BATMAN: THE MONSTER MEN

A six-issue mini-series made as a sequel to year one and is Batman's first mission. This mini-series deals with batman facing Dr. Hugo Strange who is conducting genetic experiments on people he encounters that he dislikes and mental patients from Arkham Aslyum. He borrows money from gangsters to fund his experiments. He experiments in order to reverse deficiencies from birth, but all his test subjects become monster men, gigantic cannibalistic beasts. He uses them to steal money to pay back his loans and Batman eventually fights them and Strange begins to believe Batman is the perfect man. Bruce Wayne is seeing Julie Madison at this time and it is shown that her father is doing business with Salvatore Maroni, the same man funding Strange's experiments. Strange eventually uses the Monster Men to kill the gangsters under Maroni and this catches his attention and has him on alert. Maroni relocates and Strange eventually tracks him down and sends his monster men after him. While at the estate he's been moved to, Julie's father comes to visit Maroni to pay him back the money he borrowed. A lot of gangsters are killed and Batman gets involved in the fight ad tries to stop them, in the end Maroni survives, Batman saves Julies father, and the monster men and all proof linking Hugo Strange to the crime is destroyed, so he lives with no punishment for his crimes. Julie's father however, is afraid because he believes Batman will come after him because of his dealings with Maroni and becomes mentally unstable. There was a sequel called Batman and the Mad Monk. Collected EditionsBatman and the Monster MenLegends of the Dark Knight: Matt WagnerNote: Indicia titled as "Batman: The Monster Men".