If Batman: Son of the Demon is best remembered for the debut of Damian Wayne (albeit very partially), then what can be said for Batman: Bride of the Demon? This story, alongside its follow-up – Birth of the Demon – remain obscure stories lost in the mists of time, and the overflooding of the comic book market of new titles and one-offs during the 1990s. Ra’s Al Ghul’s feud with Batman is more personal than the Dark Knight’s relationship with any other villain. The dividing line between them both over aims and morals contrasts sharply with the mutual respect and near-admiration the two hold for one another. A typical Ra’s Al Ghul story can go in two directions. Firstly, the focus can be on Ra’s demanding an heir from his daughter Talia and the Dark Knight (as in Son of the Demon). Alternatively, the focus is on Ra’s Al Ghul’s extreme environmentalism, and his strong belief that only destruction of humanity can preserve the beauty of the world. Batman: Bride of the Demon explores that route, but with a twist. Ra’s still demands an heir, but no longer from Batman…
Batman: Bride of the Demon was published in October 1990 as a one-off graphic novel. With Mike W. Barr at the writing helm, Tom Grindberg provides the Neal Adams-esque (that in itself is a terrific understatement) artwork. Republished in the Birth of the Demon collected edition alongside its namesake and Son of the Demon, why is Bride of the Demon now forgotten?
When Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams created Ra’s Al Ghul back in 1971, they were the rebellious youth typical of the time. The monopoly of fifties conservatism gave way to sixties dissension. The war in Vietnam famously divided college campuses across the United States, while the fight for civil rights and welfare reform led to the idealism of youth clashing with the resistance of the political, social, and religious establishment. The young of the 1960s – like O’Neil and Adams – craved the utter destruction of injustice through radical change and a focus on the issues once disregarded as niche. One such issue was environmentalism. The origins of a green political perspective dated back to the end of the nineteenth century, but during the latter decades of the twentieth century, the awareness surrounding damage to the environment and to the future of humanity was growing. Science played a major part. Knowledge about the greenhouse effect and the discovery of long-term damage to the ozone layer placed climate change on the mainstream political agenda – it is unlikely to vanish as an issue either. But that mainstream discussion of climate change shouldn’t be underestimated in terms of its effects not just on politics, but on culture too. Batman: Bride of the Demon is very much a reflection of its time, mirroring the expansion of both knowledge and threat about the future of Earth and the role of humanity in its fate. This time in 1990 – as opposed to as in 1971 – the stinging science of humanity’s failure is known. It plays a distinct role throughout Barr’s tale. After all, from the first setting of Antarctica and the melting ice to caps, to the second setting of the disappearing Amazon rainforests, the effects of man on the environment are there for everyone to see. It is with disdain that Ra’s Al Ghul looks upon humanity for their collective actions.
As ever, Ra’s Al Ghul wants to cleanse the environment, but through which means? That is the great mystery of Bride of the Demon. Hints of such means and the details of Ra’s Al Ghul’s plan remain cloudy throughout much of the story, a quality not too dissimilar from what happened in Son of the Demon. Throughout, Ra’s Al Ghul is in contact with Doctor Carmody, a scientist with a reputation to uphold. After all, with his knowledge of the manmade damage to the ozone layer, he is an ideal candidate on Ra’s Al Ghul’s quest. Carmody’s research has made him a famous face; such a reputation places him into the circles of the elite, a group which includes – surprise, surprise – Bruce Wayne. This is how Batman gets involved. With somewhat uncharacteristic foolishness, Ra’s Al Ghul orders Talia and his men to spy on Carmody and bring him back to their master’s lair. Of course this would garner Batman’s attention. Despite every effort to act discreetly, Ra’s Al Ghul fails. That leads to the introduction of a villain whose future is clearly a threatening one for the Dark Knight. Ra’s needs muscle to defeat Batman; such a task can only be completed by Shard. This bloody bruiser leaves no prisoners. According to the man himself, ‘surrender’ is a word he has never learned. With such a relentless spirit and indomitable strength, he is surely to be the major foe of the tale. The trouble is that Barr gives Shard such a titanic build-up and provides such a dramatic fight with the Dark Knight, that when – after a mere three pages – the villain commits suicide after finding himself a victim of bravado, it does conjure a brief laugh and endless confusion. Why give a villain such a backstory and presence only for him to last barely any time at all? Why Ra’s Al Ghul would place his trust in someone so shallow and risk altering Batman is very confusing. It also doesn’t help how Barr appears to launch a substory involving a murder mystery in Gotham City, only for that strand of writing to become as abandoned as a sunken wartime submarine once Ra’s Al Ghul’s plot grows in importance.
Bride of the Demon has the feel of a 1970s comic book. This isn’t just reflected in the artwork, nor in the cast or plotting, but also in some of the tale’s more bizarre features. The 1970s is a time when the Dark Knight’s adventures changed – gone were the bright colours and entered more mature and horror-themed stories. However, that is a simple generalisation. While the stories of O’Neil and Englehart were closer to that, the middle of the 1970s – especially with the return of David Vern Reed – was far more barren. If anything, it was a redux of the fifties minus the science-fiction. The stories were generally drier crime dramas with a few moments of silliness. Bride of the Demon perhaps reflects that style of story more faithfully. With Shard’s death, Batman creates a facemask of the villain and takes his identity in order to obtain access to Ra’s Al Ghul’s private base in the Antarctic. Although it doesn’t take long for Batman to be found out, it is one of a few moments which remind me too much of that underwhelming period of comic books. Too often, the dialogue is flat or lacking much emotion. This is certainly true of Doctor Carmody, whose son is injured and killed later in the story. Sure, he may take out some emotion on Batman, but it falls short of the dynamic brilliance of human emotional drama which other writers of the 1990s could provide in spades.
But throughout The Bride of the Demon, one question constantly pops its head out. Who is the bride? The Demon is – naturally – Ra’s Al Ghul. As for the Bride, her identity is revealed to be an Evelyn Grayce, an aging actress whose best days have passed. She may revel in her former beauty and fame, but she is constantly crying out for its return. That makes her a suitable victim for Ra’s Al Ghul. Without a second thought, she tags along with his plans and – before you know it – she enjoys rejuvenation within a Lazarus Pit. Her youth returns, and Ra’s Al Ghul consummates their “marriage.” Events more incredibly fast here, with little explanation. There is barely even a hint to why Ra’s Al Ghul requires somebody like Evelyn Grayce, and as personalities go, her one is as bland and flat as they come. Barr writes the worst stereotype of a woman – she wants fame, she wants beauty, she wants to be young, she is constantly emotional. Perhaps those qualities could be excused were she given a more tolerable background or a personality with interest. As it stands, she is simply forgettable. This raises another question – where does this all leave Talia? Well, that brilliant question is barely explored. She isn’t best pleased by her father’s new love, but what’s worse, is that Talia seems to have a terrible case of short-term memory loss – as does her father. Neither of them seems to recall a memory or emotion from Son of the Demon. That last attempt for an heir for the Demon’s Head – an attempt which left such emotional scarring with the disappointment (or thought disappointment) of a lost baby and a romance between Talia and Batman torn apart – couldn’t be forgotten with ease. But here, Talia’s loyalty to her father is virtually unshakeable, at least until the end.
Despite the problems with Bride of the Demon – its opaque plotting, its embarrassing dialogue, and its half-baked characters, there are some features which are strongly in its favour. Although we are privy to a sillier Batman than in Son of the Demon, the hard-hitting detective and knight of the darkness is still there. Barr captures the flair, mystery, and occasional wit of the Dark Knight, echoing the writing of O’Neil. What’s more, Bride of the Demon is never a chore to read. With its exposition and blandness, Son of the Demon was hard going. However, here there is a focus on action (and entertaining action at that, especially in the Batcave), and scenes of dialogue which, despite the need of a second draft, are entertaining or dramatic to read. The tale does fly by, and the further readers travel into it, the more enjoyable it becomes. This becomes all-the-more accurate when – towards the end of the story – the true details of Ra’s Al Ghul’s plans come under the spotlight. His plan is to transform oxygen into ozone before sending it back into the ozone layer. However, in order to achieve this, the ozone will suffocate all humans, life, and crops on Earth. All will be killed before, with time, the planet will return to normal. His plan is to live in the Antarctic with Evelyn (now fecund thanks to youth) and create an heir with her while simultaneously crowning himself as a latter-day Noah, collecting all forms of life on Earth in order to guarantee the survival of the species. Obviously, it’s a crazed idea. However, I wish more of it was revealed earlier in the story. It would have provided purpose and a layer of drama to Ra’s Al Ghul’s moves. The trouble with Bride of the Demon is that, despite its strong pacing, much of what happens feels pointless or lacking in a clear objective. If Ra’s Al Ghul’s hand had been played earlier, then this would have made for a much better story. I believe that much of what Bride of the Demon did correctly could have been enhanced were Barr to have focused far more deeply on the backstory and tragedy of Ra’s Al Ghul’s life. This story isn’t chronicled until Birth of the Demon some years later, but such an exploration – accompanied with Ra’s Al Ghul’s angst against humanity and the want of love and a suitable heir – would have added great drama and power behind many of his actions here. Sadly, the sense of aimlessness and the lack of much suspense or intrigue, especially earlier in the story, means that Bride of the Demon has little impact.
As endings go, Bride of the Demon is fairly predictive. All is well until Talia – surprise, surprise – turns on her father. She, aided by Batman, destroys the machinery essential for Ra’s Al Ghul’s hare-brained schemed to fly. The base begins to explode and fall apart, leading to Batman escaping with Talia and Evelyn. However, the one point of drama comes with Doctor Carmody. He rejoined Ra’s Al Ghul later in the tale after the villain promised him the rejuvenation of his son’s life. Carmody’s son is placed in the Lazarus Pit whilst most of the drama takes place. Tragically, Doctor Carmody’s death comes just as his son leaves the Lazarus Pit. The boy escapes, knowing nothing of what the future holds. It provides a moment for Batman to speak some words of hope – and it adds Bride of the Demon to the never-ending list of stories reconveying the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne. What happens to Ra’s is unknown, but of course he’ll be back. Batman returns to the cave, happy once again to be with Alfred and Tim Drake – the latter’s presence in the story feels like missed potential, especially as a forthcoming Robin. Nevertheless, as with Son of the Demon, there is a scene of drama at the end. As Talia and Evelyn leave Ra’s and the destruction of his base, Evelyn admits that she is pregnant. With that, she is the bride of the demon, and her offspring may be the son of the demon. It’s both brilliant and odd that Mike Barr dropped two such colossal revelations with these two stories, only for DC to quickly forget about them. According to DC Database, Bride of the Demon has been retconned and abandoned as if it never happened. The same almost applies to Son of the Demon too. While Bride of the Demon may be the better story, especially in terms of pacing and plotting, it’s lack of direction, poor dialogue, and overlength let it down.
If you thought that Jerry Bingham’s artwork in Son of the Demon was reminiscent of Neal Adams, then you haven’t seen Tom Grindberg. In terms of storytelling, finishes, and panel breakdowns, Grindberg seems to have taken the great man’s identity. Even the inking, with its sense of flow, is Neal Adams. It’s impossible to say it looks terrible or bad – quite the opposite is true. However, it does mean that Grindberg lacks any unique style whatsoever. Additionally, despite its brilliance at making the comic look like a product of the seventies, the colouring can be slightly-off and inconsistent. Everything appears to have a rather bleak haze over it too. Its moodiness isn’t essentially a negative, and the artwork certainly works for a story like this one. For all intents and purposes, Neal Adams may as well be credited as the artist for Bride of the Demon.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman: Bride of the Demon is rather deceptive story. It’s lack of direction for the first three-quarters of the story make events feel pointless or aimless. The dialogue seems dated, and many of the concepts and characters are either unbelievable or half-baked. It’s only when Barr reveals the details of Ra’s Al Ghul’s plans that it all begins to click together, but it’s far too late. Unlike Son of the Demon, a story later picked up by Grant Morrison (albeit indirectly), Batman: Bride of the Demon will be forgotten, despite any of its redeemable qualities.
Next Week: Batman: Birth of the Demon. Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Norm Breyfogle.
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