Batman: Gotham Knight

Author Louise Simonson tackles what can be an impossible task and pens an outstanding book on the iconic superhero. The work is a tie-in to the ambitious 2008 direct-to-video animated movie of the same name, with both being a prequel to the critically-acclaimed 2008 movie, The Dark Knight. A writer (obviously) has miniscule room to maneuver with a movie novelization, but Simonson does an outstanding job in following the movie's action and deftly adding poignant passages to make this a solid stand-alone book. Though it is marketed for "teen" readers, the book can be a worthy addition to the collection of fans at any age level.

Louise Simonson delivers a terrific adaptation of BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT, the direct-to-DVD feature from this past summer. Serving as a prelude to THE DARK KNIGHT, BGK follows Batman as he faces a gang war, the rise of two new enemies and a struggle to do his job despite growing challenges and complications. The story cleverly picks up on the threads of BATMAN BEGINS, wherein the Scarecrow and Ra's al-Ghul have sledge-hammered Gotham by releasing dozens of inmates from Arkham Asylum. The Scarecrow is still at large but the effects of his time in Arkham (as Dr. Jonathan Crane) are only now coming to light. Batman, aided with new techno-wizardry courtesy of Lucius Fox, has his hands full containing the damage... even as bodies begin to float ashore and gunfights erupt between rival criminal kingpins. Simonson keeps the action focused, the storytelling tight and the narrative hurtling along at rocket speed. If you're in the market for some great Batman prose, check it out!

When I first saw this book in the bookstore, I couldn't believe that Warner Books had published a movie tie-in to a direct-to-DVD film--surely a first in the publishing world. I was even more surprised to find out that, once I started reading the first page, I couldn't stop. Is the writing perfect? No, but it's more than serviceable as light reading and better than expected for a tie-in book. Louise Simonson paints a fairly realistic picture of Chris Nolan's "Batman Begins" Batman universe. The book provides a more cohesive backstory than the "Gotham Knight" animated film, so I would recommend reading the book either before or after the movie. You might even be able to skip the film and read Simonson's adaptation!