E1: A Bat Awakens

A Bat Awakens is the first episode of the anime Batman: Shadow War's season one. It involves Bruce Wayne during his second year as the Caped Crusader and he continues his war against crime by taking on one of Gotham City's most powerful crime lords; Roman Sionis AKA Black Mask.

Plot
In the start, it shows a truck being driven by two criminals with a third criminal on the top as a guard. However, a mysterious figure in the shadows attacks the guard and his body appears in the road; causing the driver to stop and orders the second guy to check him out, informing him his been knocked out cold. The dark figure then swoops down and catches him, taking him away and the driver panics so he tries to escape in the truck but the master of stealth drags him out and introduces himself as Batman, knocking out the criminal off-screen.

The police arrive on the scene and see the truck toppled with the three criminals handcuffed to it. The police arrest them and discover the truck was filled with illegal drugs; Black Mask watches this on the news in anger with the drugs being part of his operation. Black Mask's assistant informs him there was no trace of their attacker and even wonders if it was a human who did this, however the assistant explains the recent mysterious takedowns of criminals from last year and this year. Due to this, Black Mask thinks of a plan to lure in Batman and then kill him in order to continue his operations and criminal activites.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne speaks to Alfred Pennyworth in his mansion about the Waynes and both of Bruce's lives as a playboy billionaire CEO and a vigilante fighting crime and which is more important; with one life could endanger the other. However upon hearing a massive drug operation from the Batcomputer, Bruce puts on the cowl and explains they'll discuss the matter another time. Also, the police including Captain James Gordon is informed by Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb to make Batman the most wanted "criminal" in Gotham City for vigilantism.

During the drug operation, Batman interrupts and takes down some of the criminals before armed police arrive with Gordon in command; ordering the officers to move in to arrest Batman however the Dark Knight utilizes Smoke Pellets in order to escape. Gordon then orders the officers to arrest the drug dealers and buyers; then wonders if Batman is actually doing some good. Black Mask then thinks of another plan to get rid of Batman; calling Loeb, who is revealed to be actually working for him, to send an armed SWAT Team led by Howard Branden to take out Batman in another operation.

While Bruce Wayne is showing some people of his latest technology in Wayne Industries, he gets a call from the Batcomputer of another operation and then leaves; leaving Lucius Fox in charge while he puts on the cowl as Batman. Batman takes off to confront the next operation; only to be surrounded by Branden and his team with nowhere to escape; so Batman resorts to using Smoke Pellets to distract them while he takes down each SWAT Officer and then uses his Bat Stungun to knock out Branden. Black Mask, dissapointed, leaves his office to lead a small gang in assaulting the vigilante. Black Mask hides with a sniper rifle while his gangsters distract Batman where they are effortlessly taken out; Batman uses a device to get bats to cause Black Mask to fall out of his vantage point, he is then confronted by Batman and despite his effort to use a gun, Batman quickly stepped on his arm to stop him and then knocked out Black Mask with one punch. Black Mask and his gangsters are left cuffed along with the unconscious SWAT Officers and Gordon arrives with the police to make the arrests, while Batman watches from a rooftop in silence.

Characters

 * Bruce Wayne/Batman as
 * Alfred Pennyworth as
 * James Gordon as
 * Gillian B. Loeb as
 * Vicki Vale as
 * Jack Ryder as
 * Roman Sionis/Black Mask as
 * Howard Branden as
 * Lucius Fox as
 * Black Mask's Assistant as

Objects Used

 * Batarang
 * Grapnel Gun
 * Bat-Cuffs 
 * Smoke Pellets
 * Bat Stungun
 * Batcomputer 
 * Batcall 

Deaths
None