Batman: Son of the Demon

Although I do not own this particular edition, I do own a reprint of this classic story. I highly recommend it to all Batman fans!

The book begins as Batman fights terrorists who have taken hostages. These militants, though, are lackeys for a far greater threat. Indeed, the threat is so great that Batman finds himself becoming the ally of Ras Al Ghul, the Demon's Head. They find themselves aligned against a common threat, a satellite that controls the global weather. As they join forces, Batman finally gives in and marries Talia. Together, they conceive and Talia becomes pregnant. In addition, Batman trains Ras' men to become better fighters. I really was surprised by a number of things in this story. It was a departure from things I take for granted in the Batman universe. For instance, Batman does love Talia, but them having a son is really surprising. Batman having a family seems to contradict his image as a lone avenger. One of the ways that people identify with Batman is through the loneliness that he exemplifies. Also, that Batman would leave Gotham for a few months at a time is shocking to me. He is the guardian of the city, and it would seem that in his mind leaving the city for a few months would be equivalent to abandonment. His obsession with cleaning up Gotham is another of his defining characteristics. So in some ways this book takes the Batman character in new directions. The plot creates a compelling hypothetical situation that challenges the Batman mythos and stretches it. I was really surprised at some of the ingenuity and creativity. This book takes an interesting turn.

This was one of the earlier Batman Graphic Novels to come out and unlike most of the current ones, this one truly warrants the additional size and investment. A great story of Batman, his nemesis R'as Al Gul (The Demon), and Talia, the Deomn's daughter -- and frequent Batman consort. Great adventure, great character development and excellent writing (much better than the "sequel" Bride of the Demon).

Well written and well drawn story. Batman forms an uneasy alliance with his enemy Ra's al-Ghul to take dawn a ruthless terrorist who is developing a weapon to control the weather. Feels more like James Bond than Batman, but it doesn't matter. What elivates this story above others is the heart-breaking romance between Batman and al-Ghul's daughter Talia, which leads to a shocking and very moving conclusion.