Batman: Creature of the Night

Batman: Creature of the Night by Busiek, Kurt. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781779506283.

The boy who loves Batman. Bruce Wainwright was a happy nine-year-old, obsessed with Batman comics, imagining what it must be like to be the Dark Knight. His world crumbles when his parents are killed in a robbery gone wrong. Orphaned, he is sent to a private boarding school, where he broods. He thirsts for vengeance and has no outlet, not in a world that lacks superheroes. Bruce desperately wishes for a Batman to bestow vengeance on those cowardly criminals. And sometimes, wishes come true. A bat-like creature finds his parents’ killers, beginning the most unimaginable odyssey of all. Bruce is shocked as this dark angel of justice follows him through the years, and he takes comfort that something is dealing with the criminals even as he thirsts for understanding. Who is this benefactor—is he a force for good or something else? Bruce’s repressed anger, bottled up since childhood, may erupt and destroy not only him but also the good people of Boston. A study in psychological obsession and a tale of a lost little boy, this is also a thriller as the bat-shaped creature stalks the guilty, meting out rough justice. Batman: Creature of the Night is a unique story, set beyond DC Comics continuity, written by Kurt Busiek (Superman: Secret Identity, Astro City) and illustrated by John Paul Leon (Mother Panic). This volume collects all four issues of the critically acclaimed miniseries.