Customer Reviews

Gotham Central Vol. 3: Unresolved Targets (Batman)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I'm really enjoying Gotham Central, but I wanted to warn purchasers that the paperpack volumes are differently numbered but largely duplicative of the new hardcover editions. For example, the two storylines in this paperback volume are the same two storylines included in Volume 2 of the Gotham Central hardcover edition. (The hardcover edition includes issues from before and in between those storylines that are omitted from the softcover editions.)

The paperback editions will give you the big storylines, and the hardcover editions will give you every issue. Just be careful about purchasing both hardcover and paperback, because you'll end up with lots of duplication.

i was gonna qualify this brief write up but thought better of it . BRUBAKER and RUCKA are just what modern comics need . the other reviewer says it better than i could or would have . get this book . it's really dealing . i got this at my local library . either someone didn't know how good it was or they wanted to broadcast the good news . huge up's to everyone involved in this particular book . editorial review is spot on as well .

Ra's al Ghul has waged his war to find balance for the world over a very long time, and over that time he has made many enemies. Perhaps his deadliest enemy has been Batman, who through Wayne Enterprises has been denying him access to Lazarus Pits. However, Ra's has another enemy who wants him dead, his own daughter. The three camps are spinning their webs, and someone is going so suffer, but who?

Overall, I found this to be an OK book. The history of Ra's al Ghul and his daughter was interesting, if slow moving. Bruce's meeting with his dead parents was ultimately unsatisfying and anticlimactic. The finale was pretty good, and kept the story from just petering out.

So, yeah, it's an OK book, not great, but not bad. Eh.

This is exactly how I see Gotham City in my mind. Grimey, gritty, dirty, whatever word you would like to use. They all apply. Rucka & Brubaker write two different stories each compelling and important and there are only a couple of scenes involving super heroes. The Joker story is creepy and the Mad Hatter tale is weird and smarmy, just like him. My only complaint is that the cast is so big that its hard to keep track of them at times.

Great book. Of coarse it's always great to see Klaus Janson's work. The preface in my copy of this trade says he outdid himself, and I certainly agree. This is the best art I've seen him do and he's done some great stuff.

The best element of this story is definitely the interactions between Ra's and his daughter Nyssa over the centuries and in different historical locations. It really reminded me of Interview with the Vampire in that way.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Death and the Maidens.

I enjoyed reading it. The story brings a good contribution to Batman's Universe.

I was disappointed in this story. It did have some potential, especially with Bruce Wayne being given the chance to meet his parents. Unfortunately, that part was the biggest letdown - most of the meeting is spent with Bruce's mother going on about all of the changes Gotham has undergone since her death. If she was able to see everything Bruce was doing while she was dead, surely she would have seen Gotham in that time too. Bruce's parents get accross the fact that they are disappointed with his chosen life but that's it. There is nothing more to the meeting. There is no insight, no wisdom imparted, just "We're not happy with you, Bruce," and that's it - Bruce wakes up wondering whether or not it actually happened.

Ra's Al Ghul's character is fleshed out pretty well in this story, but the fact that the story is more about him and his problems than about Batman does take from my interest in the piece.

Another problem is that Batman is never really in any danger throughout the whole book. There is no impending doom, no serious detective work to be done. There is just the one moral dilemma as to whether or not it is right to disturb the dead. This is done pretty well in that Alfred is the moralist and Bruce disregards his advice, but in the end, after Bruce has met his parents, the decision seems not to have mattered one way or the other.

There are one or two dodgy pictures, but mostly the artwork is good. There is never a misplaced line in the whole thing, so I can have no complaints about the quality of the writing, except that the whole story lacked something that would make me want to read it again.