Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #844947 in Books
• Published on: 1993-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

Customer Reviews

Amazing!!
This is an incredible comic. Watch as Bruce Wayne becomes addicted to super powerful steroids! I don't want to ruin the story too much for people who haven't read it yet so I won't say too much more, except that Batman becomes beefier than Arnie and more psycho than the Joker.
One of my favourite ever Batman comics!

Prelude to "Broken Bat".
A very dark and gritty Batman Graphic novel. It deals with Batman becoming addicted to 'Venom', the same artificial steroid that Bane uses during his quest to destroy'The Bat' in Knightfall.

It is set quite early in the Batman History (James Gordon still being a mere Captain, as opposed to commisioner). Batman fails to save a young girl from drowning after she's been kidknapped and placed in a collapsing tunnel under Gotham River.

Batman is devastated, after giving the news to the girls father, a chemist, he is offerred a 'designer drug' to make him stronger.

As mentioned, this is a very dark and gritty story, one of the darkest and most thought-provoking stories that I've read featuring Batman. It is well drawn and is a must if you enjoyed the epic "Knightsfall/end" story arc.

Batman at his lowest, comics at their finest.
Collecting the original story arc from 'Legends of the Dark Knight' #16 to #20, this is certainly one of the great Batman stories. The writer, Dennis O'Neil, has a really solid understanding of the character and sets up a convincing series of events and choices that lead to Batman developing a drug addiction. The conclusion, where our hero resolves to bring to justice those who caused him harm drives right to the heart of Batman's origins whilst the ending leaves you to question the price that he has been forced to pay in his nightly quest.

There is also plenty of action, handled superbly by the artistic team of Trevor Von Eeden (layouts), Russell Braun (pencil art), and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (inker), really making you feel the weight of the rocks and the speed of the van chases. These action scenes are a vital part of the story with Batman not always coming out on top, leeding both the character and reader to question whether he will make it past that next goon or stop that approaching shark. His decision to take a performance enhancing drug can be sympathised with, even agreed with, thanks to some terrific writing from the author.

In short this book is a must have for any comics fan. It takes the high-speed cliffhanger action scenes of the past and merges them perfectly with the adult themes and character driven plots of the modern age. You will not be dissappointed.