Death Mask

This is a worthy successor to Child of Dreams. The art is excellent and the story is good. The action is good and the story is a bit more mature than other Batman titles. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Child of Dreams and who also loves manga and anime. This is another title that would do well to be converted to anime. The exploration of one of Bruce Waynes fighting styles and struggles with internal demons is nicely done. The comparison of the Batman to Oni is a great and often overlooked aspect of the Batman mythos. Highly recommended for collectors and enthusiast.

Manga is a love-it or hate-it product, especially when it's done the Japanese way, reading from right-to-left. Many folks will find this annoying. And it is. But after a few minutes, you get used to it. And if you can do that, you'd see how great this book is. A mask that does odd things to its wearer has come to Gotham City, so of course, Batman gets involved. Unbeknownst to him, however, is he was involved 20 years ago, when he was learning his skills that allowed him to become Batman, in Japan! The story is outstanding. The artwork is very good, but as mentioned above, you either like the manga-style or you do not. This is a quality book that's different than just about any Batman story you've read, it really is excellent! One last warning: it's in black and white, and it's manga-sized, so it's not the standard 8.5 x 11 paperback.

While reading this, it was quite natural to make comparisons to the previous Batman manga story Child of Dreams. They mutually exhibit a charming romantic reverence for the character, due both to the perspective of the writer and the other characters' expressed wonder and admiration towards him, consequently elevating Batman to near mythic proportions, an approach that appropriately complements this story's fantasy angle. They also have adorable female leads whom one can easily picture Bruce falling for and, for a refreshing change, aren't just there to play the damsel in distress. This mystifying story does explore some introspective themes common to Batman, one being the duality inherent with anybody who dons a mask, both literally and metaphorically, but in this instance additionally enhanced with some ancient Japanese lore and mystical powers included. Another recurrent theme featured, and indeed apropos, is how a person's tragic past can become an all consuming obsession throughout their entire life. The surprising irony here is that we are primarily referring to the lovely Aya, who has plenty of her own ghosts to overcome, but of course the inference is there for Bruce as well. The salient point emphasized is that we must all try to reconcile our bygone burdens in order to hopefully live a more happy and normal life. For Aya, despite its somewhat poignant climax, she is finally able to appease her personal demons and move on. While Batman may never be able to totally come to grips with his, at its conclusion we do see him with a more healthy philosophical outlook towards his troubled lot in life. So despite the plot's sporadic confusion, due mostly to its fantasy aspects, and the writing's occasional forays into expository dialogue and flashbacks, it is still a welcome opportunity to experience Batman as seen through the distinct vision of another culture and style, and thankfully for all of his fans for that.