Batman: The Cult Part 1

Batman: The Cult is a four-issue limited series published by DC Comics in 1988, written by Jim Starlin and drawn by Bernie Wrightson, and one of the bleakest, most horror-adjacent works in Batman's history. The story opens with a string of dead petty criminals on the streets of Gotham; Batman follows bloodstained footprints from the scenes and is shot down during the pursuit. When he wakes, he is underground, chained, and in the hands of a cult run by Deacon Joseph Blackfire. Blackfire preaches to Gotham's homeless, claims to command ancient powers, and whips the destitute into an underground army loyal only to him, purging the city's criminals in the name of purification. During weeks of captivity Batman is drugged, put on a restricted diet and subjected to repeated scriptural indoctrination and psychological pressure. The World's Greatest Detective is finally broken and brainwashed into Blackfire's disciple and weapon, appearing on Gotham's streets for the first time as a danger rather than a savior. Meanwhile young Robin and Commissioner Gordon keep searching for the missing Batman; following the clues to the underground stronghold, Robin witnesses the bloody truth of the fraud. Blackfire is not content with street-level purges: he means to use Batman's reputation and force to seize control of the whole city. Clarity and delirium interweave as Batman must rely on his own resolve and that of those around him to break free of mental shackles and face the enemy who brought him to his knees. This volume is Part 1 of the Chinese edition.