 During a late night drug raid , Batman , the vigilante protector of Gotham City , discovers that the drug dealer he was tracking has already been assaulted and left for police to find . Next to his unconscious body is a spray painted Circle @-@ A , announcing the arrival of a new vigilante , Anarky . Anarky continues his war against crime by targeting a business owner dumping pollutants in a river . Batman recognizes his M.O. and realizes he is attacking people based on the complaints raised in letters to the editor in a local newspaper . He alerts the police , who plan stake @-@ outs at several events based on the letters . When Anarky strikes next , however , it is at a construction site unlisted in the paper . Anarky rallies the homeless to riot in response to the destruction of their " Cardboard City " , which has been bulldozed to build a new bank . Batman arrives but is attacked by the homeless mob so that Anarky may flee . The mob includes Legs , a homeless Vietnam veteran who Alan Grant would utilize as a partner for Anarky in future stories . Batman eventually catches Anarky , revealing him to be a disguised , twelve @-@ year @-@ old paperboy named Lonnie Machin . As a child prodigy with extensive knowledge of both radical philosophy and improvised munitions , Lonnie was confident that violent change was necessary to improve social conditions . Batman condemns his actions , but expresses admiration for his idealism . 
