I was so thrilled when Penguin asked me to be a part of the Marie Lu Batman Blog tour. I adore Blog Tours and for Marie Lu? I’d do just about anything (as I was a huge fan of Warcross).
Summary
Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.
The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.
Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.
Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.
In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer
Review
Let me just offer another little disclaimer, I am not a huge Batman lover. Sure I’ve seen so many films and I like him as a character, but I’m not one of those people who are ride or die Batman people. And I think it’s important I say that so you know where I’m coming from. I wasn’t, personally, expecting anything – and not in a bad way – but in a simply, I only know the bare basics about Batman.
So Batman Nightwalker made me so happy. It made me happy not only because it was entertaining, but because it was also nuanced in a way that Lu brings light to. For many people, the figure of Batman is familiar and so the challenge writing into a cannon should not be underestimated, that’s why I offered my disclaimer. But I think Lu did a great job.
What I adored about Batman was that Lu brought some great ideas to the table: what makes you a criminal, when do you become a criminal, is it a process or one single action? And the fact that this was subtly examined both by what makes you a criminal, and by extension a hero, in a variety of ways and characters was superb. (I also love the small stuff. Lu had this one scene where Wayne is getting yelled at by prisoners and he likens this to how it must feel to be catcalled. Where else in the superhero cannon are we going to get that?) We saw Harvey Dent, and the early stages of Batman before he was really the Batman we know. And so getting to know him before and how he started on that path was truly lovely.
If you’re a fan of Batman, or someone like me, I recommend this book because I think Lu really brings something unique to the experience.
You can pick up Batman Nightwalker from Amazon(US), your local indie, and add it to Goodreads. The Book’s ISBN: (9780525578567)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher, Random House.
Discussion
What superhero icon do you love?
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Another great review! I really need to pick this one up!
It’s definitely good is you like superheros!