BATMAN AND THE MAD MONK

Trade paperback collecting Batman: The Mad Monk #1-6. The follow-up to Batman and the Monster Men (2006) is, like its predecessor, set in the first years of the Caped Crusader's crime-fighting career. When Gotham City's police force, led by a young Captain Gordon, find a series of bodies drained of blood, Batman's search for the serial killer leads to a cult led by a charismatic figure clad in a red monk's robe, who has targeted Bruce Wayne's girlfriend as his next victim. The story updates a 1939 original and captures the flavor of thirties pulp magazines. Wagner's bold, economical drawing style and dynamic layouts make it a tale worth retelling. --Flagg, Gordon