Did you ever want to see what it would be like if Batman really, truly screwed things up?

You'll see it here in Endgame, the third and final volume of the War Games series. Although the mob war raging through Gotham was erroneously triggered based on one of Batman's own plans, unforeseen circumstances have sent the violent spree spinning in directions the Dark Knight never expected. And his efforts to set things right stumble and fail, even as he severs ties to some of his closest allies in the process.

The whole Bat-team continues to be involved, although one minor member of the crew has already fallen and, before this book concludes, another will die as well. Batman is a real jerk to Oracle, laying the groundwork for some major changes in their relationship, while the villain Black Mask unmasks one hero and discovers the lair of another. And Spoiler, the youngest hero who inadvertently triggered the war, fights for her life to stop it.

There have been some complaints -- and they are legitimate ones -- that major crossover stories such as this one employ too many creative cooks in the kitchen, leaving the overall storyline disjointed. That is certainly the case to some extent here. But the overall success of the War Games trilogy is the dramatic tale that is well presented by all of the writers and artists involved.