Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Batman Annual: Head of the Demon # 26

By Koppy Mcfad
September 1, 2007 - 04:25

The origin of one of Batman's deadliest foes, Ra's al-Ghul in revealed as the stage is set for his potential resurrection. Batman tracks the followers of Ra's to a secret Lazarus Pit in the Australian outback where Talia recounts the story of how her father first discovered the secrets of immortality and the tragedy that supposedly turned him evil. It is an interesting tale that reads like an old-time, pulp magazine adventure, combining ancient secrets with modern conspiracies. It does add some layers to Ra's al-Ghul's character and humanizes Talia and her child Damien a little. But the story also lacks a true sense of menace. Batman, Talia and Damien are never in any danger and the mystery Batman is solving is not much of a challenge. The art reflects this. It is well-executed and gives all the characters a sense of humanity but the action scenes are too brief and the mood is rather casual rather than creepy and suspenseful. Even the scenes set in deep, dark caves are strangely light-hearted. When one of the villains accidentally falls into a pit, it is almost funny. Perhaps DC did not really put too much effort into this issue. It really looks like this issue is just chapter one in a long story that will bring Ra's back to life. Two and a half out of five stars.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12