Following a slightly divisive Cyborg film as part of it's last entry. The DC Extended Universe's second chapter would continue with a sequel of it's still highest received installment yet. Which of course was Batman Year One, while Batman Year One very much set the stage for the story of Bruce Wayne (Wes Bentley) and his first year transitioning into the caped crusader that is Batman. In contrast to this year two promised to focus heavily on Gotham's evolution in the face of this costumed crime fighter. In particular as we'd see later on a lot of this focus was on how the criminal world had reacted to having such a threat to the operations. As we'd quickly learn Gotham had a new mayor in place as former District Attorney Marion Grange (Carla Gugino) was firmly in charge now having officially been granted the title. Unfortunately for Marion, her close friend Harvey Dent (Jon Hamm) would not be at her side due to Dent being scarred at the trial of Salvatore Maroni (Al Pacino). Since that time multiple surgeries had been undertaken to repair the damage done to him, unfortunately Dent in turn had shut himself off from the world and isolated himself refusing to see or speak to those who held him near and dear. Looking to honor and continue the work that Dent had done by her side, one of Grange's big missions was tackling corruption throughout the city as best she can.
As we'd learn many of the police force welcomed the changes implemented by Marion Grange. This included pushing forward with the incarceration of Arnold Flass (Christopher Meloni). With Flass offering testimonials to bring down both the Maroni and Falcone families following their war, Flass was kept very much in isolation in his time in Blackgate penitentiary under the watchful eye of Warden Agatha Zarbatos (Andie MacDowell). Despite Grange's best efforts however there was still one major bad apple in Howard Branden (Josh Helman). Accompanied by his band of officers Ramona Cavallo (Ana Ayora), Travis Nie (Rob Morgan) and Marcus Wise (Marshall Allman). It appeared that Branden and his platoon had done enough to cover their tracks and corruption at least for now much to the anger and dismay of Jim Gordon (Bryan Cranston) who found himself frequently in conflict with Branden's means. As we'd soon find it wouldn't just be Branden who proved to be a thorn in Gordon's side as we'd see Oswald Cobblepott/Penguin (Nick Frost) receive a lot more focus in this sequel. Despite being the man to personally kill Carmine Falcone (Robert De Niro), it appeared that Oswald still was far from being the so called king of Gotham.
As despite his efforts and rise, it seemed that not many saw Oswald as more than what he was. An arms dealer with a legitimate business to front his illicit dealings in the Iceberg Lounge. This would cause a lot of anger and frustration from Cobblepott who truly sought recognition and respect which the likes of Falcone and Maroni had commanded before him. However Oswald's lack of respect also would prove of value in some ways as the rest of Gotham's underworld continued to use Oswald to purchase munitions and broker deals or alliances. It would be here that we would be introduced to the next wave of players across Gotham which further displayed the power vacuum which had been triggered by the fall of it's two most powerful families. At the very front of the contenders was Anthony "Boss" Zucco (Harvey Keitel), described in many ways as the third and often forgotten player in the Falcone/Maroni war. Anthony Zucco's profits was strictly all from racketeering and extortion. Usually Zucco as we'd learn wasn't one to get his hands dirty and would often call in favors to get others to do his bidding. A regular hand of his would be another player in the Gotham Underworld by the name of Warren White (Arnold Vosloo), while seen by many in power as just a lone shark and a violent one at that to those who don't make payment.
White was seen by Zucco as a useful pawn in his game despite White's threats of launching a takeover of his own which showed a boastful, arrogance if not outright overconfidence from White. Very much opposing Zucco for the throne however as Rupert Thorne (Joe Pesci). Described as a crime lord who had been around longer than both Falcone and Maroni, Rupert Thorne has long been able to hide his illicit activities with his public position as a beloved city council chairman. Shown to be a powerful man, Thorne thanks to his connections was believed to often hire freelancers to carry out hits on those who even caught wind of him doing something criminal. It was through his power that even Zucco knew to launch an outright attack would be suicide. Another powerful player in Gotham who had been around for a long time was Erin McKillen (Anjelica Huston), the head of McKillen crime family who had ties to the IRA. Erin McKillen was described as a hot headed figure who had in the past made for a valuable associate of Carmine Falcone. Following the death of his brother Jefferson (50 Cent), we'd learn that the drug operation in Gotham was now being handled by Edward Skeevers (Method Man). Unlike his rash, hot headed and impulsive brother, Edward Skeevers was shown to have a lot more tact and a stoicism which made him a lot harder to read or manipulate.
A new arrival to Gotham with ties to the Russian Bratva would be Alexandra Koslov (Marion Cotillard). Believed to be the first ever female captain, the torture and training this woman endured was described as barbaric but in it's place left a ruthless individual who would strike down anyone who opposed her. Another player with ties to the Falcone/Maroni war would be Lew Moxon (Peter Greene). Described as an unscrupulous gangster who was very much seen as a small fish in the pond by the bigger players, Moxon was someone that truly sought to profit with this carnage and disarray. As for the final two players in this war, we'd first begin with Maximillian Zeus (Rob McElhenney). Said to have once been quite a decorated teacher of both Math and history, Zeus after suffering the loss of his family through his trauma became convinced he was a descendent of Zeus in the Greek Pantheon. Believing himself to be a god, Zeus would turn to crime and thanks to his background and intelligence would quickly recruit himself a group of loyal criminals around him. Lastly in a total contrast to the bold Zeus, would be Black Mask. A mysterious but vicious crime lord who kept his face concealed and often times would have his associate Number One (Jaime Hector) in his place for any and all business dealings. As we'd also learn Mario Falcone (Jaime Bell) despite the wishes of his father had remained in Gotham intent on revenge and had aligned himself with Rupert Thorne.
This wouldn't be the only alliance among the criminals as we'd see a collective formed between Anthony Zucco, Lew Moxon and Eddie Skeevers. Very much in the leadership role of this was Anthony Zucco who very much saw only Rupert Thorne as his competition. Angered at the lack of respect he'd again been shown Penguin would very much keep his true feelings hidden, as instead he'd only confide in his right hand man Ignatius Oglivy (Tahdg Murphy) as to his real feelings. Ignatius as we'd learn in many ways was someone like the Penguin. Someone who has had to work his way up and has been overlooked and written off by many in the past, Oglivy was shown to be fiercly loyal to Penguin and thanks to his past had some connections and skills which made him a worthy second in command. While not fully aware of just how bad things were Gordon would later meet with Marion Grange and Sarah Essen (Jennifer Carpenter) to discuss the state of Gotham. As we'd learn during this meeting Marion Grange was facing her own issues thanks to a rival politician named Hamilton Hill (Justin Long). Shown to be highly unscrupulous and shameless in his tactics, Hamilton Hill had long opposed Marion Grange and was very much shown to play dirty in an attempt to slander her name. This as we'd learn was apart of Rupert Thorne's plot to take over Gotham as he very much had Hill in his back pocket.
Showing some intelligence of his own Oswald Cobblepott realized that in order for him to have a shot in this budding war for Gotham he'd need some help himself. Realizing that he couldn't go up against Thorne and Zucco alone, Oswald would begin to look at the other players in the war and his own connections. Firstly Oswald would swear in Branden and his allies as his own personal militia while also brokering an arrangement with Aleksandra Kozlov. Thorne meanwhile as we'd learn in this war was not only joined by Mario Falcone but had also managed to secure himself an alliance with Erin McKillen. With that we'd go back to focus on Gordon in the GCPD and the introduction of Jim's daughter Barbara Gordon (Jane Levy). A recent university graduate who excelled in forensic science, Barbara Gordon thanks to her father's reputation had been brought into the GCPD. However despite Jim being proud of his daughter's work there was a noted tension between the Gordons. This would be down to Jim only wanting Barbara to be behind a desk and not out in the field. Despite Gordon very much being someone who was a straight arrow, he by this point had shown willing when it come to working with the Batman. As had Sarah Essen as the pair truly believed he was good for Gotham City. This included a recent Batman bust which led to in Gordon's words the GCPD striking gold with the arrest of Judson Caspian (Jim Caviezel). Said to be a gun for hire who has done dirty work for a who's who of the Gotham underworld.
While details of Judson's exact level of involvement or his crimes weren't the most detailed. It was clear that Judson Caspian was far from a good man but with his arrest there was potential for some big moves to be made by the GCPD. As we'd quickly learn despite his many crimes and misdeeds, Judson Caspian deep down was a family man and a scared one at that who wanted what was best for his wife Sarah (Tara Strong) and daughter Rachel (Alyvia Alyn Lind). Wanting to protect them and keep them safe Judson was willing to give up everything to ensure their safety. Unfortunately however despite Gordon's best efforts to keep this on the low, Branden and his team would eventually find out this news and pass it onto Oswald. Seeing an opportunity to use this as a means to make a play, Oswald would reach out to Alice Sinner (Rainey Qualley). An assistant director at Arkham Asylum, there was little known about Alice's rise except for the fact that she had personally been mentored by the Arkham family. During his meeting with Alice, we'd see that Sinner was obsessed with sin. Showing sociopathic traits in her own right, Sinner would agree to open the doors of some of Arkham's darkest secrets. This would introduce some more comic book esque characters as opposed to the grounded mobsters we have so far focused on.
The first of which we'd be introduced to the mysterious Tally Man (Matthew Lillard). A man who's origin story was unknown, The Tally Man was a creepy individual who when he spoke would often speak in an almost sing along fashion as he proclaimed you can't outrun the tally man. The Tally Man as we'd learn from Sinner was a ruthless serial killer who had never been on Arkham's books having been trapped in one of it's secret rooms for years. Wearing long dark robes reminiscent of an old tax collector, The Tally Man as Penguin and Sinner would describe was not someone who could be reasoned or bargained with but he was someone who could draw attention. The second would be Metalhead (Joey Ansah). A nameless assassin who had been trapped in Arkham for a few years now, Metalhead as we'd learn previously had worked as a gun for hire for Black Mask. Known for wearing his own elaborate costume which includes a spiked mask, Metalhead seemed willing to work for whomever was paying him at the time. The final Arkham resident we'd meet would be Joseph Rigger (Gethin Anthony). By far the most tragic story and sympathetic figure of the bunch, Rigger was an Iraq war veteran who had served in several tours overseas as an explosive expert. Unfortunately due to the horrors of war and the scars of battle even on his return this explosive expert never left the warzone.
Known to be apart of a unit called the firebugs, Rigger's psychosis and PTSD saw him kill his own family in an explosion leading to his incarceration. Since that time Rigger's sanity would fully slip following treatment with Sinner and this led to him becoming the villainous Firebug clad in his old army uniform. While these three criminals would give us some of the more comic centric imagery. We'd soon be introduced to a couple of other players on the game on this line. The first of which would be Kozlov's associate Gregor Dosynski (Andrei Arlovski) aka NVKDemon. A russian mercenary who has long been under the employ of the Bratva, Gregor was very much a loyal follower of Kozlov and her orders. Meanwhile Johnny Lamonica (Sebastian Foucan) aka Black Spider was a freelance assassin who we'd learn was loyal to the highest bidder. As this mob war would begin to take itself into the streets we'd see Bruce Wayne later talk with his butler and close friend Alfred Pennyworth (Charles Dance). As always not only would Alfred show himself to be a caring, protective figure to Bruce but again he'd also show his intelligence and wise nature as he remarked about how the rise of the Batman has caused the city to change. For while criminals are scared and intimidated of the Batman. In turn they have also evolved in their tactics for how to contend with him and one another. Calling Bruce's mission a noble one but one which is taxing for just one man. Alfred reminds Bruce that even with his help from the batcave he cannot do this alone.
It would be then during this conversation Alfred spoke about not just the good that Batman had done so far for Gotham. But also what Bruce Wayne had done. This would be a shift in the conversation as the pair began to discuss a project near and dear to his heart which was an orphanage. Not only had Bruce sought to help those in need through the city but to honor his parents legacy, he also started an orphanage and foundation for troubled kids who had lost their families just like he had. In doing these out reaches Bruce became aware of a young man by the name of Dick Grayson (Dacre Montgomery). As we'd learn Dick Grayson came from a family of acrobats who travelled across the globe known as the Flying Graysons. Dick's parents would be John Grayson (Cameo Appearance: Zachary Levi) and Mary Grayson (Cameo Appearance: Kat Dennings). It was said that the Graysons' act was spectacular but one which required a lot of risk as they performed without a safety net. While John and Mary were capable of some very impressive feats, the belief was that Dick Grayson very much would excel their capabilities thanks to his impressive athletic and gymnastic abilities. With their reputation the Graysons would travel all across the country until one fateful night they would perform at Haly's Circus for C.C. Haly (Cameo Appearance: Paul Whitehouse).
The owner and founder of the circus C.C. Haly found himself in some trouble as of late when Anthony Zucco and his crew of thugs began to want to extort him for money like they had countless others. On top of this Edward Skeevers wanted to use the circus and its tours as a front for his drug trafficking. With his right hand man Jack Crane (Sticky Fingaz) carrying out the orders. Despite being intimidated by the former GCPD cop turned career criminal, Haly would refuse to work with Zucco and Skeevers and this would cost him dearly as the duo sabotaged his next show. This sabotage would very much affect the performances of John and Mary who had their equipment tampered with and it was with this sabotage that the pair fell to their death before the eyes of Dick Grayson. With everyone including Haly too scared to speak out, Zucco would get away with this criminal act and Grayson would near enough find himself a product of the system. Having attended the show that night Alfred Pennyworth had other ideas and after consulting with Bruce, the pair agreed to take Dick in. For his part Bruce wanted to provide Dick with the life and upbringing he didn't have and help guide him away from the mistakes that Bruce made. However it was in his interactions with Dick that Alfred noted some major differences between Grayson and Wayne. For while Bruce was on a quest for vengeance, Dick was shown instead to be in the path for justice. As we'd find on top of being a skilled athlete, Dick was highly intelligent and one night he was able to gain entry to the Batcave and in turn would piece together what Bruce was doing and his identity.
With this realization that Bruce was the Batman, Dick Grayson would to his credit want to also follow in Bruce's footsteps and be a protector in this city. Bruce however wasn't sure about this and what followed would be a conversation between Alfred and Bruce about how to handle the matter. During this conversation again Alfred mentioned how Bruce shouldn't be doing this alone and it is clear that Grayson was going to try and do this with or without their help. With Bruce and Alfred agreeing to help him and mentor Dick, we'd see Dick elect to honor his parents further by taking the name of Robin for when he finally enters the field. As we'd soon find however it wouldn't just be Dick Grayson that Bruce would begin to train. With Alfred tasking long time ally Lucius Fox (Ernie Hudson) to construct Dick a suit of his own, Bruce found as Batman that he'd begin to find an added ally in Barbara Gordon. Unlike Dick however who knew Bruce Wayne and not Batman, in the case of Barbara she'd only know Batman and made it clear that while she was happy to help him with police information as best she can, she wanted to step into the field herself and would do so with or without help. In response to this despite some misgivings, Batman would also agree to mentor Barbara but unlike in the case of Dick, Bruce would be sure to keep his identity from her.
While Dick began to progress in his training we'd see some changes occur in his personal life. For while he'd begin to steadily progress in his training and nearly become ready to be out in the field. Fate would also bring Dick together with Barbara Gordon in a chance encounter. With neither realizing their connection through Batman, the pair quickly hit it off and showed a lot of chemistry. With this very much being a slow burn tease for what would come in the future, we'd also get a look into Dick's past through the introduction of Lonnie Machin (Dane Dehaan). An old friend of Dick who he'd known from his time in CC Haly's circus. Lonnie Machin and Dick very much were said to be polar opposites. For while Dick had a loving family but one who had to work for everything they had. In the case of Lonnie, he had grown up in a wealthy background but one which was also filled unfortunately with neglect leaving Machin constantly looking for something to fill the void. While Machin previously had no real purpose to his misdemeanors we'd now see that Lonnie was on a crusade against perceived authoritarianism. Revealed to be a tagger and someone with several offenses on his docket, Machin wanted to go bigger and it seemed that he wanted Dick to come with him. Albeit with some hesitancy Dick would accompany Lonnie as he looked to tag a unknown location.
As we'd soon learn this would be the Martha Wayne memorial art gallery. This caused some friction between Dick and Lonnie which was only followed with the reveal that Lonnie had come armed with a stun baton. This Lonnie would use not just to stun Dick Grayson but also to knockout the security guards showing that Machin wasn't afraid to use violence. With the police arriving on the scene we'd see both Dick Grayson and Lonnie Machin be arrested for trespassing while Machin was also arrested for assault. Later that night Bruce Wayne would arrive and as the owner of the building he'd agree not to press charges against Dick and pay for his bail/release. But in the case of Lonnie, knowing his crimes and past offences, Wayne would simply decree that some sins can't go unpunished before he'd leave Machin in jail. As we'd later learn following an evaluation Lonnie Machin was put in Arkham under the care of Alice Sinner. Feeling bad for his part in Lonnie's crime, Dick would look to make amends but Bruce was open in saying everyone makes mistakes. Alfred meanwhile continued mentoring Dick as we'd learn a little more of Alfred's backstory. Revealing he was a former member of British intelligence and a unit known as the Black Hawks. Following this revelation Alfred would confirm with Dick that Lucius Fox had designed his suit and he was nearly ready for the field. Unfortunately before then we'd see thanks to Branden's information being leaked, a hit was put on Judson Caspian. With Branden and his team proving their corruption further by opening the doors, it wouldn't be long for low level thugs looking to impress the likes of Thorne and Zucco to enter the fray.
Sadly the timing of this attack would coincide with a visit of Judson's family to the GCPD. During the ensuing chaos and carnage we would see unfortunately that the lives of Judson's wife and daughter were claimed before his eyes. With Jim Gordon and Sarah Essen firing back at the mobsters and Branden and his unit playing face trying to get others to safety, we'd see Batman arrive on scene in order to help clean house. During the many shootouts one of Branden's own men Marcus Wise would be shot and killed by one of the mobsters. In this battle we'd also see both Metalhead and Tallyman enter the fray. The sinister Tallyman after stabbing one officer managed to wound Jim Gordon on the flesh level with a knife. Showing her prowess Barbara would fight against the Tallyman and with the assistance of Sarah Essen she would manage to knock him out. Batman meanwhile found himself facing off with Metalhead and despite the armed Metalhead proving to be a formidable opponent, Batman managed to defeat Metalhead and take him down for the police to capture him. Off the back of this Hamilton Hill would use this chaos in the streets to further claim that Grange was not fit to be mayor. Unfortunately in all this as we'd soon find Judson Caspian had also vanished.
As we'd learn the grieving Judson Caspian had fled and with the deaths of his family, his sanity had began to slip. Unfortunately as we'd learn in the case of Judson Caspian his crimes and capabilities were far beyond what the police and the criminals of Gotham had intended. Revealed to be the fabled killer who had once haunted Gotham in the past known as the Reaper. Judson had retired these days similar with his other crimes of burying bodies to start a new life with his family. In many ways on seeing this frightening origin story there was some john wick vibes as Caspian relocated his old Reaper gear and the scythe based weaponry. With his knowledge of bases and criminal caches, Caspian was soon able to arm himself further while leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Tearing through the criminal underworld like a knife through butter with his rage and insanity fueling him. Judson Caspian quickly built up quite the body count as he claimed the lives of Edward Skeevers, Erin McKillen and Jack Crane in swift fashion. In fact the only person able to survive an encounter with the Reaper was Warren White but this would be at the cost of serious injuries including facial damage which scarred his faces thanks to Reaper attacking him in a drug lab and forcing White face first into some chemicals. While Reaper's viciousness and killing spree did strike fear in Gotham, there was a few who felt that Reaper was in fact a more effective variant of Batman. One name in particular who sung the praises of Reaper was Jack Ryder (Aaron Stanton) but his hot take would often be questioned by Vicky Vale (Sophia Bush) who was quick to point out the collateral damage caused by Reaper.
As we'd find as the film continued it's slow build, Alfred Pennyworth looked to further continue the development of Dick Grayson. Looking perhaps to help Dick overcome his issues, Alfred reached out to an old friend of the Wayne family known as Leslie Thompkins (Katherine Heigl). A highly respected surgeon who very much owed her start in her medical career to the Wayne family. Thanks to this loyalty and the trust she had garnered, in many ways Leslie was seen by Bruce as a sister like figure and one of the rare few he'd trust to know his mission. Thompkins along with helping treat many of Bruce's physical injuries would also act as a confidant who made sure to make notes of Bruce's mental state. It would then be Thompkins who noted something very similar to Alfred that in many ways Dick Grayson based on his character, personality and beliefs not only could become a better hero than Bruce Wayne but with Bruce opting to distance himself in many effect. It was clear that Dick Grayson despite his youth was in fact more emotionally well balanced
With Reaper claiming victims on all sides of the criminal front, it appeared that a call was made in an effort to unify their forces. This meeting would be arranged by both Anthony Zucco and Rupert Thorne with several of Gotham's players also in attendance. This included Maxie Zeus, Black Mask, Lew Moxon and surprisingly Alexandra Kozlov. One person who notably wasn't invited for this meeting was Penguin with Thorne and Zucco still not seeing Penguin as a worthy player and one who should stay in his lane. Kozlov meanwhile as we'd learn had grown sick of Penguin and his attempts to absorb her operation. Unfortunately as we'd see Penguin had very much made a counter measure for this. Tipping off Branden and the GCPD it wouldn't be too long until the hotel in which this meeting was taking place would soon become a warzone. As not only did Branden and his men show up looking for revenge for the death of Marcus Wise but we'd see many police officers out for revenge following the GCPD assault. With this sting operation in place we'd see carnage erupt in the hotel and through the streets of Gotham.
This battle would also attract the attention of Reaper and Batman who would begin to make their way to the scene. During the chaos we would see Alexandra Kozlov be arrested and apprehended by Sarah Essen while Lew Moxon was shot dead by Howard Branden. With Thorne, Zucco, Mask and Zeus able to make their escapes Reaper found himself stood opposite the Batman. This would be the very brutal fight in which both Reaper and Batman held nothing back. As we'd see Reaper was the first opponent of Batman who actually matched him when it came to combat and thanks to his psychopathic break Judson held nothing back and was able to withstand a shocking amount of pain. With Reaper continuing to strike back and Bruce battling his conscience of needing to kill Judson, we'd see this sentiment was not shared by Reaper who started to viciously beat down Batman. This would be until Gordon and Sarah Essen arrived on the scene and fired off some rounds. This would lead to Reaper fleeing off into the night while Essen and Gordon allowed Bruce Wayne to flee. With Bruce healing up from his injuries with help from Dr. Thompkins, we'd see a surprising visitor show up at Wayne Manor in Barbara Gordon. Admitting that she never wanted to know who the Batman was but she is here for a reason. Reuniting with Dick and also meeting Alfred for the first time Barbara having used all her resources to find out just who Bruce was very much showed her intelligence as she said that it is clear Gotham needs help but that the GCPD and Batman cannot do it alone. With that Barbara gives Bruce access to the GCPD hard drives which includes all the information the police has on Judson Caspian.
This would very much serve as Barbara's official induction into the Bat family as we'd also see her and Dick continue to grow close. While Bruce still seemed hesitant to have Barbara enter the field we would see Alfred in fact begin assisting in Barbara's training. Meanwhile in the GCPD, Sarah Essen would continue to mentor Barbara's combat skills also. The story would then shift back to the Iceberg lounge, here we would meet the true criminal consortium operating in the shadows of Gotham as Penguin, Black Mask, Hamilton Hill and Howard Branden meet. The group very much seem happy with the losses to the Thorne and Zucco side with Black Spider also present in the room and listening in. This all seemingly being one big shadowy power play which is treated like a game of chess. Penguin proclaimed that the next move would be to kill Marion Grange and officially move Hamilton Hill into the big seat. Hill who was shown very much to be a plant in Thorne's operation seemed overjoyed at this part of the plan and it would be then that Ignatius introduced them to the players who would handle this part with Joseph Rigger aka Firebug being brought into the field and also Lonnie Machin having been released by Arkham now under the name of Anarky. During this meeting however we would see a small bit of friction relating to who was the true boss and leader between Penguin and Black Mask.
The stage for this attack would very much be set at a debate held between Marion Grange and Hamilton Hill. It seemed the plan was for Anarky to trigger a riot or install chaos on the situation with one of his speeches, allowing Rigger to get in position and burn Marion to death. However during the opening stages of this attack Batman would catch wind of this attack and for the first time we would see Batman and Robin enter the field. With a maniacal and unstable Rigger firing off his flame weaponry on the streets of Gotham outside city hall, Anarky meanwhile looked to cause widespread panic as he attacked people in the crowd. With Robin facing off with Anarky we'd see Batman battle Rigger and during this fight it would be a batarang throw by Batman which led to Firebug's own weaponry to malfunction with Rigger burning to death. Anarky meanwhile would fight against Robin in a battle which had been teased a few times throughout the film. This would culminate with Robin defeating his friend in a hand to hand fight and leading him to be rearrested. With Rigger dead and Anarky arrested this would very much put some attention on Arkham Asylum and Sinner, it would also further the conflict between Penguin and Black Mask. Seeing an opportunity to further his own ends, Hamilton Hill would head to a company known as Janus Pharmaceuticals.
Here we would learn that Janus was in fact a company owned by Black Mask. With Number One leading him through the building under the guise of Janus' security consort. We'd also see Black Spider in a public facing role as a security guard. There would be a sense of intimidation and feelin that Hill might be out of his depth as he was led to an office of Roman Sionis (Titus Welliver). Dropping the facade of the businessman and quickly revealing himself to be Black Mask, there was a sinister air from Roman who made it clear that he was the one to be in charge of Gotham and that Hill had best make the right decision with which side he will play. As we'd quickly see these words would be a grand foreshadowing of things to come as in the next scenes of the film we'd see Reaper tear through Rupert Thorne's estate. With only Mario Falcone able to avoid the Reaper by finding a place to hide. The reaper would eventually confront Thorne and in a show of Thorne's character, he didn't cower or run from his fate. Instead after asking f there was a price for his life, Thorne took a final drink before Reaper cut him down with a scythe. With the death of the prominent businessman Rupert Thorne now out there Jim Gordon and his daughter Barbara and Marion Grange.
Acknowledging there is a war in Gotham and that clearly part of it is being contributed to by Arkham Asylum and the GCPD. Grange admits that these are issues which she will fully support tackling but that for now Reaper is the biggest problem in Gotham. As his wave is putting innocent lives in danger and further adding fuel to the fire. Citing the murder of a prolific businessman and official. Grange says that while Thorne was long rumored to be dirty, his death will have a great impact on Gotham as it truly feels that no one is safe. This would be further on display when in broad daylight as Reaper showed up at Janus and began cutting down people left and right. This attack would force the usually aggressive Roman Sionis aka Black Mask to flee with the help of Black Spider and Number One. It would be later in secret that Sionis revealed that he knew Penguin had to have leaked his identity for someone like Reaper to have found this out.
In the next scenes we would see all four sides of the criminal circuit about to go to war for Gotham. We'd begin by focusing on Penguin and Ignatius Oglivy arming up with their many soldiers. From here we would see Anthony Zucco and his men also preparing for this all out war for Gotham. In a quick flash we'd see Black Mask and his men preparing for conflict as well as Maxie Zeus who was joined now by NVKDemon. This war would break out all over the streets of Gotham with bullets flying and various bodies falling when the GCPD and Gordon arrived on scene looking to bring this carnage to a halt. Also in the field would be Batman and Robin while it all went off. During this carnage and conflict we would see Batman fight Black Spider in what was a close fight before Batman knocked out the mercenary and left him to the GCPD. During the ensuing chaos Branden and his men in masks launched an attack on Zucco and his unit. With Many of Zucco's men falling it would be Robin who surprisingly stepped in and managed to disarm Branden and his men. Showing his growth as a hero Robin then easily knocked a terrified Zucco down before handing him over to the GCPD and Jim Gordon. With Anthony Zucco out of the equation, the next point of interest would be the entrance of Reaper into the field. Showing his force once again Reaper wasted little time in cutting down NVKDemon. In turn this would allow Penguin to fire off and shoot Maxie Zeus in the head proving that the god was in fact a man as he laid on the floor dead.
Realizing that the GCPD troops continued to take hold Penguin and his men started to flee. In the process we would see Oglivy manage to shoot and kill Black Mask's number one while Mask himself had also managed to escape once and for all. During this carnage thanks to the works of the GCPD and Batman, we'd see Reaper also vanish into the night albeit with a new target in mind in the Penguin. The aftermath of this chaos would very much see Anthony Zucco put in police custody while we also learned that Mario Falcone had officially heeded his father's warning and finally fled the city of Gotham once and for all. With Janus Pharmaceuticals closed and Black Mask gone, it wouldn't take long for Penguin to continue his power play as we'd learn not long after that both Anthony Zucco and Johnny Lamonica would be killed in prison. Gordon meanwhile would confront Branden but much to his anger despite what Gordon believed there was still no definitive proof of Branden's guilt. Batman meanwhile in a step which would show the first signs of friction in his relationship with Robin would turn to a surprising source. Appearing in the Iceberg Lounge, Batman swiftly knocked out Ovlivy who made the mistake of trying to attack the dark knight. Noticing that Penguin was stockpiling weaponry, Batman says they both know it won't be long until the Reaper comes to visit.
In a highly tense conversation between batman and penguin a deal would then be made. An agreement based on mutual respect in that if Penguin helps Batman take down Reaper and his operation stops this civil war through Gotham which is putting innocent lives at risk. Batman will turn a blind eye to some of his operations as long as Penguin stops pushing guns and drugs into the streets. After thinking this deal through Penguin would accept and even offer to provide an exchange of information from time to time. Agreeing to act as bait it wouldn't take long for Reaper to arrive to what was an emptied Iceberg Lounge which only had an anxious Penguin standing by. This would soon be exposed as a trap as Batman and a reluctant Robin entered the fray to fight against Reaper. During this vicious fight Penguin managed to shoot Reaper in a weak point of his armor and this wound allowed Batman to then finally defeat and best the Reaper. In the aftermath of the fall of Reaper, we'd see how Gotham had fully changed shape in this film. As following all the action we'd now see Penguin officially in line as the King of Gotham's criminal Underworld, meanwhile Hamilton Hill would continue to speak out against Mayor Grange as he worked alongside Penguin.
Rumors would continue to circulate of Black Mask sightings in Gotham's underworld while we'd see Jim Gordon and Sarah Essen meet with Grange. During this conversation Grange agreed to allow a sting on Arkham Asylum to further learn of it's place in the war for Gotham. On top of this Grange would allow Essen permission to investigate Branden and his unit. We would then also in a key tease see Alfred Pennyworth continue his training of Barbara Gordon before introducing her to Lucius Fox who informed Barbara that similar to Dick, it was time for her to try on her suit! The closing scenes however would see a call between Branden and Penguin which revealed that Penguin was in fact the one who ordered the deaths of Caspian's family and that it was Branden who made the arrangements for it to happen. From here Penguin would meet with Batman and this would very much be their first exchange of information as Batman would warn Penguin that Mask was still out there in the shadows. Penguin meanwhile in turn would tell Batman of a new crew in Gotham carrying out violent robberies, with it's leader always leaving a calling card. With that Penguin would hand Batman one of the calling cards which was a Joker! |
