrow.

Regardless of how my personal feelings might be heightened because of my current circumstances, I believe this story is still powerful in its own right. It concludes in a way which is not unexpected, but it is still reasonable, entertaining and intriguing.

Conclusion 10/10

This is a great issue. Not an overly happy issue but still excellent.