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kareilaHere we see eighteen year old Bruce Wayne, who has just graduated high school and come into his fortune. He's not Batman yet, but he's eager to see that no criminal escapes justice - so when he happens to be driving a souped-up car past a crime scene, he makes sure the suspect doesn't elude the police. Those police aren't too happy about his interference, and assign him community service working as a janitor in Arkham Asylum.
This unlikely premise is what leads to his fascination with a prisoner his own age, an alluring girl named Madeleine who is associated with the Nightwalkers, a dangerous group of criminals who are robbing and killing Gotham's most prominent citizens. Madeleine has resisted all attempts at interrogation, but she opens up to Bruce and tells him about her own tragic past. Is she telling him the truth? Is she manipulating him to further her own agenda? Is he going to be the Nightwalkers' next victim?
This story succeeded where so many others failed for me, in making Bruce Wayne a likable character; he's reserved, but curious about what motivates others. His only flaw is his tendency to take justice into his own hands - he believes that only he knows Madeleine well enough to stop the Nightwalkers, and even if he could get the police to listen to him, there's no time to waste. Of course, when things get hot, he does have a few friends in his corner, and more than a few toys at his disposal; ultimately all that's missing from the Batman myth is the secret identity. As for Madeleine, she's a nicely complicated character who brings some shades of gray to what would otherwise be a mostly black and white story.
This unlikely premise is what leads to his fascination with a prisoner his own age, an alluring girl named Madeleine who is associated with the Nightwalkers, a dangerous group of criminals who are robbing and killing Gotham's most prominent citizens. Madeleine has resisted all attempts at interrogation, but she opens up to Bruce and tells him about her own tragic past. Is she telling him the truth? Is she manipulating him to further her own agenda? Is he going to be the Nightwalkers' next victim?
This story succeeded where so many others failed for me, in making Bruce Wayne a likable character; he's reserved, but curious about what motivates others. His only flaw is his tendency to take justice into his own hands - he believes that only he knows Madeleine well enough to stop the Nightwalkers, and even if he could get the police to listen to him, there's no time to waste. Of course, when things get hot, he does have a few friends in his corner, and more than a few toys at his disposal; ultimately all that's missing from the Batman myth is the secret identity. As for Madeleine, she's a nicely complicated character who brings some shades of gray to what would otherwise be a mostly black and white story.
