The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Volume 1) Issue 3

The Dark Knight Strikes Again #3 is the third and final issue in the three issue mini-series collectively known as Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Synopsis
Captain Marvel is killed as chaos ensues at Gotham City and Metropolis. Citizens rally in hopes of gaining their freedom from the oppression of the government. Two weeks later, Metropolis is in ruins. Countless people are dead, including Lois Lane and James Olsen. Batman contacts Superman, where the two discuss retrieving the hostage bottled city of Kandor from Lex Luthor and Brainiac.

Catgirl visits Saturn Girl, who has a vision of the new Joker murdering Catgirl. Saturn Girl tells Catgirl that the Joker cannot die. Elsewhere, Lara sneaks the Atom onto Brainiac's UFO as she submits to Brainiac in order to save Kandor. Lara breaks free of Brainiac's control. The Atom frees Kandor, and all of its citizens come together and kill Brainiac.

Lex Luthor captures Batman and begins torturing him. Luthor reveals his plans to wipe out all but one billion of the Earth's population, making the population easier to control. Luthor is interrupted when Hal Jordan arrives. Batman escapes as one of Batman's allies murders Luthor.

Batman gets a distress call from Catgirl. Batman returns to the Batcave to discover Catgirl being brutally assaulted by the Joker. Batman quickly deduces that the Joker is actually Dick Grayson. Grayson reveals that he gained his superhuman abilities from radical gene therapy and that he plans on killing Batman. After an intense fight, Grayson is thrown into a volcano beneath the Batcave to his death. Now that Earth is free from tyranny, Superman and Lara pander the future.

Appearances
Superheroes:
 * Batman
 * Catgirl
 * Sons of Batman
 * Superman
 * Wonder Woman
 * Supergirl
 * The Atom
 * Captain Marvel
 * Green Lantern
 * Green Arrow
 * The Question
 * Eel O'Brien/Plastic Man
 * Superchix
 * Black Canary
 * Wonder Chick
 * Batchick
 * Saturn Girl
 * Hot Gates/Big Barda
 * Hank Hall/Hawk
 * Dawn Granger/Dove

Supporting characters:
 * Rick Rickard

Villains:
 * Lex Luthor
 * The Joker
 * Brainiac

Other characters:
 * Bat-Mite

Locations:
 * Gotham City
 * Metropolis
 * Midvale Orphanage

Vehicles:
 * Batmobile
 * Brainiac's UFO

Items: