Abishai100
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- Sep 22, 2013
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I think the hallmark of American crime-storytelling is the presentation of colorful detectives and the reflective celebration of civics-fantasy films such as Dick Tracy, Police Academy, and The Shadow, so here's a Batman (DC Comics) adapted crime-paranoia short-story I wrote (most likely my final comics-adapted Internet blog!) about urban danger in the context of 'American ambition.'
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Bruce Wayne was anticipating his 60th birthday and contemplating the successes of his vigilante alter-ego 'Batman.' He was proud of having successfully arrested Gotham's various underworld nemeses such as the Mad Hatter, Harley Quinn, and Ra's al Ghul. He was also happy that his young protege (and son) Damian Wayne had now taken up the reins as Gotham's new vigilante, Sabre. Bruce was in his bat-cave perusing the news and city spy-cam videos on his multi-panel computer display and relaying to Sabre valuable information to help the young crusader do what Batman used to do in the past.
This night was different. Sabre came home and reported to Wayne that there was a new menace in Gotham City, and it was not associated with the known primary underworld element The Black Mask (a longstanding crime syndicate even Batman was not able to eradicate). This new element was calling itself the Russian Dawn (a narcotics operation), and it was raising a stir, since its leadership had bifurcated and given rise to two radical new factions which stood in opposition to each other. The first faction was called Devil, and it was invested in organized crime, while the second faction was called Leviathan, and it was invested in smuggling.
Devil was comprised of the majority of the members of the original Russian Dawn, while Leviathan was comprised only of Russian Dawn's former vice-president Al Torn who defected to start his own group with his newfound and cut-throat female companion Medusa. Torn started calling himself Sheriff, and he recruited a small group of goons to help run his opium and black-market munitions smuggling operation which stretched from New Orleans to Gotham. Devil and Leviathan had quickly become terrible rivals, and Sabre did his best to keep this all a secret from his father Wayne, but now developments were brimming, and disclosure was necessary.
Wayne advised Sabre to continue spying on the activities of Devil and Leviathan, and he warned that while Leviathan was smaller in scope and size, it should not be underestimated since its leader 'Sheriff' (and his unscrupulous 'girlfriend' Medusa) were nothing less than masters of corruption. When Sabre asked his father how he surmised this, Wayne explained that if Torn/Sheriff was brave enough to break off from Russian Dawn with a female companion, he must have possessed knowledge and confidence about profitable avenues to underworld domination. Sabre agreed and explained that many members of Devil had expressed notions (street-gossip) that Medusa was a true woman of hell, and an assassin to boot.
As Sabre went back out into the streets of Gotham, Wayne stared at his multi-panel computer display and quietly said to himself, "If Gotham is a cauldron, then the 'Dark Knight' will always return in some form or another." He wondered if someday someone would have to (or want to) take up the reins of Sabre once his son retired (perhaps Wayne's grand-son!). Wayne did not like the prospect of his entire family being invested in the upkeep of Gotham City (a place with a natural instinct for crime), but he was still proud of his son Damian and his remarkable work as Sabre. His biggest concern for his son now was that any temptation set by Medusa may spell some kind of male death-trap for Sabre...and for Gotham. Bruce Wayne concluded that the charm of America was simply 'Christian optimism.'
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Bruce Wayne was anticipating his 60th birthday and contemplating the successes of his vigilante alter-ego 'Batman.' He was proud of having successfully arrested Gotham's various underworld nemeses such as the Mad Hatter, Harley Quinn, and Ra's al Ghul. He was also happy that his young protege (and son) Damian Wayne had now taken up the reins as Gotham's new vigilante, Sabre. Bruce was in his bat-cave perusing the news and city spy-cam videos on his multi-panel computer display and relaying to Sabre valuable information to help the young crusader do what Batman used to do in the past.
This night was different. Sabre came home and reported to Wayne that there was a new menace in Gotham City, and it was not associated with the known primary underworld element The Black Mask (a longstanding crime syndicate even Batman was not able to eradicate). This new element was calling itself the Russian Dawn (a narcotics operation), and it was raising a stir, since its leadership had bifurcated and given rise to two radical new factions which stood in opposition to each other. The first faction was called Devil, and it was invested in organized crime, while the second faction was called Leviathan, and it was invested in smuggling.
Devil was comprised of the majority of the members of the original Russian Dawn, while Leviathan was comprised only of Russian Dawn's former vice-president Al Torn who defected to start his own group with his newfound and cut-throat female companion Medusa. Torn started calling himself Sheriff, and he recruited a small group of goons to help run his opium and black-market munitions smuggling operation which stretched from New Orleans to Gotham. Devil and Leviathan had quickly become terrible rivals, and Sabre did his best to keep this all a secret from his father Wayne, but now developments were brimming, and disclosure was necessary.
Wayne advised Sabre to continue spying on the activities of Devil and Leviathan, and he warned that while Leviathan was smaller in scope and size, it should not be underestimated since its leader 'Sheriff' (and his unscrupulous 'girlfriend' Medusa) were nothing less than masters of corruption. When Sabre asked his father how he surmised this, Wayne explained that if Torn/Sheriff was brave enough to break off from Russian Dawn with a female companion, he must have possessed knowledge and confidence about profitable avenues to underworld domination. Sabre agreed and explained that many members of Devil had expressed notions (street-gossip) that Medusa was a true woman of hell, and an assassin to boot.
As Sabre went back out into the streets of Gotham, Wayne stared at his multi-panel computer display and quietly said to himself, "If Gotham is a cauldron, then the 'Dark Knight' will always return in some form or another." He wondered if someday someone would have to (or want to) take up the reins of Sabre once his son retired (perhaps Wayne's grand-son!). Wayne did not like the prospect of his entire family being invested in the upkeep of Gotham City (a place with a natural instinct for crime), but he was still proud of his son Damian and his remarkable work as Sabre. His biggest concern for his son now was that any temptation set by Medusa may spell some kind of male death-trap for Sabre...and for Gotham. Bruce Wayne concluded that the charm of America was simply 'Christian optimism.'
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