Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #196 had snow falling.

[thanekos]

That was the work of Victor Fries, in response to one of Batman's early-in-his-career civilian assistants shattering his wife's body, heeding his wife-in-his-head.

Batman, setting out to stop the man's work, stopped by the " office " he'd set up for his team.

They'd left something behind for him.





Batman, using that for a cape, saved some cops from Fries and his cold-gun.

Fries reeled, his helmet shattered - and escaped in the cloak of the cloud released.



The team was heading into the way of it, though.

They'd found their colleague Gerard, killed by Fries.

One of them, Dr. Charan the psychologist, found the machine Fries was causing the snow with.

Fries found her.

" Get away from it.

" You're just like the others, aren't you?

" Well, it's mine. None of you can have it. "



Fries heard the rest of the team nearby.

" Ah. Distract me while your friends sneak up?

" They shall die as well. "

She tackled him.



" Let's start with her eyes. "

" If you touch her.. " growled Batman, behind him, " .. I will be the one who breaks you into little pieces. "



That was the end of the snow, and Batman's idea of having his own support team.



Bruce Wayne reflected on what'd passed..



.. and considered what might come.



(Pagecount's 7 and under a third of 22.

Story's J.H. Williams III and Dan Curtis Johnson, with script and dialogue by the latter. Art's Seth Fisher, letters're Phil Balsman, and colors're Dave Stewart.)

Comments

[commodus]

I'm not sure if the comic is implying what I think it is at the end there, but Bruce didn't adopt Dick for the sole purpose of using him as a pawn in his schemes, he genuinely didn't want the poor kid to go through what he did.

Also the art is...not my favourite. I don't like to be mean about artists, because I know they're all trying their best and all have their own styles, but this style in particular really puts me off the story.

[bradygirl_12]

I think it's more of a case of Bruce seeing a young boy losing his parents in a horrific way and focusing on that, and then when Dick discovers who he is, training the kid would seem better than Dick going off on his own. His idea probably comes back to him then.

[starwolf_oakley]

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #100 was like that. The story had Bruce reveal he was Batman to Dick in a rather blase' fashion. By showing up in the kitchen with his mask off. Right in front of Alfred.

Dick: You're HIM? Bruce Wayne is...?
Bruce: The Batman, yes.

In that story, it was "Dick has potential but I don't want him to get himself killed."

[obsidianwolf]

Bruce did have some ideas about making Dick Robin before he even formally invited him to live with him in many of the origins. Exactly how creepy it comes across depends on the version being told.

I mean the first time I read Year Three by Wolfman I was actively skeeved out by the fact that Bruce made the offer to become Batman's sidekick to Dick immediately during his introductory tour of Wayne Manor.

[silicondream]

It is moderately amusing here that Bruce's response to one assistant being killed and another mutilated is "I better use a lone teenager next time!"