Batman's Dark Secret

Gr 2–4—Puckett and Muth bring the story of Batman's dark beginnings to light in a stunningly illustrated picture book. One cannot tell the story of Batman without starting with the tragic loss that changed the course of his life. Puckett does not shy away from the violent events of Bruce Wayne's childhood, though the presented details are vague, expressed through spare text: a "darker than dark" alley, "the bang, the flash, the smoke," and "his parents were gone." Though the visual depiction of Bruce's parents' murder is off-page, the event may raise some uncomfortable questions for the youngest of readers. Still, children will come away with the understanding that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that even after tragedy, one can find the strength to continue to live and learn. The moral is thoughtfully depicted, and this book could easily serve as a means to introduce these difficult discussions. Muth is no stranger to the world of comics, and his beautiful and ephemeral watercolors perfectly illustrate the Dark Knight's origins. Other motifs associated with Batman such as dark caves and monstrous bats might also be a bit on the scary side, but overall this is an excellent distillation of adult comic book themes that will be embraced by older children ready to explore the slightly darker side of their superheroes.