As a general rule, I steer well clear of the Batman line.  It's not that I have anything in particular against the character; actually, I quite like him.  It's more that - and I realise this may sound odd coming from an X-Men reader - I've never read the Batman books, and the prospect of having to pick up a continuity as sprawling as that is one that I just can't be bothered with.

However, Batman: Death & The Maidens is by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson, which is a rather good creative team.  And being a nine-issue miniseries, it should at least be nicely self-contained.  As indeed it seems to be, so far.

This is a set-up issue, of course.  I gather there's been some sort of back-up strip running through the Batman titles to promote this series, but obviously I haven't read it.  It's a Ra's Al Ghul story, and all I really know about him is that he's one of those immortal mastermind types, with an agenda that he perceives as improving the world.  That seems to be enough to be getting on with, though.

Al Ghul relies on "Lazarus Pits" for his immortality.  In order to build them, he needs a suitable site.  Unfortunately for him, Batman has also been looking out for these sites and has been engaging in an intensive programme of real estate development - precisely the sort of pre-emptive strike that I'd expect from him.  Al Ghul considers this an act of murder, and from a certain warped perspective you can see his point.  Refreshingly, rather than embark on a villainous scheme, he has come to Gotham to argue the point with Batman.  I approve enormously of this sort of thing.

Batman, in fact, spends most of the issue contemplating his emotional connection to his parents.  It's now been 25 years since they were killed and he's coming to realise that he doesn't really remember them all that clearly.  He's long since settled into the idea that this is his way of life and is running more on psychological inertia than on any detailed recollection of his lost parents.  I gather this is arguably inconsistent with other titles, but I don't care; it strikes me as a much more believable rendition of how people really feel about long dead parents.  Particularly Bruce's subdued guilt that he somehow ought to be feeling more, no matter how long it's been.

In amongst all this, there's a flashback subplot about another immortal woman, and no terribly clear explanation of why it's called Death and the Maidens.  Pretty good start, nonetheless, and I think I'll stick around.

Rating: B+

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