Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King [Audio CD]

Alan Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008 | Series: Justice League of America

Something has been unearthed in Gotham City, something that should not have been disturbed. An ancient pyramid has unleashed supernatural energies throughout the world. Drawn to the eye of this arcane storm, the heroes of the JLA become caught in the grip of a force far beyond their extraordinary powers. Only Gotham's protector, Batman, manages to escape but to free his allies and stop the chaos that is fast engulfing the world, the Dark Knight must somehow unlock the pyramid's secret curse.

(p) & © 2008 DC Comics. The JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, BATMAN, and all related names, characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics 2008. All Rights Reserved.

In GraphicAudio...A Movie in Your Mind with Full Cast, Narration, Cinematic Music and Sound Effects.
GraphicAudio sets the gold standard for full-cast dramatizations, and new listeners will become instant fans. - Audiofile Magazine

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When an ancient pyramid is discovered just outside Gotham City, Batman and the Justice League must battle with the deadly and powerful Stone King, an ancient shaman empowered by the Earth's natural energy. With all but Batman and the Martian Manhunter captured, the two must save the Justice League and the world before the Stone King unleashes all of his power. Though a typical Justice League story, this reimagined audio performance includes some exciting battle scenes and character dynamics, despite the crux of the story resting on Batman. Voices for all the major superheroes are reprised from previous Graphic Audio productions of DC Comics material. Listeners can expect the same high-octane production that Graphic Audio has come to be known for yet, in the end, feel a bit empty without any sense of character development and sophisticated catharsis. (Aug.)
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From School Library Journal

Graphic Audio produces full-cast dramatizations replete with sound effects and musical scores. In this, the first of Grant's two comics-based novels (the second being Last Sons), Batman and the heroes of the Justice League are spurred into action when an ancient pyramid unleashes a torrent of supernatural energies. The reading by Audie Award winner Richard Rohan, who previously narrated the New York Times best-selling Atkins for Life, resounds with the kind of deep-voiced import usually reserved for action-adventure movie trailers. Though the near-constant jangling sound effects can be a bit much, the overall listening experience is, as the publisher promises, cinematic. Recommended where comics and graphic novels do well. [Audio clip available through www.graphicaudio.net.—Ed.]—Raya Kuzyk, Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Graphic Audio; Unabridged edition (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599504588
• ISBN-13: 978-1599504582
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #821,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly "a movie in your mind!", January 29, 2009

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King (Audio CD)

When the JLA rescues Gotham City after a dam bursts, they pay little attention to the prehistoric pyramid that the flood uncovers. The pyramid contains the trapped soul of a 4,500 year old shaman, who calls himself the Stone King. With ancient knowledge of how to tap into the latent energies of the Earth itself, he may very well be the most powerful opponent that they have ever fought. And when the Stone King uses his awesome power to capture Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern, only Batman is left to save civilization from utter destruction. But, does Batman have the power to overcome such a potent adversary? There are resources out there for the man with enough brains to collect them, and Batman is just the man to do it!

Overall, I found this to be an excellent audiobook. The story is excellent, with a great mix of action and horror. And, as for the production of the audiobook itself, it is nothing short of awesome. So many audiobooks have little or no sound effects, and all of the dialogue is done by one voice-actor. This audiobook, on the other hand, was made with a whole cast of actors (27 according to the box!), and with a great set of special effects. This truly is "a movie in your mind!"

So, if you are a fan of superheroes, and want a *great* audiobook, then get Batman: The Stone King - you won't be disappointed!

4.0 out of 5 stars Re: The Stone King, March 7, 2011

By 

David - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King (Audio CD)

As an audio adventure, this is an excellent original story, with a fine voice cast, and, although familiar at times in a type of invasion tale, holds up well. Of the series, this is the best I've heard in the collecton to date.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not "bad," but worst of the lot, January 30, 2011

By 

Big Dogg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King (Audio CD)

Let me start by saying I'm not much of a Comic Book reader, but I loved the Bruce Timm & Christopher Nolan Batman productions. I also pick up a highly ranked Graphic Novel every few years--so this is where my review is coming from.

I have been listening to these AudioBooks for a few months now, and I really enjoy them for when I'm running around town. PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST OF THE POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR THIS ITEM ARE POINTING OUT THE PRODUCTION QUALITY! GraphicAudio, the company which produced this book is EXCELLENT. They have a huge & talented cast, and fantastic sound effects.

As for this story, I'd rank it as the worst adventure I've heard from GraphicAudio. It's just sooo cut-and-dry. Read the paperback novel reviews, and you'll get the idea. One of the bigger criticisms on the novel's page is that Batman is elevated as too competent/capable compared to Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. I don't agree with that since Batman MUST be the smartest guy in the room or he'd be completely useless to the team.

My criticism of the story is that there's absolutely no character development. The only characters that have life-changing experiences are the two college students, but given the fact that Peter and his girlfriend only take up about 2% of the dialog, you really don't care that much about them (they're also generally uninteresting).

No surprises, no twists, no moral ambiguity :(

If you're like me, and like the more emotionally driven stories, this is really the worst from the superb GraphicAudio company. I would recommend "Countdown to Final Crisis," "52," and "Batman: Dead White."