Azrael: Angel in the Dark

{{DC Database:Storyline Template
 * Title                  = Angel in the Dark
 * Image                  = Azrael Angel in the Dark.jpg
 * OfficialName           = Angel in the Dark
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = New Earth
 * Locations              = Gotham City


 * Heroes                 = Azrael, Order of Purity
 * Villains               = Blackgaters, Hide and Go Seek, Religion of Crime, White Ghost
 * Others                 = Adrian Paratino, Batman, Felicidad Gomez, Garret Day, Harvey Bullock, Huntress, Jenny Warren, Josie Mac, Peter Farelli, Ragman, Robin


 * Titles                 = Azrael
 * Collected              = Azrael: Angel in the Dark
 * Creators               = Fabian Nicieza; Ramon Bachs
 * First                  = Azrael Vol 2 #1
 * Last                   = Azrael Vol 2 #7


 * Quotation              = Killin' in the name of God or the Devil never made much sense t'me.
 * Speaker                = Harvey Bullock
 * QuoteSource            = Azrael Vol 2 5


 * HistoryText            = Angel in the Dark is an Azrael storyline written by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Ramon Bachs. This follows the introduction of Michael Lane as Azrael in Nicieza's Death's Dark Knight mini-series and his two-part crossover The Eighth Deadly Sin. It's the debut arc of Nicieza's Azrael series and leads into his final storyline Let Him Who is Without Sin.

Synopsis
Azrael takes down members of the Blackgaters gang to send the message that nuns are protected in his city. He begins investigating a series of clergy murders and breaks into GCPD Headquarters for information, leading him to a serial killer that puts salt in his victims' wounds. It turns out this man is hunting former child molesters, and Azrael lets him go after their confrontation because he sees similarities between them. There's also a look into Azrael's future, where Farelli turns evidence on him after he's gone insane and commits suicide by crucifixion. The White Ghost arrives in Gotham to test Azrael on behalf of Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins. Azrael is forced to choose between saving an adulterous housewife or an accused murderer, but turns the test around on White Ghost by waiting and forcing him to save the innocent life. When Iraqis begin getting sniped by a serial killer, Lane realizes the culprit is one of his army buddies from the Marines named Sandshark. His former unit refuses to turn him in as Sandshark blackmails them, so Azrael stabs him through the chest as he's leaving Gotham. Batman and Robin take down a Religion of Crime sect and find new evidence on the murders of Gwendolyn and Marion Lane. This is taken to James Gordon and Farelli passes the information onto Lane, who learns from Batman that Jenny's prints were found on the murder weapon. Michael confronts Jenny and reveals his identity, she swears that she does not remember committing the murders but impales herself with his swords and realizes she did. Michael forgives Jenny because she was brainwashed, and the crime remains unsolved. He's dragged into an when a young Palestinian is beaten up by a gang of Jews, but Ragman intervenes. It's explained that his beating was the latest in a long string of revenges taken for violent acts on both sides. Azrael remarks that the conflict is ridiculous because both sides are wrong, but Ragman insists that it's all they know and asks Azrael if he's any better. Lane begins reading the Book of Purity to determine why his predecessors were killed, learning about the Order's first agent Geoffrey DeCantonna and his successor Henri Ducart. He decodes a secret message in the book that says "Kill Them Before They Kill You" and begins to believe the Order of Purity is his real enemy. The Order starts to believe that Michael has begun turning insane from the suit, and he begins seeing a new police psychiatrist after Jenny is acquitted by D.A. Spencer. Azrael hunts down a pair of kidnappers named Hide and Go Seek which gives him closure on the loss of a childhood friends. His psychiatrist is revealed to not be a federal employee, but working for an outside interest who "likes to see his play-things happy." This therapist is implied to be the super-villain Phobia as she leaves the country.


 * Issues                 =

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