Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling, Adventure
Publication: January 2, 2018 from Random House Books for Young Readers
Series: DC Icons Series #2
Length: 252 pages
Format: ARC
Rating: ★★★★★
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Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.
The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.
One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.
Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.
In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.
Huge thanks to my friends from Penguin Random House International for sending me several review copies in exchange for an honest review and hosting a blog tour. This did not, in any way, affect my overall opinion of the book and/or the story.
Following the success of the New York Times Bestselling Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo comes another exhilarating DC Icons book about the mysterious Bruce Wayne in Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu. Ever since the series kick started with flying colors earlier this year with Diana, I’ve been ultimately excited and fairly intrigued to read the next books in the series. And to my surprise, my friends from Penguin Random House International approved for me to host a PH blog tour in honor of this novel, and Bruce Wayne himself. Read on for the rest of my 5-star review!
If we’re to be completely honest with each other, then I’ll admit that Bruce Wayne has always been my least favorite member of the Justice League. It’s nothing personal, really, I just feel like he’s too mysterious for people to actually get to know with all the mysteries and secrets that he keep. He seems to be the type of person that one could never truly understand, given the many things that run around in his head. And for those who know me personally would know that I’m pretty much an open book. I didn’t quite like him probably because we were complete opposites? But I’m thrilled to share with everyone that with the help of Marie Lu’s book, my opinion has drastically changed. Because in under 250 pages, she [the author] gave Bruce another angle from which I could get to know him. And I loved the teenage billionaire that I came to read about. His charm, tenacity, his unflinchingly curious mind and as well as his undying hunger for justice. I can’t believe I haven’t seen Bruce in this light before. Probably because I wasn’t even a big fan of the cartoons, or comics, or graphic novels when I was just a kid?
The child-guardian dynamic between Alfred and Bruce was so heartwarming in this book, and I love how the author was somehow able to highlight this. I adore how up until the very end, Alfred only had his eyes set in seeing Bruce’s plans through while also being able to keep him safe and far from harm’s way. And the fact that Bruce, considering that Alfred’s the closest he has to a parent, valued him the same way just added to my overall love for them. I love witnessing close family ties in stories, and I feel like we all need books that feature characters who respect and value their family, however small, such as this one.
And lastly, call me odd, but I did like the weird chemistry between out protagonist, Bruce Wayne, and the story’s villain, Madeleine Wallace. From the moment that they first met at Arkham Asylum, up until the very last page, I found myself strangely engrossed with their story, and I was always on the lookout for when they would encounter being in each other’s presence. If given different circumstances, I feel like they would make a perfect power couple, to be honest. Unfortunately, Madeleine is the antagonist in this story. And I loved every single page of it, just the same.
“With only a couple of pages, Marie Lu was able to completely allure me with Bruce Wayne’s story in Batman: Nightwalker. Through this book, I was able to get to know the mysterious billionaire from a different, yet utterly impressive angle, and I will never see him the same way again. This second book in the DC Icons Series is as thrilling, as it is visually captivating and the author unflinchingly tackles justice. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, crazily anticipating what happens next, and was left wanting more. An impressive book to welcome 2018, no doubt!”
Check out my tweet to enter my giveaway! As stated, I’ll be giving away an ARC copy of Batman: Nightwalker, courtesy of Penguin Random House International! All you have to do is:
Up for grabs is an ARC copy of Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu!
