Retro Review: Batman #419 Review (1988) - "Ten Nights of the Beast: Part III"

Give Me a Hand

Written by: Jim Starlin
Art by: Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza
Cover Price: 75¢
Release Date: May 1988

Damn, this story is getting good!  Not only do we have a villain in the KGBeast that is one step ahead of Batman, but he also will go that extra step (I mean straight up murder people by the busload) and Batman even admitted that he can't beat him at the end of the last issue.  That doesn't mean he will stop trying, though, and that's where we are at the beginning of this issue.  Pretty dark and pretty awesome.  Let's get into it...

The issue gets right to it...it opens with KGBeast shotting down an airplane with a rocket launcher!  It seems as if Agent Bundy (the cigar smoker...no!!!!) and General Ridwell are dead.  Only two left on KGBeast's hitlist and Batman is no closer to stopping him.

Batman is still trying to figure out the leak that is giving KGBeast the inside information and it still is between KGB Agent Andrei or FBI Agent Parker.  As Parker arrives to talk to Gordon, Batman and Robin swing out into Gotham to go protect the remaining people on the list, but also have a debate on who the spy.  Robin is quick to point the finger at Parker, but Batman isn't so sure.  

Everyone seems to head off to the hotel where the Congressman (who is on the list) is holed away, but even a disguised Batman can't save the day when the Beast uses the old plastic explosive door handle trick to kill both the Congressman and his aide.  That leaves only one guy left on the list...the Senator.  

In one of the worst moves possible, Parker shuffles the Senator into an elevator that ends up stopping on the way to the basement one of the FBI agents can get killed by a falling cinder block.  Boy, the KGBeast is getting clever with the kills.  Batman, however, springs into action, climbs the elevator cable and tries to stop the big Russian.

It's a brutal fight...Batman gets shot, KGBeast gets hit with a tranq-dart, a bunch of cops gets sliced in two with an ax and then the big moment happens.  Batman is swinging towards the Beast with a rope between buildings and ends up lassoing his arm to save himself from falling...and then the KGBeast hits legendary status when he cuts off his own hand to keep from getting caught by Batman and the cops.

The issue ends with the reveal that Agent Bundy and General Ridwell didn't die after all, one last guy on the list is heading to Gotham for a speech (I won't spoil who, but it's as big as it gets) and KGBeast getting his new "hand" made and ready for the occasion.

Yea, this issue was just badass!  We finally get to see how KGBeast lost his hand and I can't wait to see the infamous gun-hand next issue.  Batman is still on the losing end of almost everything the Beast does, but we see the tables turned a bit here.  It's all set up for the big final confrontation next issue and I can't wait.

Bits and Pieces:

I finally get to see the big moment I came for...KGBeast losing his hand!  It's as badass as I hoped and that and the idea that the Beast is still a bunch of steps ahead of Batman in his War on Gotham has me so excited for the conclusion next issue.

9.5/10