I thought it began in media res, with Batman trying to extinguish the fire at Pyg's factory. Eventually, I realized that the explosion that caused the fire actually happened at the end of last issue, though my memories of that issue are mostly focused on the supernatural aspects (as my review of it supports). As such, I can't remember what brought Batman to Pyg's labs, particularly since he had already concluded that Pyg's chemicals hadn't affected Gordon. If I have to re-read every previous issue just to get through a new issue, this series is going to involve a lot of work.
Moreover, we learn that someone named Rhodes is working with Carmine Falcone. He apparently engineered the attack of Pyg's lab to distract Batman so that Tiger Shark could send in his men to take out the Iceberg Casino. I feel like I'm supposed to know who Rhodes is, though I can't really place him. (It doesn't seem to matter, since Pyg kills him at the end of the issue as revenge for destroying his lab.) However, the use of Rhodes and Tiger Shark ups the ante here, making it clear that each side is assembling his troops. Penguin says as much to Catwoman as she rescues him and other people from the sinking Casino, telling her that she's not going to be able to stay neutral any longer.
On Catwoman, she's in the Casino because she believes that the Penguin is taking out members of the Gotham Underground, some sort of hobo network, though I think that it's more likely that Joker's Daughter is using them for fodder for whatever it is that she's doing under Arkham Asylum. But, we're never told why Catwoman cares.
This series might benefit from a "Previously, in 'Batman Eternal'..." recap page, just to help us keep track of the narrative that runs from issue to issue. Even reading the series every week, it's just getting hard to keep all the plots and sub-plots straight. Although the story made more sense when I re-read the issue, I'm still giving it two stars for the utter confusion that I felt when I first read it.
** (two of five stars)
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