Wayne of Gotham

Plot

Two men joined by blood but separated by murder: Thomas Wayne, the rebellious doctor and heir to the vast Wayne empire, and Bruce, his son, whose life is forever altered when he witnesses the brutal death of his parents.

The slaying of Thomas and Martha Wayne is the torturous point on which Bruce turns to become the mysterious crusader Batman—the genesis of a simple mugging gone horribly wrong. The Dark Knight's file on the case has long been closed, the foundations of Bruce Wayne's secret life secure. But these foundations are shaken when an unexpected guest invades the grounds of Wayne Manor, raising questions about the event that ended the lives of the mother he loved and the father he worshipped, and sparked his unquenchable drive to protect and avenge.

To discover his true family history, Batman must face down old foes, confront his only confidant Alfred, invade the evil heart of Arkham Asylum, and shoulder the terrible new burden of a dark legacy.

Thomas Wayne decided to test a new personality altering treatment on criminals and gets more than he bargained for when the treated criminals escape and begin bringing judgement to all criminals, no matter their crimes.

Reviews

Eric Garneau wrote that "there are a few nice things to be said about Hickman's writing. The story alternates between the present and the past, and it does so in a way that we see events unfold for Thomas and Bruce in a parallel fashion; one timeline colors the other. It's a common device, but Hickman uses it well."

Robert Silva said that "Wayne of Gotham is not a bad book", he said that the novel was not the story he was expecting. He wrote: "When I buy a book with Batman on the cover I expect to read about Batman for a majority of the book, which was not the case with WOG. Although Thomas is a great character to follow, Batman is why I'm here and I felt that his story fell a bit flat." Finally Silva gave the book six out of 10 points.