Product Description

When a crime spree takes the Dark Knight from the familiar turf of Gotham City across the globe to Tokyo, he finds himself locked in mortal combat with his greatest enemies...but are they really what they appear to be? Is Batman truly at war with The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, The Penguin, and Catwoman - or are they just bizarre simulations brought on by Fanatic, a new drug that's hit the mean streets of Gotham City? Batman soon learns that Fanatic turns would-be super-villains into facsimiles of the genuine article...with just one hitch: After a few hours, they melt down into mummified corpses! Now it's up to Batman to put a decisive stop to the chaos caused by Fanatic, even if the battle takes him to another continent!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #670006 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
With his combination of high-tech gadgetry and martial arts expertise, Batman was always a prime candidate for a Manga interpretation, so the only question that Child of Dreams raises is: what took so long? Written and illustrated by Manga legend Kia Asamiya, this 338-page original graphic novel finds the Dark Knight Detective facing a crime spree in Gotham City that's seemingly perpetrated by some of his greatest foes, yet all of them are actually locked up safely in Arkham Asylum. So who--or what--is Batman actually fighting? And what is their connection to the beautiful Japanese journalist Yuko Yagi? The solution to this mystery takes Batman from the rooftops of Gotham City to the streets of Tokyo.

Though the storyline running through Child of Dreams is often overwrought and hackneyed, and the dialogue (as translated by Road to Perdition writer Max Allan Collins) is unnatural and convoluted, these points are easily forgiven. This is a book that's carried by the quality of the artwork, and the black and white art is almost beyond reproach. Asamiya is an exceptional illustrator, and his rendering of Batman and the tools of his trade, from the Batmobile to the Batarangs, are breathtaking, combining majesty and mystery, as any good rendering of Batman should. Read it once, then go back to savour the artwork. --Robert Burrow

About the Author
Kia Asamiya is one of the relatively few Japanese manga artists to break through in the West; his hit series Silent Mobius and Steam Detectives garnered him plenty of attention in the U.S., where he is now working on Marvel's Uncanny X-Men. Max Allan Collins is a multi-award-winning crime novelist, and author of The Road to Perdition, as well as the long-standing writer of Dick Tracy and Ms. Tree.

Customer Reviews

A fantastic fusion of manga and Batman!
When a Japanese news crew arrives in Gotham City, hoping to catch an interview with Batman, the whole world begins to change. Batman's old nemeses - Two-Face, Penguin and the Riddler - start a campaign of terror, acting unusual, even for them. When Batman catches each in turn, they burn up and turn into mummies; a new drug has hit the street, one that can turn people into the super-villain of their choice. The Japanese news crew seems to be at the center of it all, but when a pseudo-Joker grabs Yuko Yagi, the team's anchor, they seem to be in as much danger as Batman himself. Someone is out to get Batman, someone with a great deal of knowledge about pharmaceuticals, and the trail leads straight to Tokyo.

This great graphic novel is the brainchild of Kia Asamiya, one of Japan's foremost manga illustrators. Combining traditional manga artwork with the Batman world produces a fantastic fusion that is true to the earlier Batman works, and yet is new and exciting! I loved the story and the artwork in this book; I was worried that I wouldn't like either, but boy was I wrong! The whole book is in black-and-white, but the lack of color goes along great with the story, keeping that Gothic feeling that one expects. I highly recommend this book to any, and every, fan of Batman.

Fantastic manga interpretation!
Batman in manga!? Yes, and it works very well indeed - the Japanese style suits Batman - especially the great splash double pages. Everything is in black and white, which, for me, makes it sublime. The dialogue and story is supurb - it echoes manga animation that I've seen, and I imagined the entire lot of this being animated, literally coming off the page at you. There is not one frame here that looks like it was rushed; everything is so clear and concise.

It's well up there in my list of Batman all-time faves - the hardcover edition also sports a nice silhouette touch to its cover.

Awesome manga
Very good. Batman story, atmoshpere and characters set in black and white manga. Initally, I was slightly annoyed at the lack of colour, but the black and white added to the whole atmosphere of the book. The story itself is a bit of a mystery and quite well paced, as you get to see various batman villains appear, not just for the sake of it but adding to the storyline. The artwork itself is quite amazing, with the artist doing some incredible things. Overall, if you are a batman fan buy it yesterday, if not, its worth getting to see what the fuss with manga is all about.