Batman: The Ultimate Evil

rdf:langString Batman: The Ultimate Evil

rdf:langString Cover of Batman: The Ultimate Evil .

rdf:langString United States

rdf:langString English

rdf:langString November 1995

rdf:langString The apartment was right off Gotham Drive, just inside the diamond-spine of the great city. The Batman watched from one rooftop away. Watched the light go off as the apartment dropped into darkness. Something he didn't understand pulled him magnetically to that spot. He knew who lived there—the incest offender who told Debra Kane how much he loved his little girl. But what was he doing... "No!" he said to himself. "I took an oath. The authorities already know about him. I can't just ..."

rdf:langString —Batman: The Ultimate Evil, pages 39–40.

rdf:langString Batman: The Ultimate Evil is a novel written by Andrew Vachss and published in 1995 by the Warner Aspect imprint of Warner Books. Vachss was an attorney specializing in child abuse cases, as well as a crime novelist best known for his series of books featuring the character Burke, a private investigator who fights against sexual predators. A representative from DC Comics approached Vachss about the possibility of writing a novel featuring Batman. Viewing this as an opportunity to reach a completely different audience, Vachss agreed and wrote a draft. He continued with his themes concerning child sexual abuse and explored the topic of child sex tourism. The publisher required Vachss to follow certain rules, like making a clear distinction between fiction and reality and prohibiting the Batman character from killing, cursing, or having sex. In the story, billionaire Bruce Wayne, who as a child witnessed the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne, encounters the social worker Debra Kane, who takes Wayne to check up on her clients: he sees clear cases of child abuse and brave but futile resistance to it. Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth, gives him the secret files from his mother's investigation of a pedophile ring, which led to her and her husband's murder, illuminating the darkest mystery of Wayne's childhood. As Batman, Wayne reopens his mother's investigation and, through a series of informants, is led to a child sex tourism syndicate using the southeast-Asian country of Udon Khai. Batman travels to Udon Khai and, with the help of a local rebel force of guerrilla fighters, topples the kingpin who controls the industry. In the process, he avenges the murder of his parents. The book ends with a non-fiction essay, by journalist David Hechler, entitled "Child Sex Tourism".