Batman: Child of Dreams Book

With his combination of high-tech gadgetry and martial arts expertise, Batman was always a prime candidate for a Manga interpretation, so the only question that Child of Dreams raises is: what took so long? Written and illustrated by Manga legend Kia Asamiya, this 338-page original graphic novel finds the Dark Knight Detective facing a crime spree in Gotham City that's seemingly perpetrated by some of his greatest foes, yet all of them are actually locked up safely in Arkham Asylum. So who--or what--is Batman actually fighting? And what is their connection to the beautiful Japanese journalist Yuko Yagi? The solution to this mystery takes Batman from the rooftops of Gotham City to the streets of Tokyo. Though the storyline running through Child of Dreams is often overwrought and hackneyed, and the dialogue (as translated by Road to Perdition writer Max Allan Collins) is unnatural and convoluted, these points are easily forgiven. This is a book that's carried by the quality of the artwork, and the black and white art is almost beyond reproach. Asamiya is an exceptional illustrator, and his rendering of Batman and the tools of his trade, from the Batmobile to the Batarangs, are breathtaking, combining majesty and mystery, as any good rendering of Batman should. Read it once, then go back to savour the artwork. --Robert BurrowRead More