Book Review: The Batman Murders

I love used bookstores. Sometimes, you can find real unexpected treasures in them. There’s one in particular I like to visit with my dad, called “Mr. K’s Used Books” that has turned up a lot of nice treats in my visits.

One of these, a Batman novel from 1990, was a particular surprise discovery.

“The Batman Murders,” by Craig Shaw Gardner (who was no stranger to the Caped Crusader, having written the novelization of Tim Burton’s Batman film) opens on a seemingly familiar scene: Batman going to bust up a nighttime robbery in Gotham City.

But something is different. For one thing, Batman twists his ankle making a landing.

Second, he completely misses when throwing a batarang at the crooks.

And most important of all, the robbers easily shoot him dead.

The next morning, the REAL Batman, and the cops investigating the scene, find that the Batman who was killed was a banker who’d been missing for several months. Investigating his death soon leads to a twisted conspiracy involving the abduction of various prominent Gotham citizens, a suspicious religious group (“The Church of Perpetual Happiness,” because that doesn’t sound ominous at all XD), more deluded Batman impostors… all masterminded by (who else?) the Dark Knight’s most infamous adversary.

You see, the Joker’s most recent plan is motivated by a paradox that he’s come to realize: The Joker wants to kill Batman, but if he succeeds, who would be there to make life in Gotham interesting for him? So, to the Joker, the best way to solve this problem is to brainwash various citizens into thinking they’re Batman, and get his kicks watching them get killed trying to fight crime. He gets to have his cake and eat it too, basically: a potentially endless supply of Batman to send off to their deaths… plus it makes good practice for dealing with the real Caped Crusader too!

And hey, if the act grows boring for him, then he can expand into picking other “parts” for his various captives to play…

“The Batman Murders” is a well-constructed read, and a surprising one at times. I say “surprising” because the book almost feels like a synthesis of various points in Batman history. For example, the book makes numerous references to the then-recent murder of Jason Todd, the second Robin – Bruce/Batman is still suffering from grief over the loss of Jason, which has also tainted his already-strained relationship with Dick Grayson/Nightwing, who plays an important role in the book.

Besides references to “A Death in the Family” and Nightwing’s relations with the Teen Titans (mainly Starfire), there are a few other interesting touches in the novel’s portrayal of Gotham City. In stark contrast to most modern depictions of Batman as a nighttime vigilante with a very tense relationship with the police outside Gordon, here Batman is a legally-recognized operative of the Gotham City police who gets special access to crime scenes and is on excellent terms with many of the officers. (The real friction between Batman and Gotham City officials is with the mayor’s office, as the politicians don’t like a man in a mask who can’t be known or predicted to play according to their wishes. XD) One little touch in the book that surprised me, is the mention of a special phone connection used for contacting Batman; the phone is even said to be bright red, which makes it a surprising reference to the classic Adam West TV show.

In some ways, I’d almost describe the Gotham City of “The Batman Murders” as a somewhat brighter version of Batman – The Animated Series. The Joker is a maniacal villain with an often hilarious personality and horrific schemes (in a few scenes, I could very well imagine Mark Hamill’s voice delivering the Joker’s lines); Batman is brooding and intimidating to crooks and outsiders, but still possesses a noble heart dedicated to justice and helping others…

The DCAU comparison becomes especially apt near the end of the book, with a particular third-act development almost feeling like a warmup act for the infamous flashback scene from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker…

All in all, “The Batman Murders” is a very competent and worthwhile read to any fan of the Dark Knight Detective. Craig Shaw Gardner deftly portrays a variety of characters and his prose is clear and engaging; he shows special skill in writing the Joker, but several side characters (from a self-important mayoral assistant, to a hulking Joker henchman known as “Big Mike”) stand out too. The novel takes a bit of a grim turn in a few chapters – I was particular struck by how darkly realistic the portrayal of “The Church of Perpetual Happiness” was as a religious cult, and the methods they use to indoctrinate new arrivals – but the book never becomes a slog, and is pretty well worth reading in my opinion.

My biggest criticism would perhaps be, that I felt the ending came a bit too suddenly, or perhaps left a bit unresolved. Of course, it is part and parcel for several superhero stories to end on a “the adventure continues” kind of note, but after the intensity of Batman’s showdown with the Joker, the book’s ending feels like a bit of an abrupt stop.

Still, there is plenty of good material in the book, and I was quite pleased with the experience of reading it. If anyone were ever interested in looking for a copy of their own, Amazon seems to be offering some for fairly cheap prices, most copies running about two and a half dollars or so. (Other sellers run upward of thirty bucks though, so be careful!)

Anyway, “The Batman Murders”. Quite enjoyed it.