Customer Reviews

Batman: Night cries

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This graphic novel, co-plotted by Archie Goodwin and Scott Hampton, is beautifully written and illustrated. The paintings are surreal and work into the readers mind like a dark dream. The subject, child abuse, is handled with care, without being too preachy- yet - bringing about the severity of the issue. James Gordon has a big part in this story as he comes to grips with this issue himself.

The novel works well and one can feel the frustration Batman feels. We see Gordon struggle and the end of the story is sad, yet triumphant as Gordon begins to come to terms with his demons. Batman, of course can't, as he streams in frustration. The reader watches it all.

Goodwin and Hampton create a beautiful graphic novel. And when these two collide it makes a graphic novel on a problem that is timeless. Child abuse. A very important topic that is taken very seriously in this graphic novel.

Commissioner Gordon faces this problem with his son while trying to solve a child abusing case. While Batman is being accused of being the insane homecidal killer of the child abuser. His only hope is a young girl that has been so afraid she won't talk.

This book has overwhelming pictures that push the boundries of comics. As you can see on the cover. I recomend this book to anyone (mature enough).

The Batman novel "Night Cries" is one which explores a very difficult and taboo subject: child abuse. Batman is pushed into the world of child abuse when the abusers are killed methodically by an emerging serial killer.

There is a moment of desperation when Batman realizes even he cannot prevent all the injustice and suffering in the world. At that moment, the normally cold and calculating appearance of Batman withers for just a moment to reveal the young boy who made a compassionate vow on the eve of his parents' murder.

How to handle child abuse? Unlike robbery or homicide, it is hard to prove and difficult to prosecute. Even Batman's stomach turns as he must occasionally watch from the shadows helplessly like the little children who are abused. If you want something that is more about the action, this may not be it for you; it is a tragedy and also about a difficult subject.

The art is gripping. I think it is really good for establishing a depressing mood which is appropriate for the tragedies that unfold in the story. Just be careful with this one, it is a heartbreaking story.

The Dark Knight Detective finds himself in yet another mind-teasing mystery when a new vigilante with his/her own brand of violent justice comes to town, targeting child abusers. There is a certain, sick pattern to the assailant's crimes, the particular way he/she kills his/her victims--it's as though the vigilante administers justice and is out for blood at the same time. With Commissioner James Gordon dealing with illegal drug dealers and personal family issues, Batman's only hope of capturing this new villain lies in the hands of a young girl, who's too afraid to talk.

This nifty little Bat tale is great! Archie Goodwin's noir-style writing works on a level that fits the Batman and the dark world he haunts so perfectly by today's standards of Bat storytelling--Goodwin writes Batman in a cold world full of corruption, sin, and fear, and without compassion, something the great Frank Miller started in the 80s with his acclaimed "The Dark Knight Returns." The best, and yet hardest, part to look at in Goodwin's personal rendition of everyone's favorite Dark Knight is the blunt, honest light he sheds on the awful truth about child abusers: most of them NEVER stop. In the past Batman has fought some of the most powerful of crime bosses, most corrupt of elected officials, and of course, has time and time again put away the most colorful, most recognized rogue arch enemies--the Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, Penguin, etc. (none of which you will find here, mind you)--but child abuse crimes are committed behind closed doors, ones that the Batman cannot enter without being naturally violating himself. Even the man who walks where cops can't even go, can only go so far before crossing the line. If anything, Goodwin's often overlooked "Night Cries" arc shows the Batman at his uttermost human and the effect it has on the reader is incredible. Another unexpected, but welcome, addition is the fact that Batman, despite having stopped the vigilante, is not the true winner, but instead Commissioner Gordon. As Batman deals with his own problems with the killer, Gordon is placed into the shoes of the abused/abuser and Goodwin brilliantly uses this to his creative advantage to outline the "gray" area of the "black-and-white" morality of the story. "Night Cries" is a genuine detective/crime drama tale from start to finish. In addiiton to Goodwin's writing, there is some fantastic, atmospheric artwork by Scott Hampton here. Each page is dark and brooding, and makes the reader feel he/she's in hell, which is basically what the story and Gotham City itself is.

Not a single word or event is wasted or out of place. Child abuse is an evil is beyond question in the world of the Batman, but what to do about those who cannot or will not stop their actions? How can you prevent people from committing crimes in the privacy of their own homes? Goodwin provides no easy solutions, a rather honest route for him to take in a world where otherwise the heroes always triumph over the villains. That point alone is worth owning this overlooked piece of crime literature!

Batman: Night Cries is a graphic novel that takes place in the early years of the Batman mythos, and has him and newly-appointed Commissioner Gordon tracking a series of gruesome murders linked to child abuse. As the story unfolds, Gordon is forced to confront how his own anger issues are straining the relationship with his wife and son.

This is a beautifully painted and crafted story that explores the issue of child abuse well, with two minor flaws. The first is a melodramatic final page that has Batman screaming into the night because he can't help all the crying children. I appreciate Goodwin's intent, but it just doesn't work for me and feels rather cheesy. The second is that there's a somewhat obvious answer to the killer's identity, because its one of the three newly introduced characters at the beginning of the story. For a work that deals with such a serious, real-life issue, it might have been wiser to make the killer a complete unknown, and integrate the new characters in another way.

Ultimately the good outweighs the bad, and Batman: Night Cries is a worthwhile self-contained story for your collection.

More than any other Batman graphic novel, Night Cries deals with a subject that hits home. Whether or not you have experienced or know people who have experienced child abuse, it is not difficult to identify with the characters and be moved by this story. The reason for its power is that it is the most human Batman story I've read. Unlike Arkham Asylum which deals with wacky screwed-up villains, or the Dark Knight Returns which tells of an Batman's action-packed rebellious return, Night Cries speaks of children. It speaks of the effects that abuse has on human souls, the abused or the observers of the abused. Nothing tears the human soul more than a child in any sort of pain, and Night Cries explores these types of pain and the effects of it. Scott Hampton also took much time and care creating the lush and dark paintings in this graphic novel to fit Archie Goodwin's mysteriously unfolding story.

Note: By no means am I suggesting that Dark Knight Returns or Arkham Asylum are not good (in fact I like them more than Night Cries) but Night Cries is definitely far more arresting than either of the aforementioned.

This book had wonderful art. The cover is one of the best batman covers of all time. This is a good detective story as well. The concept though is quite depressing.

Batman stories are counting on the dark detective angles that are played out on the comic-book page. "Night Cries" does exactly what you need to make Batman both believable as well as entertaining. Nothing thrills me more than having a one-shot Batman story that begin and ends superbly as this title does. If your a fan, order this bad boy now. If not, go back to your John Grisham!

The art was amazing. The story was compelling and made for an overwhelming excellent novel.

The art in Night Cries is cut from the same cloth as Arkham Asylum. If you liked the latter, then there's a good chance that you'll like the former. I personally found the art in both unappealing and uninspired, but to each their own. Night Cries is also drug down by a poor story with too many confusing elements that get further muddled by the poor art.