To be honest, not much happened in the finale to Batman: Kings of Fear. It was a fairly straightforward issue that only covered what happened after the Batman’s fight with Scarecrow. However, despite not covering a wide range of action and battles, it served as a well-written final issue that wrapped up the main point of the mini-series: Batman matters.
(Spoilers Incoming)
After injecting himself with two shots of adrenaline (I misspoke in the last review saying it was more of the fear toxin), Batman is in a fit of rage against Scarecrow. As he grabs him, Batman shouts and demands an explanation as to why Scarecrow did what he did. In what might be one of my favorite villain responses ever, Scarecrow says, “Why what? Torture you? I’m a supervillain. That’s what we do.” As Batman further questions why this was done to him, the villain has a realization: that his plan worked, and Batman “had a breakthrough”. As Scarecrow tries to pry what Batman saw from him, all he gets is a stiff fist to the jaw. At that moment, Commissioner Gordon shows up to find Crane unconscious and Batman standing over him. When Gordon questions what happened, Batman opens up and tells him that he now has to question whether or not to continue as Gotham’s Dark Knight. In one of my favorite moments Gordon has ever had, he tells Batman, “He’s the Scarecrow. Even when he’s telling the truth, he’s lying. And even when he’s right, he’s wrong. The hell with him. You hear me? You know, I don’t know if I’ve ever said this. But. You…You know. Saved me. I couldn’t have done it without you. All of it. Any of it. I couldn’t have made any kind of a real difference. Ever. There was just too much…If I hadn’t had you as an ally…I’d be dead by now. Or, worse, one of them. So even though I’m sure you’ve already pulled one of your little disappearing acts, I just wanted to say…Thank you.” At this point, Batman is already in the Batmobile with Scarecrow’s hostage, who Batman reveals to be Scarecrow’s accomplice in order to help his family. “Is this it, then? Am I the bad guy now? Forever?” asks the man. Batman replies, “That’s up to you.”
They arrive at Arkham Asylum where Batman turns both of them over. As he prepares to leave, Joker stops him and asks, “How was your night?” This rattles Batman enough that he accidentally bumps into one of the doctors. After an apology, she tells Batman that she owes everything to him. Not only did he save her once upon a time, he also caused her husband to give up a life of crime. If it wasn’t for Batman, both of them would probably be dead. She then states that in Gotham, the recidivism rate can be as high as 75%, but for those who encounter Batman, that rate is below 2%. Batman then leaves and stops two men attempting a robbery before arriving at the Batcave. Upon arrival, Alfred asks Bruce about what happened when he was captured by Scarecrow. After explaining all that he saw, Alfred tells him that, in all honesty, he hates Batman. Alfred tells him that each night, he hates what Bruce does to himself. However, he also states that Batman has done too much good for Gotham to have been a mistake. “Do not dare tell me that all we’ve sacrificed has been nothing but a mistake. I have put up with much in our times together. But that I will not stand for.” As Alfred walks away, Bruce gets word that there has been a breakout at Blackgate prison. He then silently puts his cowl back on and runs to the Batmobile. The last thing we see is Batman perched on a rooftop, waiting for his moment to strike.
While not packed to the brim with fights between Batman and his rogues, I think this was the best way for this mini-series to end. As the whole series has been very psychological, it is only fitting that the finale shows Batman debating his very existence. However, in the end, Batman will always answer the call of Gotham. While this may not go down as one of the most iconic Batman stories ever told, Kings of Fear was an exploration of Batman’s mind and his greatest fear. Despite what Scarecrow showed the Dark Knight, leave it for two of his closest allies to remind him of one simple truth: no matter what, Gotham City will always need Batman.