Batman: The Ultimate Evil [Paperback]

Andrew H. Vachss (Author)

Book Description

Series: Batman | Publication Date: July 1996

In the heart of Gotham's darkness glows the garish neon of the sex industry. This is where Batman's most personal, and savage, battle begins. He needs all his superhuman strength to fight the most remorseless enemies he has ever faced - those who traffic in the flesh of children.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crime novelist Vachss presents a Batman novel in which Bruce Wayne must come to grips with a shocking revelation about his own past.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Vachss has curled toes and raised eyebrows for years with his New York City avenger Burke. Don't think for a minute that just because he's penned a novel based on a comic-book hero that he's abandoned his passionate stand against child abuse. Weary of fighting exotic criminals, Batman has reached a crossroads. As wealthy philanthropist Bruce Wayne, traveling with a beautiful young social worker and child advocate, he begins to realize a change must occur in his life. But what? Alfred, his faithful servant, provides the answer. He reveals to Batman the secret of his parents' death. They weren't the victims of random crime, they were murdered with intent. Wayne's mother was also a crime fighter. She discovered a worldwide network of child pornographers, pedophiles, and pimps and left behind her findings with instructions to Alfred to turn them over to her son when the time was right. Batman targets child sex tourism promoted by a Southeast Asian country and, posing as a pedophile, makes the right contacts and soon finds himself battling the government. To document the real-life horror of this situation, a nonfiction article is included, and the publisher promises tons of publicity as well as a comic-book adaptation of the novel by Neal Barrett, Jr. (Pink Vodka Blues). Public libraries should prepare for heavy demand. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446603368
• ISBN-13: 978-0446603362
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth Reading, October 7, 2004

By 

Jennifer Stephens "Jen" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Batman: The Ultimate Evil (Paperback)

I would say I enjoyed this book, but the subect is to serious for that description. I found it thought provoking, hard to put down, and extremely well written. The writing is gritty, but for Batman, and this story line, that works.

There is an interesting addition to the history of Batman, by way of Martha Wayne's history, and the motivation for the murder of Martha and Thomas Wayne. I won't say more and ruin it. . .

The descriptions of Batman/Bruce Wayne and the other characters are dead on and you feel like you know the character. The descriptions of the settings are just as good. The dialouge is also realistic and well done.

I'd recommend this story to any ADULT Batman fan, but only if you're in the mood for some serious reading. This is not a light, fast, escapist read. But it is WELL worth taking the time to read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Batman: Ultimate Evil, February 22, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Batman: Ultimate Evil (Audio Cassette)

It is a good book for any Batman fan. The book is awesome. I liked how batman went out of the normal rescue, like saving people, stopping a crime. It is way different from any other book I have read. It is about abuse, Child Abuse. It is my favorite BATMAN book of all time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected..., October 17, 2000

By 

"simeseangel" (World Wide ;)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Batman: Ultimate Evil (Audio Cassette)

I picked this book up as a Bat-fan and thought it would be an ok read for a boring afternoon. I was so wrong. It was a wonderful book and I couldn't put it down. Thank you Andrew Vachss for giving Batman back the compassion and fire that Hollywood has killed in the past decade. No, this is not an all out action, beat dozens of bad guys into bloody plup kind of book that most people associate Batman with; this is Batman the Detective, who is going after people who are lower than the slime on sewer walls. And he does it with style and boundless determination, knowing that if even one child can be saved from this Hell, then he will have made a difference. That is what matters.