Batman: Child of Dreams by Kia Asamiya; translated and adapted by Max Collins; graphic novel; 352 pagesI have mixed feelings about this story. One the one hand, it's Batman, and manga, together in the same book. On the other....it's Batman, and manga, in the same book.
What if you could become anyone you ever dreamed of? That's the promise of the newest drug to hit Gotham's streets: it turns its users into carbon copies of Batman's greatest enemies. Soon Batman is battling copies of Two-Face, the Penguin, and even the Joker. At the same time, a television crew from Tokyo is in town, filming a documentary on the Dark Knight. Yuko Yagi, the rookie reporter hoping to make a name for herself, vows to gain an interview with Batman, and so begins dogging his tracks. But as the crimes become increasingly strange, Batman starts to suspect a connection between the Japanese crew and the new influx of drugs.
I thought this was an interesting interpretation of Batman. The manga art style took some getting used to, but I eventually got used to it. While I loved the way the villains were depicted, I had some trouble adjusting to a manga Bruce Wayne (he just looked vaguely sinister, every time he took off the cowl). Art aside, this story was well-written, and the translation was handled smoothly, but there were a few rough spots. I felt like Batman was a little out of character, and the reporter subplot felt recycled from the first Tim Burton Batman movie (it didn't help that the cover is essentially a portrait of Michael Keaton as Batman). I'm glad I read this, as it was fascinating to read about my favorite superhero as seen through another culture. The afterward with the author was enlightening, and kind of made me want to read a book that's been on my to-read list for a long time--Bat-manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan.
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