Batman's Dark Secret

September 15, 2015
Muth has earned admiration as a picture-book author/illustrator and as a comic-book artist; here, he expands the Dark Knight's origin story for a picture-book audience. After a night at the movies, Bruce Wayne and his parents (inexplicably) walk through a dark alley, where Bruce's parents are shot and killed. (The violence is indicated by Bruce's surprised face, illuminated by the flash of gunpowder, and his parents' fallen hat and scarf.) The lonely boy is tended by the loving butler Alfred, who keeps Wayne Manor lit day and night to hold his young master's newfound fear of the dark at bay (presumably the titular dark secret). One day Bruce falls into a cavern beneath his property, where he faces down a ludicrously monstrous bat and finds bravery and his life's work. The story's logic suffers with its spurious expansion. How does facing the bat help Bruce conquer his fear of the dark? If it's meant to be a symbolic embodiment of that fear, that's not clear. The pages between his parents' murders and his confrontation with the bat are filled with grieving, not a burgeoning need to bring justice to a crime-filled world. But Muth's watercolors are breathtaking. Since young readers' interest in superheroes begins before they are typically ready for comic books, this lovely if thinly plotted picture book fills an important niche-though they may wonder where the action is. (Picture book. 4-8)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-Puckett and Muth bring the story of Batman's dark beginnings to light in a stunningly illustrated picture book. One cannot tell the story of Batman without starting with the tragic loss that changed the course of his life. Puckett does not shy away from the violent events of Bruce Wayne's childhood, though the presented details are vague, expressed through spare text: a "darker than dark" alley, "the bang, the flash, the smoke," and "his parents were gone." Though the visual depiction of Bruce's parents' murder is off-page, the event may raise some uncomfortable questions for the youngest of readers. Still, children will come away with the understanding that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that even after tragedy, one can find the strength to continue to live and learn. The moral is thoughtfully depicted, and this book could easily serve as a means to introduce these difficult discussions. Muth is no stranger to the world of comics, and his beautiful and ephemeral watercolors perfectly illustrate the Dark Knight's origins. Other motifs associated with Batman such as dark caves and monstrous bats might also be a bit on the scary side, but overall this is an excellent distillation of adult comic book themes that will be embraced by older children ready to explore the slightly darker side of their superheroes. VERDICT Muth's moody watercolors elevate this superhero origin tale.-Billy Parrott, New York Public Library

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