ARC GRAPHIC NOVEL Review--Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu, Adapted by Stuart Moore, and Ill. by Chris Wildgoose

Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Marie Lu, this graphic novel adaptation brings to life the dark mysteries behind the gates of Arkham Asylum. Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and 18 year-old Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

Bruce Wayne is turning 18 and inheriting his family's fortune. But on the way home from his birthday party, he makes an impulsive choice that leads him to Arkham Asylym, the infamous mental hospital. There, he meets Madeline Wallace, a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce's only hope. Madeline is the mystery Bruce must unravel, but is he convincing her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees?

Bruce Wayne is proof that you don't need superpowers to be a superhero, but can he survive Madeleine's game of tense intrigue and deception?

This graphic novel adaptation from New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu and artist Christian Wildgoose is a dark, action-packed thrill ride! 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


Marie Lu returns once again to Gothm City with Batman: Nightwalker, though this time she has some help from story adapter, Stuart Moore and illustrator Chris Wildgoose as they bring the world of Gotham City to life through Marie's original novel that released last year.

It is always fun reading a graphic novel that's based on a book I've already read! Since Batman started out in comics, it was even more fun to read this early Bruce Wayne story in comic book form than it was in its novel form--which was still a blast too, mind you! 

I read the novel version over a year ago, so time as let things slip, though as I read the graphic novel, the story came back to me. And seeing it all in illustrations with the gray/blue tint was amazing! I particularly liked seeing the splash of yellow that occasionally made it to the page! It was a stunning sight to see. I feel like Wildgoose really captured the characters well too! It's always hard to picture real life people to play book characters, but seeing them drawn is a little more fun for me. I feel like drawings can better capture a character than a real life actor who may or may not be the right likeness. That's a debate for another day!

The story plays out much the same as it did in the book. Bruce is given a community service sentence after he chased down a criminal in his high-tech car and ignored police presence to cease and desist. While working to clean up Arkham Asylum he meets a young girl his age named Madeline. She's apart of the rogue group of Nightwalkers that have been robbing the rich from their bank accounts to fund their own purposes. Not taking after Robin Hood in the good ol' sense. While Bruce continues to have these awkward conversations with her, he starts to learn more about the Nightwalkers and their apparent plan for Gotham. All is not what is seems of course and things get dicey rather quickly for Bruce. 

I always admire how well these graphic novels that are adapted from novels do to tell the full length story in a shortened sense. It gets the overall sense of the story out on the page in its illustrated glory and still leaves you with those same chills and thrills that you had when reading the book. Or at least I did!

The next installment in this series--so to speak--is Leigh Bardugo's Wonder Woman story and I cannot wait to see that one and its beautiful illustrations! This (possible) series of graphic novels of the DC Icons series is one not to be missed by fans of the original novels for who doesn't want to see books based on comic book heroes made back into comic books? It's a trip and a thrilling reading experience that you don't want to miss out on! 


Overall Rating 5/5 stars