If Batman seriously desires to end all crime in Gotham City, then taking down one lesser-known villain could be the key. Gotham City Sirens introduced an unconventional baddie that's been helping facilitate one specific need of the Dark Knight's rogues for years.
It's no secret that Gotham is absolutely lousy with supervillains. Since Bruce Wayne began his crusade to end crime in the city, it has only seen more colorful and demented villains rise up. From the chaotic forces of the Joker to the cold machinations of the Riddler, Batman has had his hands full trying to keep his beloved Gotham City safe. Unfortunately, the villains have had a stable presence in the dark metropolis. No matter how many times Batman sends his antagonists back to Arkham Asylum or Blackgate Penitentiary, they always manage to return and haunt the city he loves so dearly.
And as it turns out, there's one hidden figure that's been helping the Caped Crusader's greatest enemies by providing a very specific service. In Gotham City Sirens #1 by Paul Dini and Guillem March, Catwoman has allied herself with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. After a brief discussion, Selina Kyle is invited to stay with Poison Ivy and Harley in Ivy’s current apartment, which Ivy is actually ‘borrowing’ from a mind-controlled Riddler. Unfortunately, the apartment is severely damaged after a two-bit villain named Boneblaster wrecks it. The trio opt to get a place of their own and settle on an abandoned animal shelter. But as it turns out, they didn't scope out the location on their own, and were helped by a mysterious figure known as the Broker. Poison Ivy sums the villain up by saying the Broker helps criminals find derelict locations that fit their specific needs.
Is The Broker The Key To Taking Down Batman's Villains?
One wouldn’t think there’s actually someone who provides Batman’s rogues’ gallery with their hideouts, but Broker turns out to be surprisingly effective at it. Not only does he help villains find the best locations for their work, he even has a working relationship with Jenna Duffy, aka the Carpenter, to make sure the estates he provides have adequate death traps. The services the Broker provides aren't glamorous, but they're a key part of Gotham's underground criminal activity.
Obviously, Batman wants nothing more than to get rid of crime permanently in Gotham. But the biggest thing standing in his way is the endless parade of costumed villains intent on making Gotham a worse place for everyone. If Batman seriously wants to end his rogues’ reign of terror, he can start by removing the Broker from the equation. By dealing with someone who is actively helping the Jokers and Two-Faces of the world find places to conduct their business, Batman would be putting a cramp in their operation. Granted, there’s nothing stopping supervillains from claiming an abandoned warehouse on their own. But Batman could go a long way in eliminating Gotham’s crime problem by stopping the Broker once and for all.