WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Batman: Curse of the White Knight #5 by Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth and AndWorld Design, on sale now.

Sean Gordon Murphy's Batman: Curse of the White Knight has been dredging up secrets hinted at since Batman: White Knight concluded. The biggest one at the heart of the current story is the history of Bruce's ancestor, Edmond Wayne, and exactly what he did in the 1700s to rise to power.

It appeared that he and his war-partner, Bakkar, saved the area by killing off the deranged Laffy Arkham, but as Bruce finally discovers in issue #5, the dark truth about the Waynes is that their legacy was built on the blood of thousands of murdered innocents, and not heroic endeavors as initially thought.

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Following Jim Gordon's death at the hand of Bakkar's descendant, Azrael, Batman is nowhere to be found, ducking the funeral as well. When he does meet up Dick and the rest of Gotham's Task Force, he lays down the big revelation. Batman was doing recon work, finding out Edmond was a mass murderer who profited off genocide so his family could amass wealth. Joker did tell Batman that the Waynes were drowning in secrets, and now he knows exactly what the clown was speaking about.

Using Edmond's journal (to which Joker had access), Batman dives into Gotham reservoir and finds a sunken village. Among the aquatic rubble is the chapel of St. Dumas, and as Bruce sees, it's a site of total annihilation. This is where the remains of Bakkar's people lie, and as Bruce tells his allies, Edmond was merciless in how he washed them all away. After he and Bakkar defeated Laffy, Edmond reneged on the deal to give Bakkar half of Gotham, instead killing him and then working with the British as the new Lord of Gotham.

They dammed the river and drowned Bakkar's people before redrawing the lines around Gotham to create a new city. This also was done to turn the city into a port for British trade, making them and Edmond millions. Property was also sold off to the East India Company, turning Edmond into a shifty real estate mogul, forcing poor people to leave, with some eventually forming the downtrodden area known as Backport where Duke and many poor black people now live.

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It's a messed up series of events, and as Bruce tells everyone, it's gentrification mixed in with pure hatred. He even has documents and receipts from centuries ago to prove Edmond was a tyrant. Now, it remains to be seen what'll happen with Bruce's wealth and if there'll be any repercussions or audits on what his family accumulated over the years due to this massacre. It's blood money, built on the backs of dead people, not to mention there's that unpaid debt to Bakkar's people. This could financially ruin him and his business, but you can tell Bruce feels guilty for what transpired and doesn't care what he loses, so long as justice is meted out.

This is why Azrael is after revenge, as Joker revealed this to him, so at this point you've got to think reparations won't cut it anymore. What's owed will be paid with lives as the villain assembles his army. An eye for an eye is Azrael's motto, and because of Edmond's selfish actions, the Bat might lose the soul of Gotham as the war heats up.

Batman: Curse of the White Knight #6 goes on sale Jan. 22, 2020.

KEEP READING: Batman: Murphy Confirms White Knight Volume 3 Is On The Way