Batman and Catwoman are making their way into DC’s next big event. This week’s Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 officially draws the battle lines for the upcoming conflict. The issue shows that Catwoman’s plans for “cleaning up” Gotham City serve as the catalyst for the forthcoming war. However, it also indicates that recent events, especially the Knight Terrors crossover event, have left Batman in an exhausted state — one that is capable of war with Catwoman.
The Catalyst for War Between Batman and Catwoman
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1 comes from Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard. The prelude to DC’s next event shows how Batman and Catwoman end up at odds. However, the beginnings of this war begin back in DC’s other big event: Knight Terrors.
In Knight Terrors, all the heroes of DC were put into a deep sleep. However, Batman was spared from his slumber as he tried to set things right. By the end of the event, Batman was so exhausted from the lack of sleep that he fell into a coma-like state. One that lasted for two entire months. During that time, Catwoman took it upon herself to keep Gotham safe. To do this, she trained every henchman in the city to be a cat burglar. They only committed non-violent crimes and stole from the rich. As a result, the violent crime rate in Gotham dropped by 75%.
Batman and Catwoman At Odds
As Batman and the rest of the Bat-family get back to business in Gotham, Catwoman lays out her plans to keep the henchmen as her personal cat burglars. Of course, Batman is not on board with this plan as it still allows crime to take place in the city. Plus, he now must deal with the fact that Gotham is thriving in his two-month hiatus. Something that hurts his ego and may have him reevaluating his purpose as a vigilante.
As Batman and Catwoman stay at odds, the death of one of the burglarizing henchmen is enough to force Batman’s hand. He is now determined to stop Catwoman by any means necessary.
