BATMAN. LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #124#125 - DC COMICS (1999)

A man named Flowers is having a conversation with a group of gangsters. Since the earthquake that turned Gotham into "No Man's Land," these gangsters have been running a system to get people out...for a price. Flowers offers the gangsters an entire box of jewels and money if they can get him out of No Man's Land. The lead gangster takes the money and has his henchmen lead Flowers to the forgotten railroad door. Flowers thanks the gangster and they open the door for him. The henchmen throw Flowers into the door where he immediately finds a skeleton on the ground. Flowers looks up and finds tens of starving people. They are so hungry and dazed from their time in the trap, they prepare to eat Flowers. Back in the gangster's quarters, the lead gangster is introduced as "Shank." He is talking to his girlfriend and partner-in-crime, Delphine. Shank is looking through all the valuables that are now worthless in No Man's Land. Shank finds a pearl necklace that he offers to Delphine. The woman reaches for the pearls when Shank throws them into his pile of loot. He says, when someone finally comes to rescue Gotham, Shank will be rich. He kisses her, and Delphine looks at the loot the entire kiss. In the city, Batman is interrogating a man about Flowers. The man says that Flowers escaped, but Batman doesn't believe him. Escape is impossible in No Man's Land. On a nearby rooftop, a sniper is targetting Batman when Batgirl swings in and beats him up. Batman and Batgirl rendez-vous with each other. The man Batman was interrogating has given up the information about Shank and the Fantoms. Batman and Batgirl leave their "friend" tied up and notify Harvey Bullock. In Shank's hideout, he's making deals with local gothamites. An old woman offers Shank a twenty thousand dollar ring for escape, but he only offers her a jar of peanut butter. She has no option but to accept his offer. Suddenly, a mysterious man going by the named of Matches Malone appears and asks for a ticket out of No Man's Land. Malone hands Shank a stack of cash and his custom pistol. Shank says that Malone can go to first class, if he wants, with the pistol. Shank's henchmen grab Matches Malone and take him to the "exit." Malone thanks them for their service and they throw him in the hole to fend for himself against the starving people. In the hole, Matches Malone finds Danny Flower's hat next to his boney remains. The starving people approach Malone with a craving for meat. Malone tries to talk to the people, but they don't listen and charge him. Malone fights them all off and makes a run for it. Back with Shank, he and Delphine are admiring their garden. It is an orange garden that takes up a square block of space. They are forcing multiple civilians into slave labor picking all the fruit. In the hole, Malone runs from the cannibals until he falls down a cliff. The cannibals look as their prey has vanished. Suddenly, Matches Malone returns to the top of the cliff as the Batman! The people run in fear, but the Dark Knight swears he is trying to help. Back in the Fantom's hideout, Delphine is stealing gold from Shank's stash when the door to the Hole bursts open. It's Batman and the cannibals making their escape! Batman attacks Shank and his henchmen and the cannibals begin to file out of the hole. They all burst into tears. Batman pauses his fighting to remind the cannibals that they aren't allowed to kill anymore, just like they promised. Later, the cops arrive at the Fantom's hideout. Delphine makes her escape in time, but Shank and his goons aren't so lucky. Harvey Bullock rounds them up and takes them away. Elsewhere, Delphine is on the streets begging for food, offerring the loot she stole from Shank earlier. No one gives her anything.