There's an old story. I ever tell you this? Like a guy is pushing this boulder up to the top of this hill. And he's cursed. So, like, every time he gets it right to the top, it rolls down. That's the curse. He never makes it. But he has to get it up, so he goes back down and gets it and does it over. Pushing it up again. Watching it fall. Over and over. Forever. That's a joke, right? It's funny. Right at the top, he's happy, and...whoops! Ha ha ha. Ha. Ha. And that's me. That's all of us. We're all just pushing a boulder. Whatever we're trying, we're going to watch it fall, we're going to hear them laugh. Right at the top of the hill. All of us. We're all jokes. But the thing is, right, you got to laugh, too. It's the only way. I mean, you got to laugh with them. 
- — Kite-Man
Batman (Volume 3) #30 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 3) with a cover date of November, 2017. It was published on September 6, 2017.
Synopsis for "The Ballad of Kite Man, Part 2"
In the Joker's abandoned amusement park, Kite-Man explains to Tweedledee and Tweedledum that their master wants the three of them to recon into the Riddler's territory. They don't seem worried by that, but they don't know that the Batman himself has joined the Riddler's ranks: the Caped Crusader proceeds to knock them out and leaves Kite-Man hanging from a wall, with a menacing writing behind him.
When Kite-Man explains the situation to Joker, he freaks out and throws chairs at him. Kite-Man, disheartened, puts on his helmet and leaves. He meets Ventriloquist, who attacks him because Batman has robbed him of his puppet.
Kite-Man and Man-Bat are providing air support for their team in the Riddler's territory, when Man-Bat is shot down by Batman through his Batplane.
On a bridge in a park, Two-Face argues by himself about killing or not killing Kite-Man, as he points a gun directly on his cheek. "They" resolve to killing him "just a little bit", meaning he's thrown from the bridge with his Kite pierced by bullets. After a while, Kite-Man stands up from the pond he was thrown into and leaves.
Back at the abandoned amusement park, Clue Master explains to Kite-Man how they'll slip out of the conflict alive: they'll have Batman beat them up so they won't be able to fight but, as his morality won't allow him to, he won't kill them. They are then both attacked by Scarecrow and his Fear Toxin. When he comes to, Kite-Man stands up and leaves.
Kite-Man carries Mister Freeze around and the latter is hit by a Batarang, causing his bubble to crack.
Kite-Man and Mad Hatter are on a mission, when the latter disappears, abducted by Batman.
Joker makes an inspired speech to his troops, now consisting only of Kite-Man, as everyone else has been defeated by the Riddler's and Batman's efforts combined.
Finally, Kite-Man is beaten by Batman, who asks him to stay down. Now at the Riddler's mercy, Kite-Man bursts into tears, as he remembers his son asking him if he was a "joke" like his wife said he was. He would answer he actually was, as everyone who fails in life, but that the only thing to do about it was to laugh about one's failures along with everyone else. Nygma approaches Kite-Man saying he was the last person the Joker trusted, so he must know where he's running to now that he lost the war. Batman lurks in the shadows behind him.
Appearing in "The Ballad of Kite Man, Part 2"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Charlie Brown, Jr. (Voice only)
- Killer Croc (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
- Batarang
- Kite-Man's Kite
- Mister Freeze's Ice Gun
- Scarface Puppet (Mentioned only)
- Scarecrow's Fear Toxin
Vehicles:
See Also