Batman (DC Icons #2)
by Marie Lu
Publisher – Penguin
Release Date – January 4th 2018
Buy – Amazon | Book Depository
The highly anticipated coming-of-age story for the world’s greatest super hero: BATMAN by the # 1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu.
Returning home from his lavish eighteenth birthday party, Bruce Wayne stops a criminal’s getaway – disobeying the police and crashing his car during the chase.
Sentenced to community service in Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum, he encounters some of the the city’s most dangerous and mentally disturbed criminals. Among these, Bruce meets the intriguing Madeleine who has ties to the Nightwalker gang that is terrorizing Gotham City.
She’s a mystery Bruce has to unravel but can he trust her? The Nightwalkers target the rich, and Bruce’s name is next on their list.
When you think it can’t get any better with Wonder Woman, you then meet Bruce Wayne…
This series is bloody brilliant, it’s almost nostalgic in a way when as readers we have probably seen all the films. I didn’t grow up with the series, or Michael Keaton, I grew up with Christian Bale and Ben Affleck but in-between those versions of Batman, I did watch Michael Keaton and I even saw the series (never again mind you, that was awful and totally embarrassing in this day and age, no offense to all that enjoyed it though.) But in the films its the same old story in a way, some darker, some more in detail, some in a different angle completely but what this series does is take it before, to Bruce Wayne and his story, to the crucial point where he first loves and opens his heart…
So Bruce was well, I would say average but he’s a billionaire, he’s just turned eighteen which means he has access to his trust fund and is also the owns the company WayneTech. But all he wants is to just escape, he doesn’t want to be judged by paparazzi about his parents murder, or followed with what he’s going to do next. So on the night of his eighteenth birthday, his reckless nature decided to get the better of him when he gets mixed up in a car chase by capturing of one of the Nightwalker’s, the new villain of Gotham. Bruce ends up in Arkham Asylum on his community service, but his curious nature wants to find out what these Nightwalker’s want and how to save Gotham. Maybe his sentence will be lead on the right path, or onto the Nightwalker’s hit list?
Like I said before, what I really loved was getting know Bruce as a character, he still carries a lot of emotion, darkness, fear, grief but you also saw a kinder, gentler self to him as a teenager especially to his guardian, Alfred, and also to his mentor Lucius Fox. In the films, you see him taking charge, you see him being a boss, but what about those who were his charges, that looked after him, guided him to where we know him to be. There was also genuine vulnerability to him as well, I always felt that Bruce found it hard to trust or love, but his love for his friends Harvey and Dianne was so visible, it’s like when they are around, his heart is on his sleeve.
Marie Lu – bestselling author but also my first from her and probably in my eyes the best book to start off with. She has stripped Bruce down to the core, to the darkest depths and she has done it justice. More than that, she’s put her stamp on it. I admit it must be hard to create a story based on such an icon, but also it wasn’t just the characters but also the atmosphere of the book too. She captured the very essence of Batman, especially with Arkham Asylum, that was chilling, echoes of the crazies around you, as well as the poorest and cold surface of Gotham City.
Each of these superheros are making their debut in this series, the beauty of it is is that we see them, striped to the core, naked, we relish in the story that made them into their alter ego. Marie Lu exposed the real person behind that mask and distorted voice, and it poured out of every page of Batman: Nightwalker. Addictive, action-packed, thrilling, dark, pulse-racing, this book is for anyone, whether they are starting their journey with superheros or already established, you won’t be disappointed!
Rating – πππππ
Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy in exchange for a honest review.
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I must admit I've never been at all interested in Batman, I just don't get the hype. However, your review has convinced me that it could be possible. If anyone can spark my interest, than surely it must be someone as talented as Marie Lu. I've got the Wonder Woman novel sitting at home and am super excited to get to that one, so maybe I'll hit up Batman next. Great Review Emma!
– Sunny @ A Sunny Spot