Batman's main goal initially is to avoid a battle on the streets of Gotham between the two mob bosses-the subsequent death of Brodin's losing boxer only making matters more complicated. Though suspicion falls on Brodin, the grisly yet unusual murder (consisting of spine and skull removal) suggests otherwise. When Yeager's victorious fighter is killed in his apartment shortly after the bout, Batman is called in to help investigate the crime. Each of the fighters is backed by two of the city's biggest gangsters, Alex Yeager and Leo Brodin.
The first book opens with a boxing match in Gotham City.
