Batman: Death and the Maidens [Paperback]

Greg Rucka (Author), Klaus Janson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Batman (DC Comics Paperback) | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

The Joker terrorizes the city at Christmastime by randomly executing people, and no one from the mayor on down is safe! The manhunt is on as the police try to protect the city, only to be baffled when the Clown Prince of Crime surrenders. What does he really want, and can the GCPD figure it out before he gets it?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Alan Moore's Watchmen inspired a vogue for comic books that placed gaudily garbed superheroes in more true-to-life, real-world settings. Many similar series, such as Astro City, have been widely acclaimed, but one of the best has gone largely unheralded. Gotham Central focuses on Gotham City's police and their struggle to maintain order in a flagrantly corrupt burg beset by bizarre, costumed criminals. Batman himself, whom the cops mockingly call the Bat, makes only fleeting cameos as GC detectives contend with his superpowered foes. In the installments collected here, the Joker terrorizes with sniper attacks, beginning with the assassination of the mayor, and the force reopens an unresolved bombing involving the Mad Hatter and, disgraced ex-detective Harvey Bullock suspects, the Penguin. Obvious analogues to Gotham Central are such TV procedurals as Law and Order and Homicide. Like them, Gotham Central boasts superficial verisimilitude, hard-edged dialogue, and a large cast of precisely drawn characters. Michael Lark's shadowy, muted art, enhanced by sympathetic coloring, brilliantly realizes writers Brubaker and Greg Rucka's intricate, compelling story lines. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Gamer's Gazette, Issue 141 Nov-Dec 2004: " The words of Greg Rucka are excellently translated into illustrations through the graphic imagery and burning imagination of artist Klaus Janson..." Go! Essex Chonicle, W/e November 12 2004, review by Matt Adams: "...this is a phenomenal work by crime writer Greg Rucka and industry legend Klaus Janson." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401202349
• ISBN-13: 978-1401202347
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The author of four novels about professional bodyguard Atticus Kodiak -- Keeper (nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America), Finder, Smoker, and Shooting at Midnight, Greg Rucka has been writing since he was eight years old, and hopefully is improving with age. A longtime comics fan, his first graphic novel series was the suspense thriller Whiteout, published by Oni Press and nominated for three Eisner Awards in 1999. Since that time he has been a contributing writer for DC Comics and an active participant in the Batman series of titles.
Born and raised in California, he earned his undergraduate degree at Vassar College and his MFA at the University of Southern California. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Rucka has two tattoos, and rides a motorcycle.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle and insightful, March 30, 2005

By 

E. Richard Franke (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Batman: Death and the Maidens (Paperback)

This is a beautifully done story. The art is very well executed and is a strong compliment to the thoughtful, intelligent and powerful story told by Rucka. Lots of people didn't seem to "get" the story, and clue into its subtle power. This is not a flash bang superhero story. This is a story about the characters of Batman, R'as Al Ghul and R'as estranged daughter Nyssa. The characters drive the story, not some artificial plot. The centerpiece is the parallel stories of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Nyssa and how their pasts have shaped them. The story revolves around the two characters coming to terms with their past and parentage and the choices between being shaped by the past or ruled by it. In the center, like a manipulating spider is R'as, spinning webs with which he hopes to carry on his apocalyptic vision for the Earth. The conflict between Batman and R'as has been a compelling corner of the Batman mythos. Batman seeks to save the world by intervening and being and example, a warrior fighting to end the never-ending war against evil and injustice by working with the world as it is. R'as wants to start the world over, by destroying the bulk of humanity and then taking over as the "enlightened" ruler of a new Utopia. The resolution shows the strengths of Batman and R'as as respective hero and villain and begins a new chapter for the competing visions toward saving the world. If you are ready for an introspective, thoughtful and ultimately powerful story, this is the graphic novel for you.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very lesiurely paced story, July 16, 2005

By 

Simon (Brampton, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Batman: Death and the Maidens (Paperback)

Batman: Death and the Maidens is pretty much essential reading for any fan of the Ra's Al Ghul character. To say why would be to spoil the ending, which shakes up things in the Batman mythos quite a bit (or at least until DC decides to cop-out and ret-con everything once again).

The main draw of this graphic novel is seeing Batman communicate with his deceased parents. Those who are expecting real, definite communication will be disappointed, as the story leaves it vague whether Ra's potion is for real or just a hallucination. That's not the point however, because it's Bruce's actions and decisions following the conversation that are important. I don't follow mainstream comics much so I don't know how much of this development has been incorporated into the regular titles, but it's definitely another step for the Batman character.

There really is no driving plot line to this story, no doomsday weapon to destroy or plan of world domination to stop. It's all about the characters and their interactions, and the result is a very lesiurely-paced story that might not appeal to all readers. This isn't a bad thing, but I do wish Greg Rucka could've tightened his script a bit more. A lot of time is spent on Nyssa's history and relationship with Ra's. It's almost as if Rucka and Jansen asked for an issue or two more of space than they actually needed, and as a result stayed with a "director's cut" rather than a tighter, more streamlined narrative.

So there's more story here, and as a result this volume is slightly thicker and pricier than you might want to spend on a blind purchase. Ra's Al Ghul fans can nab this without worry, other fans might want to read more reviews or maybe borrow a copy first.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chandleresque, Gritty, and Beautifully Bleak, January 20, 2007

By 

Seth A. Doolin "- - Seth Hexx" (Salem, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gotham Central Vol. 3: Unresolved Targets (Batman) (Paperback)

This series is so wonderfully bleak its almost uplifting. I like the idea of a side-bar story of everyone else in Gotham, and I thought I would miss the long underwear guy, but actually I got caught up in all the noir atmosphere. The 'look' of the book echoes the recent Daredevil, in that grey area between real and unreal, without being cartoony (good for some things, like the new Ghost Rider #6) and helps sell the 'everydayness' of the narrative.
Surprisngly gripping and absorbing.