Wayne of Gotham by Tracy Hickman
Review by Lauren
Source: personal copy; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Behind every mask is a real man.
men joined by blood but separated by murder: Thomas, the rebellious
doctor and heir to the vast Wayne empire, and Bruce, his son, whose life
is forever altered when he witnesses the brutal death of his parents.
The
slaying of Thomas and Martha Wayne is the torturous point on which
Bruce turns to become the mysterious crusader Batman—the genesis of a
simple mugging gone horribly wrong. The Dark Knight’s file on the case
has long been closed, the foundations of Bruce Wayne’s secret life
secure. But these foundations are shaken when an unexpected guest
invades the grounds of Wayne Manor, raising questions about the event
that ended the lives of the mother he loved and the father he
worshipped, and sparked his unquenchable drive to protect and avenge.
To
discover his true family history, Batman must face down old foes,
confront his only confidant, invade the evil heart of Arkham Asylum, and
shoulder the terrible new burden of a dark legacy.
Review: In the past year or so, I’ve been getting really into reading Batman comics/graphic novels, so I was really excited to check out a novel based around the iconic character. Wayne of Gotham goes back and forth between a young Thomas Wayne and his grown up son, Bruce Wayne. Bruce uses the death of his parents to propel him into a life of fighting crime as the caped crusader, Batman. However, Wayne of Gotham plays with this idea by showing a side to Thomas and Martha Wayne that other versions of Batman seemingly do not.
In Bruce’s mind, his parents were wonderful people who were killed for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But what if there is more to the story? What if there are people out there who know more about his parents than Bruce does? Wayne of Gotham is an interesting look into the past of the Waynes’ and I really enjoyed this alternative history. It gives a new perspective on Bruce’s parents and his reason for even becoming Batman, which is fascinating.
Before you start thinking that the Wayne family are corrupt or evil, that’s not the case. They have secrets and they do things that are not quite right, but it’s not out of maliciousness. Since the story goes back and forth between perspectives, readers are able to see what Thomas was thinking in the past and then how it affects Bruce as he slowly relearns his family’s history. Both perspectives are in third person point of view, but you still get their thoughts and feelings about their situations, so it’s almost as good as first person.
Wayne of Gotham is perfect for any Batman fan in your life – so check it out!
Seems like a good read, thanks for sharing!
Okay I kind of like that this played with the "what ifs" of his parents deaths. Very intriguing! Glad this was such a great read for you, it really does sound fabulous.
The alternative history of the Wayne family sounds fascinating!
I've never really realised how Batman came to be. Superman, Spiderman pretty much all have a backstory, but Batman and his strange little sidekick were always just there. I'm so glad you're getting stuck into the comics and graphic novels Lauren, I'm get to.g some great recommendations that I would never discover on my own <3
I've never been much interested in Thomas Wayne, but I might give this one a try.
Batman hasn't been my thing lol
Whilst not a big Batman fan I have really enjoyed the recent series of Gotham and as such I'm intrigued by Wayne Gotham.
I have been a big batman fan since I was little. I think I would like these. Thanks for sharing.
Oh my gosh this awesome! I have 3 readers right now who would totally love this! Thanks for sharing!
I love Batman! He's my favorite super hero! This looks and sounds great! Thanks for sharing!
Lindy@ A Bookish Escape
I'm getting into superheroes/graphic novels right now, but I'm still on Superman, so adding this to the list! 🙂