A review by fandom4ever
Batman: Tales of the Demon by Denny O'Neil

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Behold! Our companion has been felled! (Because I can’t not mention this hilarious 1971 goon statement.) 

 

Batman: Tales of the Demon contains eleven stories that have Batman dealing with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins from 1971-1980. The introduction and afterword in this collection provide some fascinating insights into comics at the time, how they were only just starting to realize that some stories might last longer than a single issue and how villains might be able to have more depth than just simple burglary and the like. These are both shown here as Ra’s continues to pop up, first with many issues in between to starting to get arcs of two or three comics in a row! I could also tell that the stories got stronger as we moved through the years. My favorites were Daughter of the Demon, The Demon Lives Again! and I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife. These really showed Batman having to investigate into crimes and also how he wasn’t invincible. Overall, I liked this collection; despite the stories taking place over so many years O’Neil was correct in saying how amazing it was that it’s such a cohesive story! It was a great way to see the first introduction and stories of Ra’s and his daughter Talia and their fascination with the Detective.