By: Kia Asamiya Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 352 Publication Date: December 01, 2003 Release Date: December 01, 2003 Studio: DC Comics
Dream on ^ We are all dreamers. Every one of us has yearnings, aspirations, or fantasies of becoming people that we will never be or doing things that we will never do. Isn't that one of the primary reasons that we read comic books, to vicariously live through another and experience a moment or adventure that we ordinarily would not? Most of these are innocuous, innocent diversions that allow us to escape our humdrum and dreary everyday lives. But what would happen if someone took this to an extreme, and were actually able to physically become the person and object of their desires? This is exactly what Batman is about to find out. At the heart of this cautionary tale are the dangers of dreams turning into obsessions, and what a nightmare they can be. The epic scope and feel of it is reminiscent of a Jeph Loeb Battale, replete with plenty of rogues, or "faux foes" in this particular case. Part of this story centers on everyday people who want to be the Joker, Two Face, Catwoman, even Batman himself. Who among us hasn't dreamed of that? The plot is intriguing with a futuristic angle to it, complete with the final classic confrontation between Batman and his mysterious antagonist. Blade Runner, anyone? This was the first manga book that I had read, and the differences to American comics were negligible, the most obvious being the black and white artwork, which helped give it a more serious and noirish tone. The writing, although somewhat exposition filled, was highlighted by witty dialogue and quality characterization. Yuko Yagi was adorable as the driving catalyst of the story. Kia's unabashed adoration of Batman and his character as expressed through Yuko and the rest of the players is a pure joy to behold. There is a moral to this story, and while we should heed Kia's warnings about dreams and obsessions, life is just too damn short. Dream on. Dream until your dreams come true.
The detail is spectacular ^ While I don't think this is the best Batman storyline out there, let me explain the five rating. I like manga. The art is so fantastic, the characters so detailed. Asamiya is a fantastic artist. He draws the Joker so well. By giving the Joker a wild smile, yet with grimacing eyebrows, Asamiya portrays the character as a homocidal lunatic masquerading as some harmless clown. That is exactly what the Joker is. When Manga doesn't always connect with dialogue, the amazing thing is that the art itself is a form of characterization.
The eyes, the lines, the perspective, are all elements of drawing that can add an effective element to creating a character. In a comic book, you have visual aids to help you picture the character. In America, I think the dialogue and writing are superior; however in Japan there is little question that the art is superior. The characters, by their mere appearance on the page, lend some insight into what lies beneath the character in a metaphysical sense. That is how good the best manga art is.
However, the story itself is a very interesting, and creative one. Someone has the ability to recreate Batman villains at the genetic level. Due to the havoc it wreaks on the body, however, the "villain" mummifies within two or three days. Who is behind this strange development?
Someone who is utterly obsessed with Batman! Someone who takes the saying "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" to the next level: He wants to become Batman!
The art is just so well done, and the story is pretty darn good, too. If you want to experience Batman in a new, and interesting way, and you are a manga fan, I recommend this book.
Dragonball Batman...Just Kidding :) ^ I first saw this at a Barnes and Noble here in town, and like a previous reviewer, got hooked by the story while perusing the pages. I enjoy manga and anime in general, but it was still a bit of a shock seeing the Dark Knight's world drawn like this. But once the story gets going, I didn't even notice the different style and readily accepted the presentation. Some have complained about the story, but I found it interesting enough to plow through the book in one night. Considering the length of the graphic novel, it was a bit of a feat. It is a fascinating international take on Bats, and if given a chance, could turn into a favorite for many fans.
Lost in Translation ^ Criteria to produce manga: 1:All foreigners (ie. non-Japanese) must be represented by drawing inordinately (almost comically) outsized noses. 2:There must be a scene involving the heroine in the shower/female nudity (possibly with "sensitive" areas obscured for those sensitive Western readers.) 3:America must be portrayed as a utopia of pop culture and global trendsetting. 4:America must be portrayed as an ultra-dangerous urban hell. 5:The story should have minimalist dialogue. 6:The story should contain soundeffects for even the most trivial of actions (eg.the shuffle of a skirt on a seat,the sound people make when they want to sneeze etc.) 7:You should,it seems,stay away from Western comic book heroes. The problem with Kia Asamiya`s take on the Batman myth is that it just isn`t Batman.It looks wrong,for a start.While the author may cite Jeph Loeb as an influence ("The Long Halloween"),perhaps taking his cue of giving Bruce Wayne a rather Roman profile as a character trait,Asamiya turns it into a caricature. While Two-Face may look like a fair approximation of the classic villain,he doesn`t sound like a stilted public-schoolboy/half baked philosopher in any of the stories I read before this. While any new take on The Joker is more than welcome (stop using him as a miniscule cameo character,DC people!) he never spoke in the polite stiff and overly mannered tones of Asamiya before.And isn`t the point of The Joker that he`s supposed to be funny?Hideous,but nevertheless funny? And that`s just it.Kia Asamiya wrote "Child of Dreams to introduce/reintroduce Japanese readers to Batman so it`s not the Batman we all know and love.What works in the West doesn`t always work in Asia and vice versa (just look at "Batman:Hong Kong").I should know,I live here.A fair apportion of blame must rest with the translator (who if his blurb is to be believed really should have done better). Perhaps Mr.Asamiya thought he was being terribly clever and postmodern but at the end of the day this was a misjudged attempt that just doesn`t work.
Batman the Manga ^ Kia Asamiya is perhaps one of the best Japanese illustrators out there. His legend is revered in his home country. With the great interest of manga in the American culture, it was only a matter of time before hot shot name would undertake the works of a classic character. Taking up Batman, however, was going to be a challenge.
The Bat is an extremely dark character that revels in the night. Though the Japanese don't have a problem with dark themes in the likes of Vampire Hunter D or even Akira, seeing crisp, clear art depict that darkness was going to be a challenge. Asamiya, howver, succeeds in creating and weaving an intricate, though maybe superficial at times, story that pits the Bat with a crazed fan(atic). The story moves from Gotham all the way to Japan and showcases most of Batman's rogue gallery. Though, unlike the great detaila nd plot of the Long Holloween, the characters are not really into the plot of the story and don't play a major role to advance the story. The most lost potential happens when the Joker meets up Batman to help him find the major villain of the story. That scene just fizzles and does not peak much interest.
Like most manga, the story is very laid down with no major surprises. Unlike Ameican written or themed comic concepts, manga does not challenge the reader. A great read and a nice story, though not a major contributor to the great Bat mythos.
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