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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
There's nothing wrong with this book exactly--it does everything that it needs to and it was a quick and easy read over a stressful weekend for me--but it just doesn't hit the heights of Marie Lu's other books.
There's nothing wrong with this book exactly--it does everything that it needs to and it was a quick and easy read over a stressful weekend for me--but it just doesn't hit the heights of Marie Lu's other books.
DNF @ 47%
Why I just could not make it through this book:
◇The plot is boring.
The basic plot is that on Bruce's 18th birthday, he stumbles on a crime being committed. Then decides to go after the criminal in his car, succeeds, but ends up getting arrested for getting involved. He then has to work in Arkham Asylum as his punishment and meets a girl who's an inmate, and falls in love. All while trying to help the police stop a new criminal group called Nightwalkers. It sounds great, but it was so boring, and cheesy. Nothing interesting happens when he's in Arkham. He only ever talks to Madeleine (the girl he's in love with). I was hoping that Marie Lu would incorporate some of Batman's many villains. I mean, there are so many to choose from. I was just so bored with the plot, and most of it consisted with Bruce talking to Madeleine, and I really hated that romance. Which leads to my next point.
◇Instalove.
Ok. I know Bruce Wayne's weakness is women. But, this relationship was terrible. He literally talks to her like once and then he feels some sort of connection. Ughhhh. It was just so baaad. And her backstory was supposed to make you feel bad for her, but I just couldn't because of the way it was written. It was like Marie Lu was telling you, "look! She's actually just misunderstood, feel bad for her!" And Bruce feels sympathy for her even after he knew about what she did to get in Arkham. I don't understand why, I mean... she killed people... Why do you still like her?
◇Bruce Wayne is not Bruce Wayne.
The thing about the character of Bruce in the comics is that he is Batman. His real self is Batman, and his secret identity is Bruce Wayne. The person Bruce is when he puts on his bat suit is his real self, Bruce Wayne is an act. Every Batman fan knows this. And this was not in the book. The reason Bruce starts getting into crime is because he likes the thrill. I hate that. That's not why Batman fights crime. He fights crime because Gotham sucks and he doesn't want anyone else to become an orphan because of crime. Admittedly, Marie Lu captured Bruce hating attention and kind of being a loner, but that was about the only thing that was accurate about Bruce's character.
I hated this only because I read Batman comics, I've played all of the video games. I'm a huge Batman fan and I just feel like Marie Lu didn't give my boy a good origin.
If you're a Batman fan, don't read this. If you don't really know anything about Batman give it a shot, you might like it.
Why I just could not make it through this book:
◇The plot is boring.
The basic plot is that on Bruce's 18th birthday, he stumbles on a crime being committed. Then decides to go after the criminal in his car, succeeds, but ends up getting arrested for getting involved. He then has to work in Arkham Asylum as his punishment and meets a girl who's an inmate, and falls in love. All while trying to help the police stop a new criminal group called Nightwalkers. It sounds great, but it was so boring, and cheesy. Nothing interesting happens when he's in Arkham. He only ever talks to Madeleine (the girl he's in love with). I was hoping that Marie Lu would incorporate some of Batman's many villains. I mean, there are so many to choose from. I was just so bored with the plot, and most of it consisted with Bruce talking to Madeleine, and I really hated that romance. Which leads to my next point.
◇Instalove.
Ok. I know Bruce Wayne's weakness is women. But, this relationship was terrible. He literally talks to her like once and then he feels some sort of connection. Ughhhh. It was just so baaad. And her backstory was supposed to make you feel bad for her, but I just couldn't because of the way it was written. It was like Marie Lu was telling you, "look! She's actually just misunderstood, feel bad for her!" And Bruce feels sympathy for her even after he knew about what she did to get in Arkham. I don't understand why, I mean... she killed people... Why do you still like her?
◇Bruce Wayne is not Bruce Wayne.
The thing about the character of Bruce in the comics is that he is Batman. His real self is Batman, and his secret identity is Bruce Wayne. The person Bruce is when he puts on his bat suit is his real self, Bruce Wayne is an act. Every Batman fan knows this. And this was not in the book. The reason Bruce starts getting into crime is because he likes the thrill. I hate that. That's not why Batman fights crime. He fights crime because Gotham sucks and he doesn't want anyone else to become an orphan because of crime. Admittedly, Marie Lu captured Bruce hating attention and kind of being a loner, but that was about the only thing that was accurate about Bruce's character.
I hated this only because I read Batman comics, I've played all of the video games. I'm a huge Batman fan and I just feel like Marie Lu didn't give my boy a good origin.
If you're a Batman fan, don't read this. If you don't really know anything about Batman give it a shot, you might like it.
Quick, fun read that offers a glimpse of a teenage, pre-Batman Bruce Wayne
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, this book needs more credit than reviews have been giving it. Sure, it probably won’t become a literary classic or whatever, but Batman: Nightwalker was a fun romp through Gotham City that I devoured within a few days.
It might be that this book hit all the right notes for me. Bruce was a good, solid protagonist. While eighteen-year-old Bruce Wayne is lighter than the hardened Batman, he also had just the right amount of brooding to hint at the superhero he would eventually become. Madeleine may not be Selina Kyle, but she was a good substitute, and I adored her not quite enemies/not quite friends/not quite lovers dynamic with Bruce. I like where they ended off on the book. It even touched upon white privilege and how damaging the US capitalist system can be, which I am here for. Either way, I really enjoyed this little superhero flick and I’m excited to read the other books in the DC Icons series.
It might be that this book hit all the right notes for me. Bruce was a good, solid protagonist. While eighteen-year-old Bruce Wayne is lighter than the hardened Batman, he also had just the right amount of brooding to hint at the superhero he would eventually become. Madeleine may not be Selina Kyle, but she was a good substitute, and I adored her not quite enemies/not quite friends/not quite lovers dynamic with Bruce. I like where they ended off on the book. It even touched upon white privilege and how damaging the US capitalist system can be, which I am here for. Either way, I really enjoyed this little superhero flick and I’m excited to read the other books in the DC Icons series.
In a time where dozens of comic-related movies, shows, and collectibles are being released, people are becoming inundated with the genre, but the one medium that has yet to be fully exploited are young-adult novels. The purpose of the DC Icons brand is to fill this gap in the market and re-envision beloved DC heroes and villains as teenagers. Reinventing well-established characters – like Bruce Wayne – is no small order. As anything else that has a cult following, the final product can either impress and surprise long-time fans, or it may shutter them from an experience where they lack any consideration from the author. Marie Lu’s Batman: Nightwalker squarely fits in the latter category, with a teenage Bruce Wayne that is uninteresting and lacking in common sense. Instead of remaining calm and poised, choosing to say little, and to allow his actions to speak for him, Bruce resigns to stating the obvious and speaking when it does not behoove him. The following quote is a prime example of Bruce’s sad and pathetic retorts: “His irritation came spilling out with his words. ‘Wait a sec. You spoke to me first’” (Lu 88).
Sadly, the reader can often predict how events will pan out long before this teenage detective and future-Batman. Nearly all answers are served to Bruce on a silver platter, and he solves very little as Gotham’s only hope. The following scene is an example of Bruce’s common sense, or lack thereof: “She knows about the wire. How?... You’re clumsier than I remember, she said to him just moments earlier. He thought she was referring to his dropped mop handle, but now he thought that perhaps she had been talking about the wire all along” (Lu 87). Bruce should be an exceptional human, with an understated intellect, but not to the extent where the main character is too helpless to solve a crime by himself. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne’s lack of character is quickly matched by a forgettable antagonist, Madeleine, who is practically Catwoman but simply cat-less. “I can’t think of a story where the billionaire and the murderer end up happily ever after” (Lu 248). The organization she works for, the Nightwalkers, was ill-conceived as well, by rehashing the tired mantra of “steal from the rich, give to the poor.”
As a consequence of its length, the novel suffers from a number of pacing issues. The author spends too much time on dream/nightmare sequences of little consequence to the overall plot and gives too little thought in building suspense before fight scenes, which also end soon after they start and leave much to be desired. In some instances, an action scene is - at most – a page long. Supporting characters such as Bruce’s friends, Dianne and Harvey, are not important to the overarching plot, and the few scenes in which they appear could be easily removed and just as easily forgotten. My main gripe with the supporting characters is they feel like an afterthought. Dianne and Harvey are given very little of the spotlight, and the reader receives no insight into their relationship with Bruce, making them insignifigant to the plot. Towards the end of the novel, Bruce decides to remain in Gotham while his friends leave the city, and it never once appears to have any emotional bearing for a group of long-time friends. “Earlier in the day, he had joined Harvey at the airport to see Dianne off as she flew to England; later in the week, he would do the same with Harvey as his friend headed for college. And soon, Bruce would step into the university life himself” (Lu 247).
With an esteemed writer like Marie Lu at the helm of this project, I expected a revolutionary take on an otherwise tired character and setting, while still paying homage to Batman’s long-and-great history by introducing classic and obscure villains along with a few of Batman’s associates and closest allies – beyond a few unremarkable appearances. Admittedly, I found myself skimming through paragraphs and having to revisit them moments later after realizing I started to doze off. The novel could be improved if time were spent fleshing out the characters and their interactions, if the plot introduced – or alluded to – classic villains (which were seemingly absent in Arkham Asylum of all places), if a looming danger appeared imminent before fight scenes, and if the antagonist and protagonist were not so predictable and bland.
I would only recommend the novel on the basis of it being an entry-point for avid readers who may have been hesitant in picking up a graphic novel or a comic book; however, its reductive, compact nature will fail to satisfy comic purists. Batman: Nightwalker has provided me with a greater appreciation for previous attempts at reinventing the character and has made me realize that classic formulas are better left untouched.
Sadly, the reader can often predict how events will pan out long before this teenage detective and future-Batman. Nearly all answers are served to Bruce on a silver platter, and he solves very little as Gotham’s only hope. The following scene is an example of Bruce’s common sense, or lack thereof: “She knows about the wire. How?... You’re clumsier than I remember, she said to him just moments earlier. He thought she was referring to his dropped mop handle, but now he thought that perhaps she had been talking about the wire all along” (Lu 87). Bruce should be an exceptional human, with an understated intellect, but not to the extent where the main character is too helpless to solve a crime by himself. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne’s lack of character is quickly matched by a forgettable antagonist, Madeleine, who is practically Catwoman but simply cat-less. “I can’t think of a story where the billionaire and the murderer end up happily ever after” (Lu 248). The organization she works for, the Nightwalkers, was ill-conceived as well, by rehashing the tired mantra of “steal from the rich, give to the poor.”
As a consequence of its length, the novel suffers from a number of pacing issues. The author spends too much time on dream/nightmare sequences of little consequence to the overall plot and gives too little thought in building suspense before fight scenes, which also end soon after they start and leave much to be desired. In some instances, an action scene is - at most – a page long. Supporting characters such as Bruce’s friends, Dianne and Harvey, are not important to the overarching plot, and the few scenes in which they appear could be easily removed and just as easily forgotten. My main gripe with the supporting characters is they feel like an afterthought. Dianne and Harvey are given very little of the spotlight, and the reader receives no insight into their relationship with Bruce, making them insignifigant to the plot. Towards the end of the novel, Bruce decides to remain in Gotham while his friends leave the city, and it never once appears to have any emotional bearing for a group of long-time friends. “Earlier in the day, he had joined Harvey at the airport to see Dianne off as she flew to England; later in the week, he would do the same with Harvey as his friend headed for college. And soon, Bruce would step into the university life himself” (Lu 247).
With an esteemed writer like Marie Lu at the helm of this project, I expected a revolutionary take on an otherwise tired character and setting, while still paying homage to Batman’s long-and-great history by introducing classic and obscure villains along with a few of Batman’s associates and closest allies – beyond a few unremarkable appearances. Admittedly, I found myself skimming through paragraphs and having to revisit them moments later after realizing I started to doze off. The novel could be improved if time were spent fleshing out the characters and their interactions, if the plot introduced – or alluded to – classic villains (which were seemingly absent in Arkham Asylum of all places), if a looming danger appeared imminent before fight scenes, and if the antagonist and protagonist were not so predictable and bland.
I would only recommend the novel on the basis of it being an entry-point for avid readers who may have been hesitant in picking up a graphic novel or a comic book; however, its reductive, compact nature will fail to satisfy comic purists. Batman: Nightwalker has provided me with a greater appreciation for previous attempts at reinventing the character and has made me realize that classic formulas are better left untouched.
I like Marie Lu's writing style. This was just okay for me.