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Batman: The Ultimate Evil

Batman: The Ultimate Evil

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I got this for my thirteenth birthday
Review: I originally read this book when I was thirteen when my brother bought it for me. It didn't make a big impact then cause it was a little over my head. I've reread it a couple of times and really like the book. I just don't think that the author really got both sides of batman really well, bruce didn't seem like bruce and batman seemed a little too vindictive. Overall it was a great book and I think everyone who likes batman a little should read it. Because most people who like books that are detectives books would love this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not what I expected...
Review: I picked this book up as a Bat-fan and thought it would be an ok read for a boring afternoon. I was so wrong. It was a wonderful book and I couldn't put it down. Thank you Andrew Vachss for giving Batman back the compassion and fire that Hollywood has killed in the past decade. No, this is not an all out action, beat dozens of bad guys into bloody plup kind of book that most people associate Batman with; this is Batman the Detective, who is going after people who are lower than the slime on sewer walls. And he does it with style and boundless determination, knowing that if even one child can be saved from this Hell, then he will have made a difference. That is what matters.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Good cause, bad book
Review: I picked this book up at the Dollar Shop, and I think I may have overpaid for it.

Mr. Vachss is a child advocacy crusader, so apparently he feels that qualifies him to write about the <i>Caped</i> Crusader. Thus, this novel is intended to raise awareness of the pedophilia/Thai child exploitation problem�and the non-fiction child sex tourism report included as an appendix drives this point home.

While this is certainly a worthy cause, that in no way makes up for the mediocrity of the book. Unlike other Batman novels I have read, this book is not written by one of the writers of the comic book, and it shows. Mr. Vachss seems to be hung up on the <i>image</i> of Batman, and hasn't taken the time to learn more about the character of the man. As a result, the story tends to focus on gadgets over character, and Batman's portrayal ranges from mildly to wildly inaccurate. (Since when does Batman, who studied the martial arts in Japan, not read or even <i>recognize</i> Japanese? Since when would Batman supply even nobly-caused rebels with <i>guns</i>? He hates guns, they were used to kill his parents.) And that's not even getting into the "revelation" about Batman's parents, which is one of the cheesiest plot devices I've ever seen. (Since when would Batman need his mother to have been a crusader against child exploitation in order to be one himself?) One wonders if Mr. Vachss prepared for writing this book by watching the movies�particularly the Joel Schumacher movies.

In short, this book reads like bad Batman fanfic, and does its cause a disservice by being such a piece of tripe.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Good cause, bad book
Review: I picked this book up at the Dollar Shop, and I think I may have overpaid for it.

Mr. Vachss is a child advocacy crusader, so apparently he feels that qualifies him to write about the Caped Crusader. Thus, this novel is intended to raise awareness of the pedophilia/Thai child exploitation problem'and the non-fiction child sex tourism report included as an appendix drives this point home.

While this is certainly a worthy cause, that in no way makes up for the mediocrity of the book. Unlike other Batman novels I have read, this book is not written by one of the writers of the comic book, and it shows. Mr. Vachss seems to be hung up on the image of Batman, and hasn't taken the time to learn more about the character of the man. As a result, the story tends to focus on gadgets over character, and Batman's portrayal ranges from mildly to wildly inaccurate. (Since when does Batman, who studied the martial arts in Japan, not read or even recognize Japanese? Since when would Batman supply even nobly-caused rebels with guns? He hates guns, they were used to kill his parents.) And that's not even getting into the "revelation" about Batman's parents, which is one of the cheesiest plot devices I've ever seen. (Since when would Batman need his mother to have been a crusader against child exploitation in order to be one himself?) One wonders if Mr. Vachss prepared for writing this book by watching the movies'particularly the Joel Schumacher movies.

In short, this book reads like bad Batman fanfic, and does its cause a disservice by being such a piece of tripe.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Well Worth Reading
Review: I would say I enjoyed this book, but the subect is to serious for that description. I found it thought provoking, hard to put down, and extremely well written. The writing is gritty, but for Batman, and this story line, that works.

There is an interesting addition to the history of Batman, by way of Martha Wayne's history, and and the motivation for the murder of Martha and Thomas Wayne. I won't say more and ruin it. . .

The descriptions of Batman/Bruce Wayne and the other characters are dead on and you feel like you know the character. The descriptions on the settings are just as good. The dialouge is also realist and well done.

I'd recommend this stoyr to any ADULT Batman fan, but only if you're in the mood for some serious reading. This is not a light, fast, escapist read. But it is WELL worth taking the time to read.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Simplistic and clichéd
Review: If there's a hero that deserves to be praised, that is Batman. There's a lot that has been said about his persona, alter-ego, symbolism, etc.; that's why, being such a deep and grown up character, it is a shame that he has to stand this simplistic, boring and obvious story. That the story is about child pornography? Yes, it is, but the way it is treated is so absurd that it's almost the Reader's Digest version of the problem. It's not exactly the same, but in Batman's Night Cries (a much much better story) the problem of child molestation is presented in a much more mature and interesting form, and dealt with in a form we suppose Batman would. Mr. Vachs has never been that good so not much can be expected, but this story is a waste of money, and, worst of all, a waste of an incredibly interesting character.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Batman: Ultimate Evil
Review: It is a good book for any Batman fan. The book is awesome. I liked how batman went out of the normal rescue, like saving people, stopping a crime. It is way different from any other book I have read. It is about abuse, Child Abuse. It is my favorite BATMAN book of all time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Whoa!
Review: It was...different. Not at all what I expected. One can only imagine the faces the other kids were giving me when I reported it for a book report. It's a great story, though, and of all the superhero characters out there, the story was best told with Batman.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Perfect redemption of Batman
Review: The 1997 film "Batman & Robin" was the most awful Batman I had ever seen; even the camp 60's TV series was better than this. Andrew Vachss has completely disregarded that film, and brought back Batman (at least in book form) to the way it should have stayed with: the way "The Dark Night" series and Tim Burton's two Batman films depicted it. He has even gone one step farther than Burton by giving us Batman/Bruce Wayne a real personality instead of just a showcase for a rubber costume. Andrew gave Bruce a good reason for wearing the suit and fighting crime. He also made him older, more worn out. And for the first time Bruce seriously considers if all the effort he spent over several years, all the training, and all the sacrifices he made have truly made a difference. This perfectly redeems the dark knight. If Warner Bros wants to do a fifth Batman film they should seriously consider a faithful adaptation of this novel.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So repulsive I could not put it down
Review: The fact that Batman was indeed battling the ultimate evil of child pornography made his victory over the scum of the underworld that much sweeter. Because this evil is real in our society, I felt more strongly about this story than any other I've read. Vachss portrayed Batman as he is meant to be--the dark phantom of justice, bringing judgment upon the criminals of Gotham, swiftly and silently. In this book, Batman held fewer punches than in other material I've read. I'd like to see it kept that way. Waiting to see the Dark Knight give the evildoers their just dues kept me enthralled with this novel. I hope Vachss writes another.


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