Batman, Nightwing, and Robin battle Ra's Al Ghul's army and attempt to prevent him from coming back to life in the body of Batman's son, Damian. Grade 7 Up—Buzzing with action, Resurrection will appeal to Batman's fans, but it is not a good starting point for readers unfamiliar with the series history. Ra's Al Ghul has miraculously returned from what was thought to be a fiery demise. His features badly burned, Ra's needs a completely new host body to continue his evil ways. His candidate is bratty Damian-his grandson, who happens to be the child of Batman and Talia, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter. When Damian is eventually captured by his grandfather, Batman and Ra's face off to determine the boy's fate. The artwork varies with each chapter. Violence is depicted, and images of women may strike some as objectification. The exaggerated, comic-book-style illustrations are consistently well done, although characters are rendered differently by each artist, a fact that may throw off some readers. The writing also fluctuates with each chapter, from standard heroic platitudes to tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. This is not an essential purchase, but it will be welcomed by readers with knowledge of the characters and backstory.— Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Although a relative latecomer, Ra’s al Ghul has become one of the most prominent Batman archvillains, as attested by his pivotal role in the movie Batman Begins. This multipart saga of the criminal mastermind’s return from the dead is intended as the ultimate Ra’s epic but doesn’t quite measure up because of its disjointedness. Originally spread over four different Batman-related monthly comics, the story was produced by a quintet of writers, whose round-Robin (and -Batman, and -Nightwing) approach shows. Eight primary artists of varying talent don’t help cohesiveness, either. Still, Bat-fans will find plenty to enjoy in the continent-spanning epic. --Gordon Flagg Writer Grant Morrison is known for his innovative work on comics from the graphic novel Arkham Asylum to acclaimed runs on Animal Man and Doom Patrol , as well as his subversive creator-owned titles such as The Invisibles, Seaguy, and WE3 . Grant has also written best-selling runs on JLA , Seven Soldiers of Victory, and New X-Men, and helped to reinvent the DC Universe in The Multiversity, All Star Superman, 52, Batman, Batman & Robin and Batman, Inc .