Batman – Sword of Azrael
Book One
Issue No. 1 – October 1992
Vanishing Angels & Sudden Death
Azrael is the enforcer for the secret Order of Saint Dumas, a society whose existence dates to the time of the Crusades. After an encounter with arms dealer Carlton LeHah, Azrael is fatally injured, crashes through Gotham’s annual Founder’s Day parade. Using all his energy, Azrael gets rid of most of his Azrael garb and brings himself to his son, Jean Paul’s door. Near death, he instructs his son to open a package left with him earlier and follow its instructions. After reports of a fallen angel come in, Bruce decides it is time for batman to investigate. Upon his discovery he finds Azrael’s abandoned sword. Even with the vast knowledge of Oracle at his disposal, there is not much known about the Order of St Dumas. Batman is drawn into the mystery of this fallen angel now, launching into a quest that leads him and Alfred to Switzerland. Little does he know that this is also where Jean Paul is, as he meets with Nomoz who implements, ‘The System,’ as well as starts to fit him with the garb of Azrael. Upon arriving the snowcapped mountains, Bruce and Alfred’s helicopter is blown from the sky by the orders of Carlton LeHah.
Batman – Sword of Azrael
Book Two
Issue No. 2 – November 1992
Azrael Does Not Protect
Narrowly escaping their attack, Bruce and Alfred make their way out of an avalanche with makeshift snow shoes, with Bruce retreating to his Bat suit. Meanwhile LeHah is having hallucinations of a demon called Biis. Batman has a dangerous encounter with Jean Paul, now wearing the same Azrael garb. After defeating Batman and hand to hand combat, Azrael and Nomoz retreat in a hover craft. As LeHah now adopts the garb of the demon Biis, waging a campaign of death against the Order of Saint Dumas, Nomoz has designed a new suit for Jean Paul. Now Jean Paul as Azrael is ready for new enemies with bullet and fireproof cloth, and telescoping blades from gauntlets in the forearms that are fed fire like the original sword. Bruce and Alfred take shelter where Nomoz and Jean Paul had been training as Jean Paul and Nomoz go after LeHah, dressed as Biis, who is at a hospital slaying one of the few left of the Order of St Dumas. Not in his garb, this encounter leads to be almost fatal as Jean Paul is shot by Biis.
Batman – Sword of Azrael
Book Three:
Issue No. 1 – December 1992
Direct Action
Alfred and Bruce arrive just in time to see Jean Paul shot and flying through a window into the street. As Alfred and Nomoz tend to Jean Paul, Bruce goes after Biis. Once again hallucinating Bruce is easily defeated by Biis, drugged and has his identity as Batman revealed. LeHah now intends to take hold of all of Bruce Wayne’s holdings and wealth. As Biis, LeHah now moves forward to England to murder the next member of the Order of St Dumas, not knowing that the alliance formed by Alfred, Jean Paul and Nomoz is taking them into the same direction.
Batman – Sword of Azrael
Book Four
Issue No. 4 – January 1993
No One Is Innocent
Behind the gates in Harcourt, Azrael combats all who protect the next man on Biis list of prey. In an act of humanity, Azrael let’s Biis escape. Afterwards Jean Paul comes to find that he cannot remember much of what happened during his battle, revealing that when he fully becomes Azrael ‘The System’ takes full control. From here Jean Paul, Nomoz, and Alfred head to an oil refinery in Texas where Azrael must save Batman and have his showdown with Biis. Going against ‘The System,” Azrael shows the humane side of Jean Paul, against Nomoz’ wishes rescues Bruce from the inferno of the burning refinery. In doing so Jean Paul is able to beat ‘The System,’ and not only remembers who he is, but now feels a new purpose for his life.