Review: Batman: One Bad Day - Ra's Al Ghul #1

Batman: One Bad Day - Ra's Al Ghul #1 by Tom Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ra's al Ghul is a character who'd best fit the saying 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'. As well as the villain who sees himself as the hero in his own story. He's one of the members of Batman's Rogues gallery, who is driven by a higher purpose, and one who you would likely empathize with; were it not for the fact that his methods tend to largely be genocidal.

Ra's, I felt, has been a perfect foil for Batman, in a manner different from the Joker. Where the Joker's brand of Anarchy contrasts Batman's need for rules and order, Ra's is more of Bruce's intellectual and physical equal. Both have the skills, training, and resources at their disposal to see their respective missions to fruition.

Yet where the similarities get more evident, is the sheer drive that Ra's and the Bats have to their ideals; to the point that they're willing to sacrifice themselves for the mission at hand. But due to those same ideals the two men find themselves on diametrically opposite sides. Batman cherishes each life and is willing to spend his last drop of devotion to its preservation. While Ra's considers his own species to be a blighted virus that's slowly but surely destroying the planet and feels no qualms in culling them down to size; and is willing to be the butcher's hand that does the deed. It's the perverted version of 'The Good of the Many, outweigh the Good of the few', with humanity on one scale, while the survival of the planet itself on the other.

For these reasons, the reader might be inclined to agree with him, and in cases sympathize with his cause. But many of his plans involves eco-terrorism, and careful orchestrated regime changes, or outright genocide, which puts a lot of innocent lives at risk. As mentioned before Ra's finds these losses to be acceptable, but they're really not.

His story also showcases the conflicting feeling he has to the one he affectionately calls 'the detective'. At one point Ra's wanted the caped crusader to be his successor, seeing in him the very same qualities that made the Demon's head such a force to be reckoned with. But Batman's moral compass and stubborn will means that he will never compromise on justice and join Ra's in his crusade. But still, converting the Dark Knight to his cause is Ra's' White whale.

And let's face it, at this point they're basically a dysfunctional family. His daughter is Batman's on again off again love interest, his baby momma, and his grandson is the latest iteration of Robin. Their paths are fated to intertwine in one way or the other.

It's good reading a story that explores the various complexities of their relationship. Regardless of what others say, I dig Damian Wayne as Robin, and seeing him and his father facing off against Granddaddy creates much tension and conflict.

One Bad day for Ra's Al Ghul, is not as good as Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1, but it does justice to the gravitas of the character. One which I suggest you read.

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