BATMAN: EMPOWERED?! Batman, behind the costumes and gadgets, is still only human. He stops villains and saves innocents without any superpowers. Until one day, a girl drowns because he lacks the strength to free her. Batman: Venom by Dennis O'Neil, Trevor Von Eeden, Russell Braun, and Jose Luis García-Lopez details the first appearance of Venom, the drug that would later resurface in the epic Batman: Knightfall as the fuel that enables Bane to break Batman's back. Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20.
