Tomorrow, the infamous man who cheats death returns … again. And again … and maybe once after that.
Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul
Publisher: DC
Writers: Peter Milligan, Grant Morrison, Fabian Nicieza, Paul Dini, and Keith Champagne
Artists: Don Kramer, Jason Pearson, Tony Daniel, David Lopez, Freddie Williams II, Ryan Benjamin, and others
Cover: Adam Kubert
Summary: The unforgettable epic is now in trade paperback! Batman’s immortal foe, Ra’s al Ghul, should be dead at last - so how has he returned to haunt The Dark Knight? Find out in this intense tale originally presented in BATMAN ANNUAL #26, BATMAN #670-671, ROBIN #168-169, ROBIN ANNUAL #7, NIGHTWING #138-139 and DETECTIVE COMICS #838-839!
Ra’s al Ghul is back . . . but what does his return have to do with Batman’s teenaged son, Damian - whose mother is Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, Talia? It will take the combined skills of Batman, Robin and Nightwing to get to the bottom of these mysteries and stop Ra’s al Ghul’s insidious plans.
Review: Ra’s al Ghul flirts with death on a daily basis, relying on whatever means necessary to maintain immortality. This time he was supposed to be dead for good, but it seems that the “Demon’s Head” can see death’s hand and raise him a League of Assassins. Turns out Ra’s has a few more tricks up his sleeve—in the surviving without a body sort of way—but his mind can only be sustained by a worthy host body, making his daughter Talia and Batman’s son, Damian, a prime candidate. So does zombie Ra’s al Ghul, Bat-sibling fights, and a trio of hot chicks who would fit in perfectly with the Black Glove-associated Club of Villains create an entertaining story? Actually … yeah.
The trade starts off with a handy character introduction and a three-issue prelude. Although the paperback itself contains enough pages to justify a buy, the assortment of talent behind the panels provides the most rewarding aspect of THE RESURRECTION OF RA’S AL GHUL. Two of the most notable names are Grant Morrison and Paul Dini—an intriguing duo if you ask me, and they help shape an equally intriguing storyline. The prelude easily takes the fall as the weak link in the trade, especially Keith Champagne and Jason Pearson’s “The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.” Damian’s insolence shouldn’t surprise by this stage in the game, but I was irritated just reading the issue. The first (”Resurrection Shuffle,” which sounds like a techno remix) and third (”Lazarus Rising”) parts of the prelude don’t shine that brightly, either, but at least they factor into the main comic.
From there on, the tension and action only heighten with bloody throw downs and shiny, pointy swords. The continuous shift in writers and artists sometimes makes the flow a little choppy, simply because their styles can be so different, but the pace quickly smooths out into a solid tale. The writers play with not only the al Ghul family and Batman dynamic, but also the relationships between the troubled Tim Drake, the headstrong Damian, Nightwing, and the temptation of eternal life. Conflicts are tightly knit and woven deep, and there are enough of them to go around and then some. Who ever said Gotham’s finest couldn’t share … uh, their fists?
If you’re a lover of this immortality-hungry villain, or you’re a fan of any of the writers and artists involved in the book, then THE RESURRECTION OF RA’S AL GHUL will make an enjoyable addition to your bookshelf. The trade goes on sale tomorrow. The desperation and jealousy, family drama, and zombie ghosts will bring you back to RESURRECTION as surely as Ra’s will the Lazarus Pit.
Rating: 4/5
May 5th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I’m a lover of an immortality-hungry villain! Wait…that came out wrong.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
What regarding the al Ghuls doesn’t come out wrong, Jill?
May 5th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
My favorite part of this is when Ra’s offers Tim the chance to get his loved ones back, and Tim’s all, “No! Yes. No. Wait…” Then Dick has to tell him to stop being a dummy.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Ok, so I read this review, then I saw an episode of Batman Beyond that had Rash/Ra’s Al Ghul in Talia’s body, me thinks Dini is either retreading a similar story or in a much less likely move, transitioning the world to Batman Beyond time, where Terry McGinnis takes up the cowl ;-P.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Ra’s al Ghul is Wolverine?
May 6th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Teaming up Morrison with Dini is like a cage match between Britney Spears and Meryl Streep. I know people have said that Morrison is a brilliant writer but he left me thoroughly baffled on Batman (so I’m not looking forward to his return). Yet on the flipside is Dini who has only disappointed me once and that’s in an episode he wrote where he had Circe turn Wonder Woman into a pig. 99% of the time, Dini is the shizzel.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
@Matt Dini probably wrote that episode, you know. And I know what episode you’re talking about, and this is different, trust me. Besides, most superhero cartoon episodes derive from comics, so the majority of the time it’s the cartoons doing the rehashing.
Also, huh? Okay, you lost me with Batman Beyond.
@Amber True dat. Although I give Morrison a little more credit than that. He might be crazier than normal lately, but he’s done some fantastic writing in the past.
Dini is pretty much always great.