#76 - Sensei
First Appearance: Strange Adventures #215 (Dec 1968)
"Our strength is in our arts. The crafts and sciences of murder." ~Sensei
Whenever you get a villain that plays into the Eastern martial training and mindframe of Bruce Wayne, you know that the story is going to be of a very different breed than normal. Stories starring characters like Lady Shiva and Ra's al Ghul always have a unique feel to them, featuring organizations like the League of Assassins; you can bank on Batman not only having to match skills but also wits with these types of characters. The Sensei is definitely one of them.
The Sensei began as the leader of the League of Assassins after Ebeneezer Darrk was removed from power. For years, comic readers witnessed him become slowly more and more insane, attempting to hone the assassins' craft into a form of art. His dangerous behavior even led to one of Batman's closest allies being killed (and this was the 70s. Comics deaths were a huge deal then). Since then, it has been revealed that The Sensei is Ra's al Ghul's father, and that has brought about a major new dimension to the character. Sensei works well in this respect; his behavior is much more erratic than Ra's' at that often makes him more of an immediate threat. No matter who is in charge of the LoA, you're going to get good comics out of it; however, The Sensei's tenure as leader is easily one of the most interesting and readable parts of Batman lore.
Greatest Sensei Story Ever Told:Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul - A recent storyline that occurred in the midst of Grant Morrison's Batman run, The Sensei and Ra's have it out in what should be considered their ultimate battle. A great three-way match with Batman ensues. The Sensei proves that he's just as riveting and menacing as Ra's.
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