| Title | : | Batman: Tales of the Demon |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0930289943 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780930289942 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 |
| Publication | : | First published May 1, 1971 |
This volume collects the earliest Ra's a Ghul stories, all written by long time BATMAN author and editor Denny O'Neil, aided by some of the Batman's bestknown artists Neal Adams, Michael Golden, Irv Novick, Bob Brown and Dick Giordano. There's also an introduction by Sam Hamm, screenwriter of 1989's Batman.
Batman: Tales of the Demon Reviews
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Way back in the ‘70s when I was a kid who rode his pet dinosaur to school I started reading and collecting comic books. One of my favorites was a super-sized Batman collection that featured his first encounter with Ra’s al Ghul, and I probably reread it at least a hundred times. Later, when I was in my 20s, a broken water pipe at my parent’s house soaked some stuff I had stored with them, and that comic was one of the things that was ruined. Oh, and that book which had sold for $2 originally now goes for around $150. More’s the pity.
I didn’t fully appreciate how important that book was in my journey to full blown comic book nerd until much later. Not only was it the introduction of a major Batman villain, but it also came at a time when Denny O’Neil was in the middle of rehabbing the Caped Crusader’s image after he’d become a symbol of camp goofiness. As a stupid kid all I knew of Batman came from Superfriends cartoon and Adam West TV show. So this darker, more adult version of crime fighter driven by childhood trauma was shocking to me.
I also didn’t realize until later how the Neal Adams art locked an image in my brain that became the default setting of MY Batman. To this day that’s what I measure all other versions against.
Revisiting the story after all these years was a treat, and I was shocked at how so many of the panels were burned into my brain. This has some additional early Ra’s stories as well, and while I still think the ones with Adams’ art are the best there’s a lot of fun stuff here courtesy of O’Neil’s writing.
There’s some dated ‘70s silliness to the stories, but this was an important transition phase from the days of Batman using a handy can of shark repellent to the super gritty Dark Knight Returns. It was a great stroll down memory lane for me, and I won’t be storing this copy under any water pipes. -
Batman: Tales of the Demon collects Batman's earliest clashes with his greatest nemesis, Ra's Al Ghul, the Demon's Head!
The cover of Limited Collectors' Edition #C-51 has been burned into my brain for decades so this collection caught my eye right away. I've never had the opportunity to read Denny O'Neil's Ra's Al Ghul stories until now...
Batman: Tales of the Demon collects stories from Detective Comics #411, Batman #232, 235, 240, 242, 243, 244, DC Special Series #15, and Detective Comics #485, 489, and 490. Denny O'Neil writes them all, with art by Bob Brown, Dick Giordano, Neal Adams, Irv Novick, Michael Golden, Don Newton, and Dan Atkins. Needless to say, the creative team is top notch. Neal Adams lead the charge in revitalizing Batman but the rest of the crew were able to pick up the torch and run with it.
The stories feature Batman getting entangled in the machinations of Ra's Al Ghul and his League of Assassins. What does a megalomaniac with world domination aspirations have in mind for the Dark Knight Detective? His daughter's hand in marriage, of course! Denny O'Neil does a great job of painting Ra's Al Ghul as the Batman's greatest foe. Al Ghul is part Fu Manchu, part James Bond villain. Throwing Talia into the mix throws more gasoline onto the fire.
The Batman of this era isn't the godlike character of today. So much happens in this volume that would never happen to post-Knightfall Batman. Batman makes mistakes. Batman is defeated. Batman gets knocked flat by a woman wielding a ski pole. He makes some leaps in logic that rival Sherlock Holmes but he is the World's Greatest Detective, after all. These stories are Batman stripped down to the essentials: no Bat family, no uber-planning. Just the Dark Knight Detective living up to his name.
Early 1970s Batman is where it's at for me and Batman: Tales of the Demon may be the best of the best. 4.5 out of 5 Batarangs. -
This collection introduces us to Talia and Ra’s al Ghul! It was so cool reading about their first interactions with Batman and even in this small assortment of issues, we see the foes relationship grow and change. There is one issue that I really love as it showed the detective side of the Batman and not just the great fighter Bats (as another issue did feature). The final issue was a little disappointing as this war between Ra’s and The Sensi is concluded in an unsatisfying way. However, the majority of the issues were good and introduced a lot of aspects of these characters that would stick with them for a long time.
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I guess this was never really going to live up to the hype but I still can't help feeling disappointed at how flat these stories felt to read. It's a transitional period for Batman who had gone through many iterations until he became supposedly "dark" in the 70s under the guidance of O'Neil. I get the sense that O'Neil had a direction but unlike Frank Miller who is probably really responsible for retooling Batman, among others, he just doesn't have the chops as a storyteller to make you stand up and listen. The ideas just aren't here - for instance Talia Al-Ghul is obsessively in love with Batman seemingly on a whim because he saved her life. Batman seemingly loves her back for no obvious reason since she's an evil crime-lord-type-person, speaking of which Batman, after partnering with Ra's on a few occasions in an admittedly rocky relationship one day just randomly decides he's going to travel around the world and kill the man ... I get that he's an evil crime boss, but it's badly prepped. As is Ra's dying and being reborn as an evil demon with super strength.
It's hard to call these stories shoddy because they were designed for a certain market and to fulfil a particular need and they do contain some fresh ideas, but in hindsight they simply don't read as classics in either character or storytelling terms. Honestly, I was quite bored and ended up skimming the final League of Assassin stories since they'd become repetitive and stupid. Intriguing enough then to see the introduction of some now classic Batman characters, but not intriguing enough that I'd like to pick them apart or give them a second look. Some nice artwork here and there, though. -
I really love Batman stories from the '70s. I started reading the comics at some point in the '80s, but the issues from the late '70s are probably the first Batman comics I ever saw when I was a pre-literate little kid in the supermarket who was fascinated by the covers.
Unlike what a lot of people think, Batman was not the sunny, goofy do-gooder of the '60s TV show until Frank Miller came along and shook things up with The Dark Knight Returns in 1986. I've read random Batman stories from every decade, and while the issues from the '50s and '60s tend to be pretty silly, after Denny O'Neil took over writing the series in the '70s he returned the Dark Knight Detective to his sinister, pulpy roots. This was an era of beautiful Batman art and decent storytelling, and it saw the introduction of a number of memorable adversaries like Man-Bat.
Probably the most memorable of all was Ra's al Ghul (and his daughter Talia). This volume collects a bunch of Ra's al Ghul stories. A variety of artists penciled and inked these stories, but Denny O'Neil wrote all of them, so this collection is fairly consistent. Ra's al Ghul is cut from the same cloth as Fu Manchu (who also has a dangerously alluring daughter), but he's less racially specific. His name comes from Arabic, and Ra's does spend a fair amount of time in the desert, but he also seems equally comfortable in the snowy wastelands of the Himalayas.
If you're the kind of Batman fan who thinks a story isn't "dark" enough unless there's a child prostitution ring or a villain who wears other people's faces, then you might find this volume laughable, but I think it strikes a nice balance between sinister goings-on and a pulpy sense of fun.
I'd give this maybe three stars as an "objective" judgment, but I tacked on another star for myself, since I love the art, storytelling, and general mood of '70s Batman stories. -
2.5 stars.
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This out of print trade tells the story of some of the Bat-man's earliest meetings with Ra's al Ghul. It wouldn't be fair to say they were battles because half the time, Batman is on Ra's side or at least they didn't fight.
Tale of the Demon makes you appreciate the features of many modern day trades. There are no issue numbers and no covers. If you just go by what's in the book, all you know about the stories is that they happened some time in the 1970s.
The big surprise is that Talia al Ghul, Ra's daughter introduced first in a story in which Batman rescues her and she helps save Batman from a criminal.
This sets up the class, "Daughter of the Demon" story that has Robin being kidnapped and Ra's coming to Batman because Talia has been kidnapped. This is a classic mystery story that was adapted into the first Batman animated episode to feature Ra's.
"Swamp Sinister" has Ra's once again coming to Batman for help with a rogue with a deadly biological toxin who has become too dangerous. Batman once again teams with the Ghuls but he's definitely uncomfortable with the tactics.
In "Vengeance for a Dead Man" though, Ra's going too far and Batman goes on an epic three part story to track Ra's down and gets partners to join him and fakes Bruce Wayne's death. The story is solid even if it has its problems. In the end, Batman gets Ra's and takes him to the proper authorities (whoever that might be.)
Then comes the silliest and most out of place story of the book, "I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife." Batman is kidnapped and when he awakes he finds himself on Ra's ship and Ra's said that he's now married to Talia and is Ra's country, only the consent of the Bride and the bride's father is required not the groom. And this is all a puerile ruse so that while Batman's honeymooning ,Ra's al Ghul and his goons can loot the city. So not only didn't they explain how al Ghul escaped from wherever he was taken at the end of the last series of stories, O'Neil decided to have him acting like the Penguin. Ra's al Ghul doesn't do Gotham City heists.
The pace picks up again with a final multi-part story where a martial arts master named the Sensei (who is also a rival of Ra's al-Ghul for leadership of the League of Assassins) kills Kathy Kane who was the silver age Batwoman and earns Batman's ire. This story has a question as to whether Ra's himself provided information that led to the Sensei's attack. Regardless, Batman is determined to take care of the Sensei, and thus becomes Ra's reluctant ally.
The series had a lot of different artists and all were at least competent. The three stories drawn by Neal Adams were the best in the book and his art helped. The splash page of Batman climbing the mountain from Al Ghul was fantastic as was the scene of them deling.
While the book doesn't feel the type of credits and time markers I like, it does contain an intro by Sam Hamm and an Afterword by Dennis O'Neil. Hamm argues that while some have criticized the 1966 Batman show for departing from the comic book, it's biggest problem for Batman was that it matched pretty well with the comics and that the whole thing looked silly and Hamm credits O'Neil with making a darker Batman.
However, the book isn't as dark as today's Batman (a point that O'Neil basically apologizes for in the Afterwards). O'Neil points out that Stan Lee and Marvel influenced many young writers and that influence shows. It's not as lighthearted as early Spider-man, but Batman is a shade less or more dark than any given Marvel book of the time. Overall, I liked the tone and it makes me want to read more 1970s Batman reprints.
Tales of the Demon introduces a great villain and reprints some solid 1970s Batman stories. The book isn't without its problems. "I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife" is completely out of character for Ra's. There are a few stories where some elements are just unintentionally weird and DC definitely had some issues with keeping a good continuity.
Still, this is good Batman. He's edgier than his 1960s format, but he's still a force for justices who operates by a code. He's also very human and the relationship between him and Talia is pretty fascinating. Overall, it's a solid Batman read. -
Meh. Não fez o meu estilo, em nenhum aspecto.
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I've read most of these before, but it's a great treat to have all of these Bronze Age Ra's al Ghul stories by O'Neil collected in one spot. Art by Don Newton, Neal Adams, and Irv Novick, so can't can't wrong there.
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Dennis O'Neil's early Ra's Al Ghul stories are rich in cool concepts like the League of Assassins and the Lazarus Pits, but short on narrative sense. The issues illustrated by Neal Adams work best, because of how well his art style sells the High Drama of O'Neill's scripts. Don Newton's technically proficient pencils look great, but don't always match O'Neill's tone. When it comes to 70's Batman, I think I prefer the workmanlike approach and concise storytelling of Bob Haney/Jim Aparo to O'Neill's absurd epics.
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This was so much fun! I’ve always loved the al Ghul’s and started reading Batman: Birth of the Demon, but felt like I was missing too much, so I looked for a collected addition with the origin of Batman & the al Ghul’s & found this.
As a fan of Batman: The Animated Series, it was interesting to see the original stories compared with the excellent adaptations. Most of these issues actually felt like I was reading episode scripts, they were fast, interesting, & kept me wanting more. It was interesting seeing the development of Batman & Talia’s relationship, and his antagonism against Ra’s. I loved how dramatic Batman is & how he described like everything here. I love that random lady, Molly Post who knocks Batman down & tackles Talia (for that alone, you should this). I want to see more Molly Post—she was great! I also liked that Mongolian guy who helped Batman, Lo Ling—he was cool. I just really enjoyed this! It was so fun!
I haven’t read many comics that came out before the 1980s because it was a generally more campy era of comics & there’s always a fear that I’ll get bored or not get the comics because of the generational gaps in between (I was born in the late 90s). However, again, I find myself realizing I get in my head for no reason except delaying something I might really enjoy, like Casablanca, Roman Holiday, The Godfather, and this story.
Now I don’t like the last three issues of this collection very much. I didn’t find the stories as interesting & both made me uncomfortable in some way. The main one I didn’t like was the issue “I Now Pronounce You Batman & Wife” because it was just problematic. Any marriage that only requires one person’s consent is sketchy at best, I know this is an older comic and the al Ghul’s have Middle Eastern ancestry, but it’s still weird & feels wrong. Also, Batman hits Talia to knock her out, which sure he apologizes, but my god, why does Batman hit so many people? Also how was this not turned into a meme, like with Robin? Or a serious problem, like Hank Pym? I don’t get it.
Also, didn’t like that racist Asian caricature called ‘The Sensei’. I know it was the 70s, but even then, it was racist & they knew it. Also, he was just so annoying and really, didn’t enjoy those two stories with him (not just because his racist portrayal, the story just wasn’t as interesting to me).
But overall, I had a lot fun these stories, but less enjoyment from the last few. Still would recommend, especially if you’re a fan of Ra’s and Talia al Ghul, or if you want to see Batman get knocked over by some random bystander, check it out. -
This is a nice little collection of the first 10 or so stories introducing Ra's and Talia Al Ghul. Not all of them are dynamite, but they do set the foundation for everything that will happen with these characters for years to come. The creation of Ra's Al Ghul is a fantastic addition to the Batman mythos, as he is a villain who has such a level of respect for Batman. Ra's can't harm Batman because he believes Batman should/will be his successor and will marry his daughter Talia. The fact that Talia is so infatuated with Batman also keeps her from letting Batman be killed. That doesn't stop Batman from trying to thwart their evil schemes however, so it all plays out like a never ending chess match between three very intelligent and capable characters that will continue for many years. Other than Talia and Ra's, we get appearances by The Sensei, the Bronze Tiger, Ubu, and the all-powerful Lazarus Pit that will all hold importance in the future of Batman's life. Art is solid of course, a lot of it is done by Neal Adams who is fantastic. The writing is pretty much what you expect from the 70's, however Dennis O'Neil's grimmer Batman is a very nice step in the right direction, and his ideas and plotlines are fun even if the actual dialogue is hit-or-miss. If you are a Batman fan, these stories are important. Get them.
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*3.5
This was fine. I didn’t really find that many stories too interesting or entertaining. I’m not a huge fan of Detective Comics. But I love Talia Al Ghul, and the way Bruce x Talia was written before Gr*nt Morrison started writing them is so well done. Ra’s Al Ghul is also, probably, my favorite *comic* Batman villain (I’d say live action wise, it’d be 2022 Riddler), so seeing his and Talia’s early stories and introduction was really fun. The last few stories were good as well as the first few. Everything else was just above mediocre. Not bad, but not great either. Still an enjoyable reading experience overall. I love reading old DC stuff, it’s so much better than old Marvel. -
This was not as compelling as I thought it would be. The preface would have you believing this was a turning-point -- when Batman went dark. But I didn't get that, nor any real weight to these stories at all.
They try to play up the relationship between Batman and Ra's as epic and super adversarial and the one between Batman and Talia as super dark and passionate, and I'm just like "Ok, if you say so." Because the book does say so. It's just not supported in what's actually there.
So meh. -
Old and old-fashioned now (over 20 years separate these tales and those of the Batman and Damian Robin era!), but valuable background on an arch-foe-'friend', a daughter-lover-mother-foe, and the Batman himself. So-so art, some corny dialog, yet some decent storytelling. Probably should only be read by completists, collectors, and newbies.
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3.5 stars
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Goofy fun from an era of the character where I've not previously spent much time. It's hilarious the number of times this strip features Batman wearing the cowl in incongruous situations: stripped to the waist for a sword duel, in the hospital, while skiing, while climbing mountains, etc. Seeing Batman banter is deeply weird.
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The stories contained in this volume are really fun to read. However, the collection itself leaves much to be desired, as alot of the stories collected here are left without resolution, which makes for a very grating reading experience.
The artwork is very much of its time, but it's aged suprisingly well. The artists deliver pretty good work. Very impressed with how it holds up even today.
I would have prefered if they had collected all the issues pertainning to Batman's earlier clashes with the Al Ghul's in two volumes, instead of just gathering bits and pieces from issues, which leaves some stories unresolved. Hopefully one day, they will properlycollect them all in a complete and comprehensive collection. -
I've never been that crazy about Denny O'Neil. Honestly, I think most of his reputation rests on the fact that his work came out at a pretty dire time for Batman comics and must have been a breath of fresh air by comparison, and that he got paired with one of the all-time greats on pencils. His stories are nice in theory: they're street-level and gritty (in contrast to silver age Batman), they take place in exotic locales and they have mystery and thrills, but they fall apart on even the slightest amount of inspection. The "mysteries", the plot twists, hell the whole mechanics of the plots make absolutely no sense if you take even a minute to think about them. And while I guess it gets by on being dumb fun, there's always a sense of wasted potential in O'Neil's writing. Shit was always so close to being good and just missed it. Ra's al Ghul is super interesting in concept, but the delivery here is lacking.
But oh yeah, Neil fucking Adams drew this. Neal Adams, second only to Kirby in the pantheon of super-hero artists. Everything Adams drew in the 60s and 70s looks amazing and is worth your time, including this. And whatever his faults as a writer, O'Neil did give him some neat stuff to draw. -
This is a collection of the earliest Ra's Al Ghul stories written by Dennis O'Neil. Ra's has never been my favorite villain and I find the father/daughter relationship between him and Talia to be disturbing. This compilation did nothing to change my mind. Also, I don't understand the relationship between Talia and Batman. I don't think that they are right for each other. In my mind, Batman only belongs with Catwoman and even then...never more than a nighttime dalliance that builds to a kiss. Talia just seems like a crazy b who has some major daddy issues.
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The comic book issues in this collection are pretty good, they just don't form the most cohesive story when put together like this. Back when these stories were first printed, a lot of writers tried to make each issue its own self-contained story, which isn't great when each issue is about 15-20 pages long.
There's no question that Denny O'Neil was a great writer, but some of these stories seem to end in an abrupt manner. Also, some of them barely featured Ra's or Talia al-Ghul at all!
All in all, this book is good for what it is, but in my opinion, it's by no means a classic. -
Usually, I don't like reading older comics because they are filled with racist, chauvinistic, and/or jingoist language that gets really hard to ignore. But sometimes, my curiosity propels me enough that I finish reading one. Batman: Tales of the Demon was one of those. Recently I decided to start reading more DC comics since I've been giving almost my entire focus to Marvel comics. And to do that, I planned on going back to the old comics before Crisis on Infinite Earths and get a bit acquainted with the heroes of the time. My perusal took me to a handful of issues that centered around the introduction of Ra's al Ghoul and his daughter Talia and the transformation of Batman into the Dark Knight we are more familiar with.
This handful of comics were written by Denny O'Neil, an author I don't have a very high opinion of since he was one of those responsible for setting back feminism in comics by stripping Wonder Woman of her powers in the '60s. Anyway, despite his own recognition that almost none of the comic writers of the time would admit to taking comics seriously, he managed to write a cohesive narrative that doesn't rely too much on coincidences and deus ex machina. It's kind of a fun story. Admittedly, you have to ignore the offhanded racist or chauvinistic remarks now and then to be able to find any enjoyment in reading this collection. -
Reviewing the 70's Denny O'Neil era as a whole here, not just this trade, since it has never really been collected fully.
The era overall is pretty interesting, though quaint by today's standards. It returned Batman to his darker roots (more than a decade before Frank Miller), yet maintained some of the smiling, swashbuckling heroics of the Silver Age. It's a combo that works well tonally, and as many have pointed out, these Batman stories are quite akin to James Bond (the Ra's al Ghul saga in particular). While these stories certainly aren't going to change your life, they're interesting from a historical perspective, and they do add to Batman's history as a whole. In fact, much of them seemingly retained canonicity post-COIE. If you're gonna read this era, I recommend these issues by O'Neil (ignoring the backup stories):
Tec 404, 410-411
Batman 232, 235, 240, 243-244
Batman 237, 251
Tec 457, 483
Tec 583-584
That covers the whole Ra's saga, plus several good standalone stories, and the two-parter that introduced Maxie Zeus. After you're all done with that, if you want more, check out the Steve Englehart run, as it's very similar. -
A collection of early Ra's stories really does make remind me of Moriarty. Of course the whole Talia being in love with Bruce, even to the point of foiling her father's plan, takes that comparison off the rails. I was surprised to see that the romance began right away.
I was also surprised the the original Lazarus Pit was technological.
One last surprise was that Matches Malone was originally a real gangster who's identify Bruce yoinked. But in a segue to my next point, Matches accidentally shooting, and killing, himself was a bit of a stretch.
There are elements of melodrama, far-fetched coincidences, and stilted dialog that is a trope of pre-80s comics. But it doesn't really take away from the stories. I think it helps that Bats is still in his blue and grey costume. It's a visible reminder of the time. I wish, though, he'd stop picking up random supporting characters to fight alongside him, that's what Robin is for.
Anyway, if you're a fan of Ra's then this is a must read volume. -
Absolutely the Batman shit I'm here for, with globetrotting On Her Majesty's Secret Service bullshit and Doc Samson desert swordfights.
Ra's and Talia's swingin' Dracula AD1972 duds and Amicus style incense-smellin' lairs? Heck yeah! Maybe it's due to the fact that 1971 comics writers* didn't really know women have normal brains but I kind of love the fact Talia is both supremely capable and completely lives in her own world.
Her dad may be a supervillain but she just thinks Batman is REAL COOL and wants to MARRY him and you know her day job may be assasseenation and all but come now my beloved...
I understand that "lethal airhead princess" doesn't really fly anymore but lemme tell you I'm a fan. Leave it to dipshit hack Grant Morrison to make her a bad guy!
Also a kudos for being a RARE DC collection that you can follow from start to end without UNIVERSE (or at least Gotham) WIDE EVENTS becoming a thing.
*tbf not just comics writers -
Ra's al Ghul was never my favorite Batman opponent. Nor would Talia ever be my first choice as Batman's romantic interest. However, 40+ years after first reading the stories in this volume, I still feel the excitement seeing Batman take on a leopard and the heartbreak of original Batwoman Kathy Kane's death. (Yes, Batwoman came out of that weird late 1950s/early 1960s period in Batman history, but Bob Rozakis had brought her back in the mid-'70s in BATMAN FAMILY and made her more than a woman trying to catch Batman's eye.)
But it's the art the holds my attention. Pencilers Neal Adams, Don Newton, Bob Brown, and Irv Novick, along with inkers Dick Giordano and Dan Adkins kept the action moving. I had forgotten how much I liked Novick's art. He's underrated as a Batman artist, but always did stellar work.
5 enthusiastic stars. Highly recommended! -
Ra's al Ghul is one of my all time favorite villains, and my favorite of Batman's rogues. While maybe not one of Batman's oldest or iconic like Joker or Catwoman, Ra's has an interesting presence. This is a collection of some of Ra's' earliest and iconic stories provided by none other than Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil.
Overall, this was a great collection of stories for Ra's al Ghul (and Talia). It brings us somethings that would continue to be present in later comics and iterations down the line (the Lazarus Pit, Talia's love for Bruce, and two issues that would be used for Ra's centered episodes in Batman the Animated Series).
As an older collection of stories (as Ra's was introduced back in 1971), it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you enjoy a good Batman read and/or are looking to expand your reading list, I would recommend Tales of the Demon. -
If you're really into Ra's al Ghul then this is the book for you...Maybe? Tales of the Demon is the early appearance of one of Batman's greatest foes, Ra's al Ghul. We get to see his first appearance along with his daughter and early lover of Batman, Talia al Ghul. All in the stories are short and fun. A bit campy and silly for the most part, but I still appreciate Denny O'Neil's writing, as it still flows nice and easy and the overall creation of these characters are really interesting. Along with that you get some really nice and consistent artwork by Neal Adams and some fill in artist (Bob Brown, Irv Novick, Don Newton, and Michael Golden). All in all a fun way to look back at some important Batman history. It can just get a bit mozzarella at times.
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I have been called criminal and genius. I am neither. I am an artist. I have a vision… of an Earth as clean and pure as a snow-swept mountain… or the desert outside.
A lot of Batman villains we love started as gimmicks. The Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman, for example, were all created for Batman to clash with in a story or two. The original creators laid the groundwork, but later writers and artists honed the characters, making them iconic and essential members of Batman’s rogues gallery. Ra’s al Ghul was not a gimmick. This book, collecting Ra’s’ early appearances, proves that his creators had big plans for him from the start.
Ra’s al Ghul (meaning “head of the demon” in Arabic) was conceived by writer Denny O’Neil, penciler Neal Adams, and editor Julius Schwartz. In the book’s introduction, O’Neil relates that they set out to make a grand villain whose schemes were more nebulous and ambitious than previous Batman foes. Ra’s would be a “man of many cultures” whose face had to “convey the feeling that he’d lived an extraordinary life long before his features were ever committed to paper.”
I think they succeed in making Ra’s an enigmatic figure – from the first story, “Into the Den of the Death-Dealers”, he’s shrouded in mystery. In fact, he doesn’t even make a full appearance. He’s merely hinted at by his equally mysterious daughter, Talia, who is being held hostage by Dr. Darrk. Ra’s and Darrk had a falling out in the League of Assassins, the freedom fighter/terrorist group that Ra’s seeks to control. The League had played a part in earlier Batman stories (it was called “Society of Assassins” in Brave and the Bold 86). But its purpose is defined further here.
Talia is an interesting character. She’s attracted to Batman, but loyal to her father’s ambitions. In the first story, she kills Darrk to save Batman, then cries in shock at what she’s done. This, I think, is a perfect set up for her character. Batman also likes Talia, but knows she’s deadly. I love the line when he tells her, “Your lips are warm as always – and as always, they chill me to the marrow.”
We see Ra’s for the first time in “Daughter of the Demon”. Talk about an entrance: Batman goes down to the Batcave and Ra’s is right there with his henchman, Ubu, calling Batman by his name, Bruce Wayne. He’s supremely confident from the get-go, and not altogether evil; he even gains enough of Batman’s trust for the latter to relate his origin story.
From his private plane, to Ubu’s insistence that Batman follow after his master as they exit rooms, Ra’s clearly has vast resources and power. Being the detective he is, Batman realizes that Ra’s motives have been a lie. Ra’s reveals at the end of this story that he is near death, and seeks a worthy successor in Batman to marry Talia and take over his duties (this marriage is revisited in DC Special Series 15, included in this collection).
The following few stories see Batman encountering Ra’s and Talia as they carry out disturbing schemes. Batman slowly discovers more about Ra’s: Talia hints that her father died and was “revived” by personal physicians; she also says he has “vast sources of information”; and in a tense exchange with Batman, Ra’s declares, “I long for a better world. Not one commanded by fools.” It isn’t until a three-part story from Batman 242-244 that we see what Ra’s is about: he has prolonged his life numerous times by the Lazarus Pit, is a skilled combatant, and an eco-terrorist intent on cleansing the world. A far cry from Gotham City crooks.
Along with the first seven Ra’s appearances from the early 1970s, this collection includes four stories from the latter part of the decade. Ra’s doesn’t have as large a role in these later issues. He’s there in the shadows, but it’s Sensei who is the main focus. Sensei is the head of the League at this time, and Ra’s seeks to oust him. He seeks Batman’s help, but by this point, Batman is clearly fed up with Ra’s. However, after his friend Kathy Kane (the original Batwoman) is killed, he involves himself in the ploy. The final story reaches an ominous conclusion as to Ra’s fate.
I like these later stories, but I don’t think they’re as strong as the first, where we progressively learn more about the enigma that is Ra’s al Ghul. The creators set up a fantastic villain, whose motives and schemes could pose uniquely challenging and deadly threats to Batman in later stories.
Stray observations:
An interesting thread I picked up from these stories is that Ra’s has a certain level of respect for Batman. He and Talia refer to him as “Detective”, and in more than one instance, Ra’s gives him a chance to bargain for his life.
I love Ra’s look. The green cloak, the beard, the sword. Fu Manchu is an obvious point of reference, but Ra’s has his own demeanor and personality.
The locations of Ra’s’ various secret bases reflect the the clean, pure world he longs for: harsh mountains, a dry desert, and the ocean deep.
Batman prevents Robin from accompanying him to go after Ra’s. His doesn’t even tell Robin where he’s going. Ra’s had kidnapped Robin once by this point, and Batman can’t bring himself to endanger his friend again.
Speaking of Robin, Batman has a great line in “Daughter of the Demon”. After he learns of Robin’s abduction (not yet knowing it was Ra’s who kidnapped him), he tells Ra’s, “It won’t do good for me to allow my emotions to gain control… not while there’s a job ahead. For years I’ve trained myself to concentrate on the thing at hand. Later, I’ll cry… if I must.” -
I wish I read this before I read Contagion, Bane of the Demon and Legacy, so I could have had a better understanding of the relationship between Batman, Talia and Ra's al Ghul.
This book is difficult to rate since it is composed of several stories with no underlying theme aside from the fact that they are Batman's first few encounters with Ra's. The stories range from decent to downright silly, given that they were written in the 1970s (bronze age). What is consistent for me is how good the art is, even though they were drawn by several artists, including Neal Adams.
