Batman: Child of Dreams
{{Short description|Japanese manga series}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2009}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name = Batman: Child of Dreams
| image = Child of Dreams (manga).jpg
| caption = North American cover
| genre = Superhero
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| author = Kia Asamiya
| publisher = Kodansha
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher | NA= DC Comics}}
| demographic = Seinen
| magazine = Magazine Z
| first = November 22, 2000
| last = November 22, 2001
| volumes = 2
| volume_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
Batman: Child of Dreams is a manga series written and illustrated by Kia Asamiya, published in Kodansha's Magazine Z.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbr.com/batman-child-dreams-manga-must-read-dark-knight-fans/ | title=A Forgotten Batman Manga from the 2000s is a Must-Read for Dark Knight Fans | date=7 July 2023}} The series follows Batman as he travels to Tokyo on the trail of a lethal drug that allows the person who ingests it to shapeshift into anyone they desire.
Child of Dreams was collected in two volumes, released in November 2000 and November 2001 by Kodansha. The English-language version was released in hardcover and softcover editions in 2003 by DC Comics. Because of the way that manga is published in Japan, reading from right to left, which is now commonplace in modern translated manga releases, Child of Dreams was "flipped", which might have gone unnoticed had it not made Two-Face scarred on the right side of his body.
Plot
The story features Batman in Gotham City and Tokyo, locating the source of a deadly drug. This drug provides the users with the thrill of literally living the life of their dreams for a day, by forcing the user to shapeshift into the person they desire to be. After the day expires, the drug kills the user by draining them of their lifeforce. Most of the users in Gotham turned into literal copies of several Batman villains.{{cite web | url=http://kodanclub.com/cgi-local/comic.cgi?id=006-00090-01-002 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016164935/http://kodanclub.com/cgi-local/comic.cgi?id=006-00090-01-002 | archive-date=2007-10-16 | title=Promising works}} Batman suspected they were not the real thing after they seemed to sport twisted forms of their regular traits. Realizing a larger force is at work, Batman, with the help of Japanese journalist Yuuko Yagi, follows the trail of the chemical to Tokyo, where he finds the deranged criminal mastermind behind the creation of the infamous drug is none other than a heavily mutated fan.
Publication
Child of Dreams was serialized in Kodansha's Magazine Z. The chapters were later collected in two volumes:
- {{ISBN|978-4-06-334361-8}}. Released in November 2000.{{cite web | url=https://kc.kodansha.co.jp/product?item=0000035282 | title=『ＢＡＴＭＡＮ ｃｈｉｌｄ ｏＦ Ｄｒｅａｍｓ（１）』（麻宮 騎亜） 製品詳細 講談社コミックプラス}}
- {{ISBN|978-4-06-334474-5}}. Released in November 2001.{{cite web | url=https://kc.kodansha.co.jp/product?item=0000035340 | title=『ＢＡＴＭＡＮ Ｃｈｉｌｄ ｏｆ Ｄｒｅａｍｓ（２）』（麻宮 騎亜） 製品詳細 講談社コミックプラス}}
The English-language translation was handled by Max Allan Collins. The hardcover edition ({{ISBN|1-56389-906-X}}) was released on March 1, 2003, while the softcover edition ({{ISBN|1-56389-907-8}}) was released on December 1 the same year.
See also
{{portal|Novels}}
- Batman: Death Mask, the next manga outing for Batman, by Yoshinori Natsume
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=3746 Batman: Child of Dreams] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050906152705/http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=3746 |date=2005-09-06}} at DC Comics.com
- {{anime News Network|manga|2265}}
{{Batman publications}}
Category:Batman graphic novels
Category:Manga based on DC Comics
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