Audiobook Review: Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome

Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome by Dirk Miggs read by Michael Gough, Garrick Hagon and Bob Sessions, 2010. 1 Disc (44 minutes). Published by AudioGo LTD. Source: Audiobook Jukebox/Publisher for review.

Michael Gough, Garrick Hagon and Bob Sessions star in this thrilling radio drama featuring the Batman.
'This is the Batman. Treat what you are about to hear in the strictest confidence - my associates must be protected at all costs. By night in Gotham City you knew me as the Batman. What you never knew was....'
The Batman is dead. Police Commissioner Gordon has received a recording by the Batman that reveals his real identity. But who is the occupant of Wayne Manor? It soon becomes a desperate journey into the background of Gotham City's famous vigilante to find out who killed the Dark Knight.

Story:

I so knew from the very beginning what had really happened, and how it was going to end. How, because a comic world without Batman is just plain wrong (you can probably guess that I'm a fan of Batman).

I thought it was interesting how Batman/Bruce Wayne, even the story was about him, was not actually in the story that long (could partly be because it is such a short audiobook). It was interesting because while the story focused on him, and the revelation that he, Bruce Wayne, was in fact the Batman the story was equally about those whose his disappearance/death would effect most (the citizens of Gotham, the police, and those whom he had worked with).

While it may not have been the hardest plotline to unravel, I did enjoy listening to the way things unfolded. Especially the beginning where Gordon receives a tape exposing the truth behind Batman and who he really was, I thought it was pretty genius to start there because your like he did not just let the cat out of the bag. I also really liked there choice of villain, mostly because I enjoyed that it was not the Joker who seems to be the fallback villain for the Batman franchise (if I told you then there would not be any mystery left).

The absolute best thing about Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome would have to be narration. I was absolutely in awe of the cast that did the reading because they were brilliant, especially the voices of Batman and Barbara Gorden and Commissioner Gordon. They are what made this audiobook.
     If I had to put my finger on one thing that I did not like about Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome, it would have to be that there was little mystery to what had actually happened and whether or not Batman was truly dead. I thought that had there been a little more length to the story, they most likely would have been able to veil the mystery more than it was, which would have made it a little more interesting and worth of being about Batman.

Narration:

Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome is only my second- if you count all of the Shakespeare as one- full cast audiobook, and while I thought the readers did an excellent job I was a smidge disappointed in this one.

Since there were entirely too many cast members to list, I'll just give a run-down on what I thought about the readers on whole.
I thought they did a bang-up job on the various characters, especially the readers for Batman/Bruce Wayne and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon and Commissioner Gordon, and that you could almost believe that that was how each of the them were supposed to sound.

While it may not have been one that I absolutely feel in love with, I thought that all the effects they added, like for the fight scenes, were pretty awesome in that it absolutely made you feel like you were in a comic book.
   Even though I enjoyed the effects, the one thing I did not like even though it was done really well, was the literal sounds of when the characters would fight; think along the lines of "bam" and what not.

Final Verdict: Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome was good, but definitely not my favorite Batman related thing.

Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome earns 3.5 out of 5 pineapples.