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Batman: Elseworlds #Castle
Batman: Castle Of The Bat
A TALE TOLD IN THE CLASSIC MANNER..
of unspeakable crimes and unutterable evil...of dark places where men go at risk to their immortal souls...of a grotesque Bat-Man who may be a saviour, a demon - or something far worse...
of unspeakable crimes and unutterable evil...of dark places where men go at risk to their immortal souls...of a grotesque Bat-Man who may be a saviour, a demon - or something far worse...
64 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 10, 2014
Elsewords is an old DC series where writers and artists could take popular characters like Batman or Superman and try whatever out-there concept they could come up with as they were safely outside continuity. Some Elseworlds titles have been amazing like Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son but most were kinda so-so in a fun way, like Batman: Castle of the Bat.
Jack Harris riffs on Mary Shelley’s classic 19th century novel Frankenstein and puts Bruce Wayne in the role of Victor Frankenstein. Bereaved at the death of his parents, Bruce becomes a brilliant scientist as per his father’s dying wish. That is until he stumbles across his father’s brain, preserved for years in a jar and decides to bring his father back to life in a new, better body, made of parts from corpses, going from brilliant to insane scientist very quickly!
But Bruce’s work with “improving” nature has seen him splice certain animals like bats together with creatures who could benefit from increased hearing - so of course he attempts the same with his soon-to-be-reanimated Pop. Surprising no-one, the results turn out to be nightmarish as the corpse of dead humans with bat DNA comes to life as - the Bat Man!
This is DC doing Hammer Horror and pulling it off reasonably well because it’s so over the top and daffy. Also, this is Batman in name only, as Bruce is totally out of character while the Bat Man kills people, and the fact that it’s set in Ingolstadt, Germany, as per Shelley’s novel rather than Gotham.
The story is very melodramatic but it works for the book as it’s hardly the most serious take on Batman - just look at Alfredo, Bruce’s hunchback servant! The way the story develops in the third act is also completely mad with events crashing together deliriously rather than logically, especially the inclusion of Julia, an entirely pointless character except to be the obligatory damsel in distress. The art is decent, it’s painted rather than inked and works well for the gothic flavoured book.
Batman: Castle of the Bat is a pretty fun, tongue-in-cheek take on Batman, playing up the side of Bruce Wayne that’s ever present - the defining loss of his parents - and mixing it in cleverly with a horror classic. It mostly works and is enjoyable enough but by no means an essential read, even for the most ardent Batman fan.
Jack Harris riffs on Mary Shelley’s classic 19th century novel Frankenstein and puts Bruce Wayne in the role of Victor Frankenstein. Bereaved at the death of his parents, Bruce becomes a brilliant scientist as per his father’s dying wish. That is until he stumbles across his father’s brain, preserved for years in a jar and decides to bring his father back to life in a new, better body, made of parts from corpses, going from brilliant to insane scientist very quickly!
But Bruce’s work with “improving” nature has seen him splice certain animals like bats together with creatures who could benefit from increased hearing - so of course he attempts the same with his soon-to-be-reanimated Pop. Surprising no-one, the results turn out to be nightmarish as the corpse of dead humans with bat DNA comes to life as - the Bat Man!
This is DC doing Hammer Horror and pulling it off reasonably well because it’s so over the top and daffy. Also, this is Batman in name only, as Bruce is totally out of character while the Bat Man kills people, and the fact that it’s set in Ingolstadt, Germany, as per Shelley’s novel rather than Gotham.
The story is very melodramatic but it works for the book as it’s hardly the most serious take on Batman - just look at Alfredo, Bruce’s hunchback servant! The way the story develops in the third act is also completely mad with events crashing together deliriously rather than logically, especially the inclusion of Julia, an entirely pointless character except to be the obligatory damsel in distress. The art is decent, it’s painted rather than inked and works well for the gothic flavoured book.
Batman: Castle of the Bat is a pretty fun, tongue-in-cheek take on Batman, playing up the side of Bruce Wayne that’s ever present - the defining loss of his parents - and mixing it in cleverly with a horror classic. It mostly works and is enjoyable enough but by no means an essential read, even for the most ardent Batman fan.
October 29, 2019
The Frankenstein myth recreated with Batman in the monster role and Bruce Wayne as Victor Von Frankenstein. Bo Hampton's art is suitable murky for this Gothic retelling.
October 29, 2019
Perhaps it is the Halloween mood, but I really enjoyed this one. It's an older graphic novel from the '90s. It is also an Elseworlds setting. That can be a bad thing on both counts. Thankfully this was anything but.
In Elseworlds, familiar characters are placed in strange settings. No less the case for this story. Set in the 1890's it borrows heavily from mary Shelly's "Frankenstein", with Bruce Wayne playing the mad doctor. I enjoyed the "recast" of Alfred as "Alfredo", an Igor-like servant. The "Victorian" setting mated with the "mad-scientist" motif was strange but entertaining. Even the "origin" story of this Bruce Wayne was different, not to mention who/what the Batman truly is.
The artwork, while not great, is good for this dark, grim, Victorian setting. I rather liked it. An excellent and different story. A must read for Batman fans looking for some good Halloween based material.
In Elseworlds, familiar characters are placed in strange settings. No less the case for this story. Set in the 1890's it borrows heavily from mary Shelly's "Frankenstein", with Bruce Wayne playing the mad doctor. I enjoyed the "recast" of Alfred as "Alfredo", an Igor-like servant. The "Victorian" setting mated with the "mad-scientist" motif was strange but entertaining. Even the "origin" story of this Bruce Wayne was different, not to mention who/what the Batman truly is.
The artwork, while not great, is good for this dark, grim, Victorian setting. I rather liked it. An excellent and different story. A must read for Batman fans looking for some good Halloween based material.
October 29, 2023
Batman: Castle of the Bat is a DC Comics prestige format one-shot written by Jack C. Harris with art by Bo Hampton. It was originally released in 1994.
Set in 1819 Germany, Doctor Bruce Wayne is a cutting edge medical scientist who is experimenting on splicing human tissue with the energy of animals. His experimentations lead to the creation of the Bat-man, reenergized tissue with the brain of Thomas Wayne and imbued with the energy of a bat.
This Elseworlds book is Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein retold with Doctor Frankenstein being Bruce Wayne and Bat-man/Thomas Wayne in the roll of the monster. The book is as ridiculous as it sounds but I believe it could have benefited with a little more character building. The art is a murky pain style that really fits the gothic horror story.
Set in 1819 Germany, Doctor Bruce Wayne is a cutting edge medical scientist who is experimenting on splicing human tissue with the energy of animals. His experimentations lead to the creation of the Bat-man, reenergized tissue with the brain of Thomas Wayne and imbued with the energy of a bat.
This Elseworlds book is Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein retold with Doctor Frankenstein being Bruce Wayne and Bat-man/Thomas Wayne in the roll of the monster. The book is as ridiculous as it sounds but I believe it could have benefited with a little more character building. The art is a murky pain style that really fits the gothic horror story.
August 7, 2018
Great tale but be warned - this is not the Batman you are accustomed to
Great tale - loved it. But this is an alternate universe tale set in the 1800s - Batman's rules do not apply. Realize that and you are in for a ride!
Great tale - loved it. But this is an alternate universe tale set in the 1800s - Batman's rules do not apply. Realize that and you are in for a ride!
August 1, 2020
An Elseworlds story set in 1819 which combines the story of the Batman with Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'.
Traumatised by the murder of his parents as a child, Dr. Bruce Wayne dedicates himself to unconventional scientific study. Using his knowledge of life-energies and the preserved brain of his father, Bruce attempts to return Dr. Thomas Wayne to life. However, the experiment goes awry and instead creates a creature known as the Bat-Man.
The problem with this book is that it never really gets beyond how self-satisfied it is to have mashed-up Batman and Frankenstein, meaning that it never explores some of its more intriguing possibilities but instead just relies on retelling stories we all already know.
For example, the vast majority of this not-overly-long book is taken up with explaining the hows and whys of Bruce creating the creature, which is something anyone who's experienced any version of 'Frankenstein' will already know and understand (but seriously, if you've not read the original novel, go away and do that now).
Personally, I would've loved a bit more time dedicated to how the creature, spurred by its imperfect memory of its murder at the hands of a highwayman, attacks robbers and becomes a myth among the local villagers. I felt that there could've been some real milage in the idea of Frankenstein's monster as a crimefighter, told in a gothic style. Unfortunately it's an opportunity the writer doesn't take.
Basically if all you want is a mash-up then this'll do nicely, but I would've preferred a more intelligent exploration of the combination of these stories.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
Traumatised by the murder of his parents as a child, Dr. Bruce Wayne dedicates himself to unconventional scientific study. Using his knowledge of life-energies and the preserved brain of his father, Bruce attempts to return Dr. Thomas Wayne to life. However, the experiment goes awry and instead creates a creature known as the Bat-Man.
The problem with this book is that it never really gets beyond how self-satisfied it is to have mashed-up Batman and Frankenstein, meaning that it never explores some of its more intriguing possibilities but instead just relies on retelling stories we all already know.
For example, the vast majority of this not-overly-long book is taken up with explaining the hows and whys of Bruce creating the creature, which is something anyone who's experienced any version of 'Frankenstein' will already know and understand (but seriously, if you've not read the original novel, go away and do that now).
Personally, I would've loved a bit more time dedicated to how the creature, spurred by its imperfect memory of its murder at the hands of a highwayman, attacks robbers and becomes a myth among the local villagers. I felt that there could've been some real milage in the idea of Frankenstein's monster as a crimefighter, told in a gothic style. Unfortunately it's an opportunity the writer doesn't take.
Basically if all you want is a mash-up then this'll do nicely, but I would've preferred a more intelligent exploration of the combination of these stories.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
March 11, 2016
Nice gothic otherworld Batman story. Recommended
May 11, 2021
Batman: Castle of the Bat is an Elseworld one-shot published by DC Comics in 1994. The story is written by Jack C. Harris and illustrated by Bo Hampton. In 1819, a troubled Bruce Wayne revives his father from the dead. The story is loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and the classic black-and-white film of the same name.
Set in Germany in the early 1800s, it imagines Bruce Wayne as a driven doctor who's dedicated his life to science following the highway robbery and murder of his parents. Wayne is dabbling in mucking evolution by combining the essences of different creatures. When he discovers his father's brain in a secret laboratory – he makes an attempt to bring his father back to life with his father’s brain, a monstrous body and the senses of a certain nocturnal mammal, the Bat-Man is born.
Jack C. Harris penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Harris had an interesting concept and certainly a noble effort to tell a different kind of Batman tale, but the narrative is a bit slow, the art not visceral enough to contain the story and the outcome all-too-obvious. While a fine read, it falls short of the greatness it seeks, capturing neither the moral sentiments of Frankenstein nor the mythology of Batman.
Bo Hampton penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Hampton's penciling depicts the narrative and captures the mood rather well, albeit not visceral enough for the narrative.
All in all, Batman: Castle of the Bat is a moderate narrative that melds the mythos of Batman and Frankenstein rather well with an execution that is much to be desired as the moral sentiments are difficult to find, which are found so readily in the original texts.
Set in Germany in the early 1800s, it imagines Bruce Wayne as a driven doctor who's dedicated his life to science following the highway robbery and murder of his parents. Wayne is dabbling in mucking evolution by combining the essences of different creatures. When he discovers his father's brain in a secret laboratory – he makes an attempt to bring his father back to life with his father’s brain, a monstrous body and the senses of a certain nocturnal mammal, the Bat-Man is born.
Jack C. Harris penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Harris had an interesting concept and certainly a noble effort to tell a different kind of Batman tale, but the narrative is a bit slow, the art not visceral enough to contain the story and the outcome all-too-obvious. While a fine read, it falls short of the greatness it seeks, capturing neither the moral sentiments of Frankenstein nor the mythology of Batman.
Bo Hampton penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Hampton's penciling depicts the narrative and captures the mood rather well, albeit not visceral enough for the narrative.
All in all, Batman: Castle of the Bat is a moderate narrative that melds the mythos of Batman and Frankenstein rather well with an execution that is much to be desired as the moral sentiments are difficult to find, which are found so readily in the original texts.
August 28, 2024
I'm rereading a few GN's before releasing them into the wild (or possibly keeping them! Downsizing is hard!).
This Elseworlds mashup of Frankenstein & Batman is stronger in conception than execution, and it leans more into the Universal horror movie than Shelly's novel.
The artwork is excellent, the monster design ok, the plot thinner than the skin stretched over Boris Karloff's face.
Worth reading, but I think I'll let this one shamble off🧌🦇
This Elseworlds mashup of Frankenstein & Batman is stronger in conception than execution, and it leans more into the Universal horror movie than Shelly's novel.
The artwork is excellent, the monster design ok, the plot thinner than the skin stretched over Boris Karloff's face.
Worth reading, but I think I'll let this one shamble off🧌🦇
June 6, 2025
Well this was horrible. Going through this comic which combines Batman with Frankenstein I kept thinking how more elements of either Batman or Frankenstein could be incorporated, but the book often instead chooses to do its own thing which is good as neither of them, basically only borrowing the aesthetics from the two things it is supposed to combine. Then there's also a bunch of things that just don't make sense, from the names which are not really fitting for the setting to the science in the book where Bruce is apparently able to not just revive dead organs but also cause mutations by transferring electrical energy from one creature to another. I would give it a one star rating except that the book seems to borrow heavily from the old Universal Pictures adaptation of Frankenstein, more so then the book, which means that there are possibly things taken from there that I don't understand. I wish it was based on the book more since I love the novel, but maybe fans of the Universal Pictures movies would like this and it just isn't for me.
December 22, 2018
In this 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, I finally got around to reading this 'Batman-ised' version of Mary Shelley's story. It starts off well, set in a castle with Bruce playing the doctor, Burgermeister Gordon, Alfredo the hunchback servant. It's all quite inventive and amusing... for a while. The watercolour artwork is pretty decent throughout and must've taken ages to illustrate. However, the story quickly deteriorates and by about halfway, I was wishing for it to end, as it became rather yucky and stupid. 2.75/5
December 26, 2021
Elseworlds takes place outside of DC's main continuity (and thanks to Grant Morrison, it takes place on another earth), which allows for playing with classic tales, featuring new twists and turns with every page.
Castle of the Bat is a commentary of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. But in it's current context, it's a whole different story of Batman's creation.
Bruce Wayne's experiment leads to the "return" of an important figure from his past—but with a ghastly twist.
This is a marvelous Elseworlds reimagining which I highly recommend. Well timed, well written, and well thought out.
Castle of the Bat is a commentary of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. But in it's current context, it's a whole different story of Batman's creation.
Bruce Wayne's experiment leads to the "return" of an important figure from his past—but with a ghastly twist.
This is a marvelous Elseworlds reimagining which I highly recommend. Well timed, well written, and well thought out.
January 12, 2026
This is not your typical Batman story! We get taken back to the 1800s where Dr. Wayne is experimenting his ideas. Some see his work as forbidden but he must continue his work to avenge his parents death. The story is a classic Frankenstein retelling with Batman characters. It went outside the box and gave us twists and turns that made the story compelling. I am usually not a fan of watercolor artwork but with this being a timepiece it works perfectly. The cover art is exceptional!
July 9, 2021
Picked this up for £2, thought I deserved a read. I did enjoy it, Batman but Mary Shelly's Frankenstein where Bruce takes on the role of the creator (Victor Von) and The Batman is you guessed it, the monster.
The art in the comic is perfect for the setting and I could quite happily read another set in the same time. Perhaps something like Sleepy Hollow with the same art style.
The art in the comic is perfect for the setting and I could quite happily read another set in the same time. Perhaps something like Sleepy Hollow with the same art style.
July 19, 2022
6/10
An almost pointless Elseworlds tale that does very little throughout most of it to be intriguing or a worthwhile story to tell. In the end, the story wraps up nicely enough that it made up somewhat for the beginning slog. The art is very pleasant. Its gritty and victorian style really caters to Frankenstein's monster story.
An almost pointless Elseworlds tale that does very little throughout most of it to be intriguing or a worthwhile story to tell. In the end, the story wraps up nicely enough that it made up somewhat for the beginning slog. The art is very pleasant. Its gritty and victorian style really caters to Frankenstein's monster story.
September 20, 2018
Bo Hamptons art as usual outstanding in this best or tied for best (out of the dozen or so I've read) Elseworlds!
February 15, 2019
Ignore the low rating. This a strong Elseworlds one-shot, only let down by a slightly rushed/convoluted ending.
August 30, 2019
A thoroughly entertaining blend of Batman and Frankenstein lore. I only wish it could've been longer so we could have seen more combinations of Batman villains with classic Universal monsters.
May 6, 2020
If Batman took place in the 19th century
November 9, 2020
A lot of the Batman Elseworlds are great, but you can skip this one.
June 11, 2023
Amazing art. Amazing idea. Averagely executed.
May 20, 2024
Absolutely loved the illustrations in this, comics aren’t usually my thing but anything Frankenstein and creepy vibes is for me
October 13, 2024
Bangers & Mash - a "zombie" story
January 19, 2022
Very dark with truly amazing realistic painted art, a must for any horror fan.
January 21, 2025
Eighteenth century research physician Bruce Wayne spends his nights covertly working on reanimating dead flesh and manages to assemble and awaken a monster from the body parts of his dead father. When the resulting creature escapes, Wayne scrambles to retrieve him and in his search uncovers a dark conspiracy explaining mysteries of his past.
This send up of Frankenstein doesn't stray far from familiar territory but manages to have some fun moments. While the end product is rather forgettable it's an entertaining romp if not a tad traditional compared to more wild elseworlds Batman tales. The art is competent and suits the narrative well but doesn't elevate the work to anything more interesting.
This send up of Frankenstein doesn't stray far from familiar territory but manages to have some fun moments. While the end product is rather forgettable it's an entertaining romp if not a tad traditional compared to more wild elseworlds Batman tales. The art is competent and suits the narrative well but doesn't elevate the work to anything more interesting.
June 30, 2024
(7 December, 2022)
A worthy retelling of 'Frankenstein', with more of a Bruce Wayne flavour than an actual Batman one. Wayne family tragedy is at the forefront of this, with a touch of romance and some intrigue and mystery. Nicely done but not close to the best 'Elseworlds' I have ever read.
What's missing is this Prometheus' introspection, a blind neighbour or two and learning a few things about the horrible world he lives in (although he does 'remember', in his own way). There is some discussion of when is it right to kill, not much but, then again, this is a Batman graphic novel, not an philosophical essay.
With an extended page count, Harris could have made this so much better but I'll settle for good Batman story any day of the week.
A worthy retelling of 'Frankenstein', with more of a Bruce Wayne flavour than an actual Batman one. Wayne family tragedy is at the forefront of this, with a touch of romance and some intrigue and mystery. Nicely done but not close to the best 'Elseworlds' I have ever read.
What's missing is this Prometheus' introspection, a blind neighbour or two and learning a few things about the horrible world he lives in (although he does 'remember', in his own way). There is some discussion of when is it right to kill, not much but, then again, this is a Batman graphic novel, not an philosophical essay.
With an extended page count, Harris could have made this so much better but I'll settle for good Batman story any day of the week.
July 24, 2022
I generally enjoy the many iterations of the Batman origin story, there being so many to reference. I also enjoy Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and most of its pastiches. This was a decent & enjoyable mash-up of the two in as far as the story is paced & told.
My only dislike is the art style. It is a very loose painting style with a feel of a watercolour or gauche look to it. I am not sure a modern CGI render would be better. Perhaps I am just conditioned to a crisper, computer generated presentation?
The story did grab me enough to want to see more. Like a Hammer Horror sequence of Dracula or Frankenstein, it can be stretched a bit more.
My only dislike is the art style. It is a very loose painting style with a feel of a watercolour or gauche look to it. I am not sure a modern CGI render would be better. Perhaps I am just conditioned to a crisper, computer generated presentation?
The story did grab me enough to want to see more. Like a Hammer Horror sequence of Dracula or Frankenstein, it can be stretched a bit more.
November 27, 2015
Etwas langweilig. Haben Sie nicht wissen , wo diese wurde bis fast zum Ende gehen . Dr. Wayne macht ein Frankenstein-Monster von seinem toten Väter Gehirn. Jemand, der vor fünfzehn Jahren gestorben. Sprechen Sie über die seltsam. War ein sehr langsamer und Art der intensiven Lese am Ende . Ich habe besser lesen .
January 14, 2010
An elseworld tale set in 1820 Germany where someone called Bruce Wayne (the name is just about all he shares with the beloved character) becomes a Dr. Frankenstein kind of person and does crazy things. I didn't like this one at all.
September 5, 2012
Another good Elseworlds novel that mixes Batman with Frankenstein. Does get a little silly towards the end though
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews