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It’s a powerful haiku. Vachss was a great writer. Unfortunately not many people are familiar with his work. That’s partly why I wanted to make the video.
@@IntotheDepths511 You did a fantastic job. I am sure he would have appreciated you taking the time to bring him in the spotlight for a modern audience. Proud of you.
This story wasn't even all that dark to be real for a real sec. Now if you want real darkness, true evil that will plunge your very soul into the realm of eternal night at the briefest of observation...well. I will reveal this, but first a warning. Do not take this warning lightly. This story is only loosely what you could consider a story. It's a very real set of events that did demonstrably occur. The only reason I even call it a story is because the details are altered so as to preserve the privacy of those involved and victimized over the course of this evil. The last group I revealed this story to are all in long term care facilities now after clawing their eyes out in an attempt to rid themselves of the madness which infected their minds. To this day all these years later, they are kept in a long term care facility cared for 24 hours a day so they aren't able to deliver the sweet release of death to themselves. Unfortunately the truth is they are too valuable subjects to be allowed to pass on. Their quality of life however at this state is as low as possible, having clawed their own eyes out, gnawed their own fingers to the bone. Their existence can no longer be considered a real life, just perpetual suffering. Now continue on if you please...you've been warned. For the great amount of suffering this story has brought to the world, it's actually rather easy to find once you know what to search. It's called "Game of Thrones season 8". Again, no one has viewed this and come back with their sanity intact. You've been warned...
Brother, the industry that would adapt it IS the ones who it'd be aimed at. Remember a few months ago when the anti-child trafficking movie came out? They all tried to CANCEL it. It will NEVER be adapted.
“Wherever there is power, there will always be corruption, and inequality, such is the way of the world. But there will always be those who fight against that imbalance, not matter how foolish or doomed their efforts may be. If not for them, the world as we know it, would be a far darker place, would it not.” -Ifrit, from Final Fantasy: 16, To the Final Flame, Fanfic.
Something I like about this is how it develops Martha. Comics like Batman Ego learns most of the morales from Thomas about controlling yourself. But here despite her death, Martha represents the childhood innocence that must be protected and her death represents the death of Bruce’s innocence and self control that leads to become a vengeful Batman.
The fact that such a mainstream property reached out to the writer for this topic shows how much the world has changed between then and now. Today no company would reach out for that nor would they even skirt around it in their issues Somehow we seem to believe that if we don't talk about it if we don't use a certain keywords then it'll go away and everyone will politely smile. It is truly a Zeitgeist of idiocy
As expected, the world has gotten much sicker and more cowardly than ever. Last year they released that Sound of Freedom movie and leftist psychopaths said it's an "right wing propaganda" In 1995 DC Comics was normal fir normal people. In 2024 it's all LGBT Pride crap. They're trying to normalize sexual deviants so there's no way they'd ever publish anything today that criticizes any sexual orientation as being bad
... I doubt that. Sure, every once in a while you'll have a comic that talks about this issue, but there was definitely a lot more censorship back then that was just getting broken. And I'm honestly tired of everyone acting like comics from 80s and '90s were so free when they were just starting to break away from that code that was implemented in the 50s.
@@Machosause... Number the first, I doubt it. Number of the second, let's not get all fox news about this. You want to complain about censorship complain about UA-cam censorship policies
This darker and deeper stories like the one you covered in a previous video before (Batman: Night Cries) that touches the theme of child abuse makes Batman a more interesing character because not only confronts madmen and his known rouges gallery, Bats also confronts as well the real life crimes
Vachss embodied selflessness. He put himself out there to help others. He dedicated his life to it. To me, that is heroic. He was the right person to ask to write a story for DC.
When I was younger, my public library had the novel. Being a Batman fan, I was eager to check it out as I was game for anything involving him and I was both stunned about the subject matter and simultaneously validated in being a fan. Because at the time, this was just further proof of Batman's versatility as a character. It is absolutely a depth of human depravity and crime and injustice that he would dive down into because he's not only a hero but the sort that would be faced with something like this. Later on, I became friends with Andrew Vachss and discussed my admiration with him for both this work and for his advocacy for children's rights and protection at length before he passed away. It leaves an incredible impression, which anyone here who's read it can attest to.
I like the story, and Martha having her own life is always fine and can be interesting, but I still don't like the retcon of the Waynes death and never will when its done.
@@tylerbertram7065 Kinda thought the same thing. Batman has been in a lot of dark stories and this one might be at the top of a lot of them. Though unlike a lot of comics from the 90s, it's not only a good story, but also treats its subject matter well.
I checked the novel version out of the local library and read it back in the mid-90’s. My daughter was just a baby at the time and my first child. Suffice it to say, it shook me to my core. I’ve been a Batfanatic all my life, but this story was something even much farther than The Dark Knight Returns. Quite possibly the greatest and most poignant Batman story ever written. A must read! Thanks for making this vid!
@@IntotheDepths511 I think of this work as going that one step further that Frank Miller couldn’t. My only disappointment in it is that it never got more wide-spread exposure and appreciation. EVERYONE who ever considered themselves even a marginal fan of the genre needs to read this. It’s like the “Schindler’s List” or “Tattooist of Auschwitz” of the Batman canon.
O really like how Batman isn’t this all knowing being. He asks questions and inquires about the root of abuse and crime in childhood I really wished that met showed that more
WB will never touch this story ... even though it is hard hitting and it would be good. Ben Affleck would be perfect not just starring but writing and directing it. But it'll never happen.
Glad to see Ultimate Evil get the attention it deserves. I listened to the audiobook at work some time ago, and it immediately became one of my favorite Batman stories. However, one part I don't think you touched on enough in this video is the monologue between Rhama and Malady. Malady explained to Rhama that killing him would be pointless, because in the coming of the digital era, anyone could create their own abuse videos. He describes how the industry used to require film processing, distributors, and willing participants. But soon any one man could just record it themselves. Destroying Malady's industry was pointless because the industry was changing faster than Rhama or Batman could fight it. Considering that this book came out in the 90s, that was a pretty accurate description of what eventually DID happen in the real world. It was the author's warning to the readers of what would happen if action wasn't taken to stop the digital abuse industry before it could grow.
Honestly I’ve always really liked seeing Batman take on real world threats in darker stories like this. I just wish this story would’ve been drawn by someone like Dave McKean, or even Kelley Jones. I really don’t care for the art in this story. Not saying it’s bad, just not my cup of tea.
Yeah I purposely didn't comment on the art because I really didn't care for it. But I don't like to talk bad about other people's artwork. So if I don't care for the artwork in a particular comic, I just won't make a comment on it.
I think that’s what makes Batman my favorite tied with Captain America,Spider-Man and Superman! Bruce is driven by his pain, his loss, he may be broken by his pain but he refuses to let anyone especially a young child suffer like he did(Yes I understand that Bruce experienced an different kind of pain but it has permanently traumatized him and he’ll never go back to how things were before!)
@@henrygambles3652 I think Bruce somehow feels responsible for the chaos in Gotham since his parents would help and his moment of leaving a safe space doomed them. This comic shows that he know his fault at the situation since Martha and Thomas would fight for a better Gotham
@@lewisaino I don’t know if he feels responsible for it, but I agree about the bit with Martha and Thomas, he uses their loss to prevent pain or suffering from being inflicted onto others, it’s why he doesn’t kill, he doesn’t want to be like Joe Chill!
I think maybe Vachss dedication and focus on crimes against children and having seen the consequences, the antagonist's name might be "Malady" as in the "mal-uh-dee" which is defined as an ailment or disease of the body, usually chronic or deep-seated, but is also used when describing moral ailments on society. I just thought of this because I remembered the french word for illness is maladie and thought that would definitely fit with the themes of the story. Deprived crimes against other humans, especially children, for personal gain, selfishness, or personal satisfaction are a festering illness in human society that we will always have to fight against but every time we look in the deep dark hole we just keep finding it deeper and darker than we can imagine. Wherever there's a bright light (the goodness in society and the people who selflessly help others), there's going to be dark shadow that also exists. I also kept getting thrown out of it hearing "m'lady" so often whenever the antagonist was named haha.
You still get great runs that focus on the noir stuff, though. Read any of the Black and White anthologies, for example. Batman: The Impostor is another good one.
I'm ngl, the scene where Martha tells Bruce about her past, I don't think it was beautiful, but kinda sad. To some degree his mother is wrong and her own letter proves it. She herself was a vigilante that had a secret identity. Bruce was just like her, despite not ever knowing it. To some degree he was kinda born just like his mother was. I thought Bruce was crying not only because his mother was speaking to him, but because he exists like he does, to some degree evil will just be born, but in the same vain Good will just be born too. It's a well of emotions from the scene to me. It was bitter sweet, but more sweet because just as soon as Batman was hopeless, he gained hope again.
There's no doubt there is a profound sadness to that scene. But like you said at the end, I actually think it's more hopeful. Yes there is always going to be evil, and there's always going to be good. The point Vachss is trying to make with this comic is that you don't have to be a hero to do good in the world.
It’s a underrated story and Andrew Vachss was a good man, gone too soon! Great video covering it! If I were at DC atm I’d probably have a Green Arrow story set in Udon Khai having Oliver Queen end the criminal ring in Udon Khai after discovering that it is spreading to Star City and also unlike Batman, Olly is not as merciful to the criminals!
This is a really hard story to cover. I never even dreamed of trying to cover it. I'll have to come back in the future to finish it, and I really appreciate you mention back at the start that if viewers aren't in the right headspace to step away. I gotta do that at this time, but rest assured I'll be back. Thanks for covering this book for those of us who didn't know how.
Ive been a huge fan of your content since the Arkham asylum video and I think your one of the best comic analysis channels on youtube love the content keep up the great work
it’s remarkable how this author and advocate, with possibly little to no connection to or affinity with comic book writing, managed to not only wrap the extant framework of the fiction he was tapped to work in around his own message effectively, but also seemingly effortlessly deliver such a profound a and deeply affecting character development for the batman as i’ve ever heard of. Maybe I’m out of the loop but I can’t think of writers with decades of comic experience who’ve crafted as fine a character moment like what Vacchs does for Martha Wayne here. I’m pretty cynical, and I actually said “wow” out loud upon reading that
Glad to see you were paying attention to the comments on the last one. This might've been the first piece of comic book media I ever took, I don't know, "seriously." I must've been 12 or so, and my mother legit didn't know if she could let me read it. But she did, and I think we're both glad she did.
I was a child abuse victim, i buy this comic when i was a teen and it was hard to read, i was never been trafic, my storie is inside my family and the people are long gone but still... Great video.
@Scaramanga1oooh that would be great but like many said they better not hold anything back just tell the story how it is and be honest and respectful to it And also it would be perfect because night cries is a very grounded story that would be the most realistic story because of the themes it shows
See, this is what I'm talking about. No other medium has the guts to tell stories like this. Since you've been the reason I checked out the Crow and got into black and white comics that way, I wanted to recommend Stray Bullets to you. It's an excellent, dark crime anthology!
Listening to the way that Vachss is trying to anger the reader, i see a lot of how he conveys said negative emotions through Harlan Ellison. Of course, Ellison’s work seems to reflect on society as a whole using science fiction as a vehicle and intertwines it with psychological horror, but one thing i really like about Vachss’ writing is that instead of having to analyze the actual work of the story itself, Vachss is very focused on being blunt about making you angry, almost like the reader is being brutalized with a blunt object as opposed to Harlan Ellison who’s work takes a little of bit of time to absorb, but the more that you absorb the written material the more unsettled and the more unnerved you get about the realizations that Ellison tries to present to the audience. Overall i really love both writers and it’s a shame that they never got together to write a story of their own. I feel like through the strengths of both their writing styles they could have very effectively written one of the most thought provoking stories of their time.
I'm glad you made a video about this comic. People would've been called a crank if they talked about this years ago. But now we know it's all true. The sad fact is if people like Jeffery Epstein had his charges dropped and he didn't "delete himself", there'd be people inviting him on their podcast for an interview.
When i sat here and watch this video and read every word i saw, i legitimately cried. Innocence is a fleeting thing and the people who endorse this abuse take that away. Vacches is an incredible writer and needs to given the respect and notoriety he truly deserves. But i think hes happy enough to know that people read his stories and are moved to take action. But i wont put words in his mouth.
I read this book around the end of High school and all I really forgot about it was the title. The novel, to be exact. Around 2003-2005. 27:09 This scene’s theme has always stuck with me.
I'm confident the reason Batman wants to speak with Debra about the possibility of a genetic or traumatic cause of abuse to factor how he should apply justice. If these are all victims abusing new victims in a cycle without any room for free will, he would have to accept a very different outlook on how to deal with the abusers than if they decide to go down this path themselves...but since it's the latter, I suppose that's probably seen by Bruce as a license to operate guilt free.
I want to make a film of it verbatim of the novel. Verbatim..........instead of BATMAN going insane concerning insanity. Considering what life with no patole inprisomenrt, the death penalty actually IS.
For some reason, when I first saw the thumbnail, I thought this was that story about Batman going to Cambodia and dealing with landmines which is similarly touted as a fairly grim story. Yeah, I was a bit off on that assumption.
Depths, if you ever wanna more light-hearted story to help you wash away the sludge of reading this story, please consider checking out Adventures of Superman Volume 2, #16. It’s an… incredible story. Truly. For a longer video, I recommend reading Superman: Grounded afterwards. However, if you want to do another dark story, please check out Batman: Death of Innocents, if you haven’t already; a comic about landmine awareness.
I'm a little confused. He found Joe Chill via the bat-computer when looking through the people who are still alive, but then it says Joe Chill is dead. So why was he listed as alive in the computer? Maybe I just misunderstood idk. Also I don't like that he named the lady Debra Kane because that implies that she's like Bruce's cousin or something.
No. It wasn’t people who were alive. He was cross referencing the names in Martha journal with his files in the bat computer to see if any names match. That’s when Joe Chill popped up
Only part I didn’t like is tying Batman’s mom into this. It doesn’t add much to the plot, and the implication that her investigation is what caused her death is dumb. Martha being given a larger role, off screen granted but still, is nice but it feels tacked on.
I'm you did a review on this book I have read it and I believe it should not be ignored. The subject is disturbing and unfortunately it's real but there needs to be more subjects like this to get people upset to make a stand.
This needs to be a live action remake stat. Especially with what's going on now. Not enough people are angry about the injustice that happens to children.
A lot of people liked that. I decided that paid members will only get the video early. But once the censored version is up on yt. The uncensored version will be available to everyone on Patreon.
These videos have made me think: the only comic heroes you can really write real evil stories for are the top 3 (🦇🦸♂️🕷) and even then, supes and spidey are much harder to do this with imo.
I was worried that this was a Batman story. That would make light of child abuse for the sake of shock value. I'm very glad I was mistaken. This was a very good, and thoughtful look at exposing the evils sex trafficking. In a very intelligent way well done!
The comic was a decent adaptation of the novel, though I did like the book a lot better. I'm currently listening to the audiobook that I've found uploaded to UA-cam. For anyone who was intrigued by this book I would recommend Vachss' 'Burk' crime novels or his book 'Another Chance to Get It Right'.
You should definitely dive into the Hellboy Comics…none specific, all of them even. I Love them all. And do the movies due to the new one coming out this year.
This is what I despise the most!! I have always been under the belief that unless it's an extremely sensitive topic (I will leave you to imagine what those are) sure I understand "toning it down". But when you have a creator trying to present material from a book, movie, novel, newspaper article, comic book, or any other "verified source", the content creator should have the freedom to present the material unedited, free from censorship, and in his/her way of conveying this presentation. WITHOUT fear of demonitization, age restriction, or censorship. It is the parents duty to watch what their children see on this platform, not the content creators, nor the platform itself. This preserves the artistic freedom and integrity of the material, and should never be subject to restriction so long as the presenter is keeping within the source material and not violating any copyright rules. But because we seem to have people either unable, or unwilling to monitor what content they consume, we have to have a Nanny State to hold someone's hand. I wish creators had the freedom to just give a good presentation.
I’d want to tell an unofficial Sequel to the Ultimate Evil except instead of Batman I chose Green Arrow: A. Because he’s a hero who focuses on societal and social ills and B.because he’s a father and wouldn’t allow this kind of evil to perpetuate!
While I like darker and realistic themes in these Batman comics, I just can't help but notice almost all of them make Batman looks like a naive and inexperienced rookie who is just finding about awful and sadistic nature humans can adopt. Like I'm sure child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking aren't something Batman didn't know ever existed. I know author are trying to tackle darker topics with one of the most popular hero in comics but they are making him like an inexperienced child who is just finding out what real world is. I don't know how to feel about these comics.
You reckon this story was also influenced by what happened in Hollywood with those big names and other rich and powerful people involved in this? I wouldn't be surprised if The Dragonfire Marina was a reference to Little Saint James island...
Well this was written way before most people knew who Epstein was. But there were other things like this already happening. So yeah it was definitely inspired by something similar.
I love that Martha Wayne is a crime fighter in her own right. It lends creedence to the idea that even if Bruce didn't face the tragedy that created Batman, he would have still followed in his mother's footsteps to fight against the evils that plague Gotham. It also discredits the idea that Bruce is a billionaire prick who beats up poor people for kicks. He and his family are just good people who want to change Gotham for the better, no matter how big or small that change is.
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"Warrior, heed this. When you battle with demons, aim not at their hearts." Such a perfect quote to end a great story.
It’s a powerful haiku. Vachss was a great writer. Unfortunately not many people are familiar with his work. That’s partly why I wanted to make the video.
@@IntotheDepths511 You did a fantastic job. I am sure he would have appreciated you taking the time to bring him in the spotlight for a modern audience. Proud of you.
I appreciate the hell out of that man
I honestly really hope if they do adapt this they don't hold back on the message and don't hold back on the complex moral of this story
I don't see this ever being adapted
You absolutely know they would cop out on the moral of the story
This story wasn't even all that dark to be real for a real sec. Now if you want real darkness, true evil that will plunge your very soul into the realm of eternal night at the briefest of observation...well. I will reveal this, but first a warning. Do not take this warning lightly. This story is only loosely what you could consider a story. It's a very real set of events that did demonstrably occur. The only reason I even call it a story is because the details are altered so as to preserve the privacy of those involved and victimized over the course of this evil.
The last group I revealed this story to are all in long term care facilities now after clawing their eyes out in an attempt to rid themselves of the madness which infected their minds. To this day all these years later, they are kept in a long term care facility cared for 24 hours a day so they aren't able to deliver the sweet release of death to themselves. Unfortunately the truth is they are too valuable subjects to be allowed to pass on. Their quality of life however at this state is as low as possible, having clawed their own eyes out, gnawed their own fingers to the bone. Their existence can no longer be considered a real life, just perpetual suffering. Now continue on if you please...you've been warned.
For the great amount of suffering this story has brought to the world, it's actually rather easy to find once you know what to search. It's called "Game of Thrones season 8". Again, no one has viewed this and come back with their sanity intact. You've been warned...
Brother, the industry that would adapt it IS the ones who it'd be aimed at.
Remember a few months ago when the anti-child trafficking movie came out? They all tried to CANCEL it.
It will NEVER be adapted.
@M465twoshould be noted that the right has a long history of sexual crimes.
Nobody talks about Boystown because the last people who did ended up dead
“Wherever there is power, there will always be corruption, and inequality, such is the way of the world. But there will always be those who fight against that imbalance, not matter how foolish or doomed their efforts may be. If not for them, the world as we know it, would be a far darker place, would it not.” -Ifrit, from Final Fantasy: 16, To the Final Flame, Fanfic.
Chills my man chills
WHY DO FAN FICS LIKE THIS HAVE THE MOST PROFOUND QUOTES!?
just kill the damn joker.
Something I like about this is how it develops Martha. Comics like Batman Ego learns most of the morales from Thomas about controlling yourself. But here despite her death, Martha represents the childhood innocence that must be protected and her death represents the death of Bruce’s innocence and self control that leads to become a vengeful Batman.
The fact that such a mainstream property reached out to the writer for this topic shows how much the world has changed between then and now. Today no company would reach out for that nor would they even skirt around it in their issues
Somehow we seem to believe that if we don't talk about it if we don't use a certain keywords then it'll go away and everyone will politely smile. It is truly a Zeitgeist of idiocy
As expected, the world has gotten much sicker and more cowardly than ever. Last year they released that Sound of Freedom movie and leftist psychopaths said it's an "right wing propaganda"
In 1995 DC Comics was normal fir normal people. In 2024 it's all LGBT Pride crap. They're trying to normalize sexual deviants so there's no way they'd ever publish anything today that criticizes any sexual orientation as being bad
It's inane how much gets censored today.
People censor "Russia", "War", and "drugs"
Insane
That's because the media is owned by said people.
... I doubt that. Sure, every once in a while you'll have a comic that talks about this issue, but there was definitely a lot more censorship back then that was just getting broken.
And I'm honestly tired of everyone acting like comics from 80s and '90s were so free when they were just starting to break away from that code that was implemented in the 50s.
@@Machosause... Number the first, I doubt it. Number of the second, let's not get all fox news about this. You want to complain about censorship complain about UA-cam censorship policies
This darker and deeper stories like the one you covered in a previous video before (Batman: Night Cries) that touches the theme of child abuse makes Batman a more interesing character because not only confronts madmen and his known rouges gallery, Bats also confronts as well the real life crimes
@@victorcippitelli2242 Yeah, and fitting that he is the one doing considering they always critique his methods and format
Vachss embodied selflessness. He put himself out there to help others. He dedicated his life to it. To me, that is heroic. He was the right person to ask to write a story for DC.
Agreed.
only person it was ever safe to hero worship. the world got notably darker when he left.
When I was younger, my public library had the novel. Being a Batman fan, I was eager to check it out as I was game for anything involving him and I was both stunned about the subject matter and simultaneously validated in being a fan. Because at the time, this was just further proof of Batman's versatility as a character. It is absolutely a depth of human depravity and crime and injustice that he would dive down into because he's not only a hero but the sort that would be faced with something like this. Later on, I became friends with Andrew Vachss and discussed my admiration with him for both this work and for his advocacy for children's rights and protection at length before he passed away. It leaves an incredible impression, which anyone here who's read it can attest to.
I like the story, and Martha having her own life is always fine and can be interesting, but I still don't like the retcon of the Waynes death and never will when its done.
It messes up Joe Chill too.
i like how he kept to the whole 'batman doesn't kill' thing by showing him get *close* to the line but not crossing it
Well I can say Vachss was right, anger certainly makes me wanna do more now than activism ever did
This comic reminds me of a more adult version of the Btas episode the Underdwellers.
I was thinking the same thing…!
Creepy episode for sure but a good one
The villain even looked like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
@@tylerbertram7065 Kinda thought the same thing. Batman has been in a lot of dark stories and this one might be at the top of a lot of them.
Though unlike a lot of comics from the 90s, it's not only a good story, but also treats its subject matter well.
I checked the novel version out of the local library and read it back in the mid-90’s. My daughter was just a baby at the time and my first child. Suffice it to say, it shook me to my core. I’ve been a Batfanatic all my life, but this story was something even much farther than The Dark Knight Returns. Quite possibly the greatest and most poignant Batman story ever written. A must read! Thanks for making this vid!
This story was too important to ignore. I knew I had to make a video once a read it.
@@IntotheDepths511 I think of this work as going that one step further that Frank Miller couldn’t. My only disappointment in it is that it never got more wide-spread exposure and appreciation. EVERYONE who ever considered themselves even a marginal fan of the genre needs to read this. It’s like the “Schindler’s List” or “Tattooist of Auschwitz” of the Batman canon.
O really like how Batman isn’t this all knowing being. He asks questions and inquires about the root of abuse and crime in childhood I really wished that met showed that more
Censorship can't stop me from loving your videos, this was a good video, this was the most realistic Batman comic
What a powerful ending its so real its like the glass batman breaks is through our screen, thank you for bringing this comic to life.
WB will never touch this story ... even though it is hard hitting and it would be good. Ben Affleck would be perfect not just starring but writing and directing it. But it'll never happen.
Batman's introduction in BVS, did involve him saving women from sex trafficking.
Not children. @@sebswede9005
@@sebswede9005yeah but there wasnt really a message or emphasis on it. Just MARTHA
That scene where Bruce cries at his mothers journal genuinely messed me up a little
andrew vachss is one of those people I would call a real life superhero. and might I add, holy shit that eyepatch looks so badass.
Glad to see Ultimate Evil get the attention it deserves. I listened to the audiobook at work some time ago, and it immediately became one of my favorite Batman stories. However, one part I don't think you touched on enough in this video is the monologue between Rhama and Malady. Malady explained to Rhama that killing him would be pointless, because in the coming of the digital era, anyone could create their own abuse videos. He describes how the industry used to require film processing, distributors, and willing participants. But soon any one man could just record it themselves. Destroying Malady's industry was pointless because the industry was changing faster than Rhama or Batman could fight it. Considering that this book came out in the 90s, that was a pretty accurate description of what eventually DID happen in the real world. It was the author's warning to the readers of what would happen if action wasn't taken to stop the digital abuse industry before it could grow.
Honestly I’ve always really liked seeing Batman take on real world threats in darker stories like this. I just wish this story would’ve been drawn by someone like Dave McKean, or even Kelley Jones. I really don’t care for the art in this story. Not saying it’s bad, just not my cup of tea.
Yeah I purposely didn't comment on the art because I really didn't care for it. But I don't like to talk bad about other people's artwork. So if I don't care for the artwork in a particular comic, I just won't make a comment on it.
Everybody shut up into the depths just dropped
Weird that the Oprhan and character people have called crazy is the one helping kids. Shows that his Trauma is the fuel of justice.
I think that’s what makes Batman my favorite tied with Captain America,Spider-Man and Superman! Bruce is driven by his pain, his loss, he may be broken by his pain but he refuses to let anyone especially a young child suffer like he did(Yes I understand that Bruce experienced an different kind of pain but it has permanently traumatized him and he’ll never go back to how things were before!)
@@henrygambles3652 I think Bruce somehow feels responsible for the chaos in Gotham since his parents would help and his moment of leaving a safe space doomed them.
This comic shows that he know his fault at the situation since Martha and Thomas would fight for a better Gotham
@@lewisaino I don’t know if he feels responsible for it, but I agree about the bit with Martha and Thomas, he uses their loss to prevent pain or suffering from being inflicted onto others, it’s why he doesn’t kill, he doesn’t want to be like Joe Chill!
I think maybe Vachss dedication and focus on crimes against children and having seen the consequences, the antagonist's name might be "Malady" as in the "mal-uh-dee" which is defined as an ailment or disease of the body, usually chronic or deep-seated, but is also used when describing moral ailments on society. I just thought of this because I remembered the french word for illness is maladie and thought that would definitely fit with the themes of the story. Deprived crimes against other humans, especially children, for personal gain, selfishness, or personal satisfaction are a festering illness in human society that we will always have to fight against but every time we look in the deep dark hole we just keep finding it deeper and darker than we can imagine. Wherever there's a bright light (the goodness in society and the people who selflessly help others), there's going to be dark shadow that also exists.
I also kept getting thrown out of it hearing "m'lady" so often whenever the antagonist was named haha.
I love the detective noir Batman stories. Now days he is always with the justice league.
You still get great runs that focus on the noir stuff, though. Read any of the Black and White anthologies, for example. Batman: The Impostor is another good one.
I bet you won’t see this one get made in Hollywood
Thank you for giving more attention to these types of comics.
I'm ngl, the scene where Martha tells Bruce about her past, I don't think it was beautiful, but kinda sad.
To some degree his mother is wrong and her own letter proves it. She herself was a vigilante that had a secret identity. Bruce was just like her, despite not ever knowing it. To some degree he was kinda born just like his mother was.
I thought Bruce was crying not only because his mother was speaking to him, but because he exists like he does, to some degree evil will just be born, but in the same vain Good will just be born too. It's a well of emotions from the scene to me. It was bitter sweet, but more sweet because just as soon as Batman was hopeless, he gained hope again.
There's no doubt there is a profound sadness to that scene. But like you said at the end, I actually think it's more hopeful. Yes there is always going to be evil, and there's always going to be good. The point Vachss is trying to make with this comic is that you don't have to be a hero to do good in the world.
@@IntotheDepths511 I definitely agree it was a super badass scene (In terms of emotional value)
What an incredible story. There was a magic time when DC would allow ppl to use Batman to tell these types of stories all the time, i miss that
Hulk Imperfect Future is very good,there is also Brat Pack "very interesting" more of why was created
The Punisher:slavers is a good story like this. It can be hard to read but it's worth it.
Haven't read that yet. I'll make sure to check it out.
It’s a underrated story and Andrew Vachss was a good man, gone too soon! Great video covering it! If I were at DC atm I’d probably have a Green Arrow story set in Udon Khai having Oliver Queen end the criminal ring in Udon Khai after discovering that it is spreading to Star City and also unlike Batman, Olly is not as merciful to the criminals!
This guys so cool for doing a free uncensored patreon, shout out to you dude, that’s super cool of you, great video too! You’re underrated!
This is a really hard story to cover. I never even dreamed of trying to cover it. I'll have to come back in the future to finish it, and I really appreciate you mention back at the start that if viewers aren't in the right headspace to step away. I gotta do that at this time, but rest assured I'll be back. Thanks for covering this book for those of us who didn't know how.
Ive been a huge fan of your content since the Arkham asylum video and I think your one of the best comic analysis channels on youtube love the content keep up the great work
it’s remarkable how this author and advocate, with possibly little to no connection to or affinity with comic book writing, managed to not only wrap the extant framework of the fiction he was tapped to work in around his own message effectively, but also seemingly effortlessly deliver such a profound a and deeply affecting character development for the batman as i’ve ever heard of. Maybe I’m out of the loop but I can’t think of writers with decades of comic experience who’ve crafted as fine a character moment like what Vacchs does for Martha Wayne here. I’m pretty cynical, and I actually said “wow” out loud upon reading that
This story is what "sound of freedom" wishes it could be
I wish DC brought back these characters, Rhama is so interesting while Deborah's drive, philosophy, and mission are so captivating.
Deborah Kane does actually make a appearance in the Joker movie. She plays Arthur’s counselor at the end.
@@IntotheDepths511 So Ultimate Evil is somehow official ?
Glad to see you were paying attention to the comments on the last one. This might've been the first piece of comic book media I ever took, I don't know, "seriously." I must've been 12 or so, and my mother legit didn't know if she could let me read it. But she did, and I think we're both glad she did.
I was a child abuse victim, i buy this comic when i was a teen and it was hard to read, i was never been trafic, my storie is inside my family and the people are long gone but still... Great video.
So more Night Cries?
The 3 most disturbing Batman stories ever
Arkham asylum
Night cries
Ultimate evil
The books are like an Un-official trilogy
@Scaramanga1oooh that would be great but like many said they better not hold anything back just tell the story how it is and be honest and respectful to it
And also it would be perfect because night cries is a very grounded story that would be the most realistic story because of the themes it shows
So Ultimate Evil is written by an expert in law? Interesting that view
I’ve recently been getting into your deep analysis breakdowns and I really have been enjoying your work. Keep up the great work!
Naming that one character “Lester” was…clever
See, this is what I'm talking about. No other medium has the guts to tell stories like this. Since you've been the reason I checked out the Crow and got into black and white comics that way, I wanted to recommend Stray Bullets to you. It's an excellent, dark crime anthology!
Listening to the way that Vachss is trying to anger the reader, i see a lot of how he conveys said negative emotions through Harlan Ellison. Of course, Ellison’s work seems to reflect on society as a whole using science fiction as a vehicle and intertwines it with psychological horror, but one thing i really like about Vachss’ writing is that instead of having to analyze the actual work of the story itself, Vachss is very focused on being blunt about making you angry, almost like the reader is being brutalized with a blunt object as opposed to Harlan Ellison who’s work takes a little of bit of time to absorb, but the more that you absorb the written material the more unsettled and the more unnerved you get about the realizations that Ellison tries to present to the audience.
Overall i really love both writers and it’s a shame that they never got together to write a story of their own. I feel like through the strengths of both their writing styles they could have very effectively written one of the most thought provoking stories of their time.
This is a hidden gem channel man
Love your channel so much. Keep up the great work. Thanks from the UK.
I can't get over how good he makes the eyepatch look damn
I'm glad you made a video about this comic.
People would've been called a crank if they talked about this years ago. But now we know it's all true. The sad fact is if people like Jeffery Epstein had his charges dropped and he didn't "delete himself", there'd be people inviting him on their podcast for an interview.
When i sat here and watch this video and read every word i saw, i legitimately cried. Innocence is a fleeting thing and the people who endorse this abuse take that away. Vacches is an incredible writer and needs to given the respect and notoriety he truly deserves. But i think hes happy enough to know that people read his stories and are moved to take action. But i wont put words in his mouth.
This story makes Martha Wayne's investigation being one of the reasons Bruce's parents were killed canon.
It's honestly so chilling how much the "Lollipop" boat sounds like those alleged Diddy boat (and house) parties. 😮😢
I read this book around the end of High school and all I really forgot about it was the title. The novel, to be exact. Around 2003-2005.
27:09 This scene’s theme has always stuck with me.
I'm confident the reason Batman wants to speak with Debra about the possibility of a genetic or traumatic cause of abuse to factor how he should apply justice. If these are all victims abusing new victims in a cycle without any room for free will, he would have to accept a very different outlook on how to deal with the abusers than if they decide to go down this path themselves...but since it's the latter, I suppose that's probably seen by Bruce as a license to operate guilt free.
Thanks for making this video, and the beginning warning. Fascinsting and hits hard. Keep up the great content.
Commenting for the algorithm i have no words
Amazing analysis and great video. Thanks for bringing this comic and this topic to light here.
man i wish you make a video about i have no mouth and i must scream feels like your voice is perfect for something like that
I want to make a film of it verbatim of the novel. Verbatim..........instead of BATMAN going insane concerning insanity. Considering what life with no patole inprisomenrt, the death penalty actually IS.
If Thomas Wayne is the light within Bruce
Then Martha is the Noble Darkness that empowers Batman.
Oh man when he said ( in their name)
Powerful stuff.
For some reason, when I first saw the thumbnail, I thought this was that story about Batman going to Cambodia and dealing with landmines which is similarly touted as a fairly grim story.
Yeah, I was a bit off on that assumption.
Depths, if you ever wanna more light-hearted story to help you wash away the sludge of reading this story, please consider checking out Adventures of Superman Volume 2, #16. It’s an… incredible story. Truly. For a longer video, I recommend reading Superman: Grounded afterwards.
However, if you want to do another dark story, please check out Batman: Death of Innocents, if you haven’t already; a comic about landmine awareness.
I'm a little confused. He found Joe Chill via the bat-computer when looking through the people who are still alive, but then it says Joe Chill is dead. So why was he listed as alive in the computer? Maybe I just misunderstood idk. Also I don't like that he named the lady Debra Kane because that implies that she's like Bruce's cousin or something.
No. It wasn’t people who were alive. He was cross referencing the names in Martha journal with his files in the bat computer to see if any names match. That’s when Joe Chill popped up
@@IntotheDepths511 Oh okay makes sense. Now that you say that and I went back and listened again I see that those were two separate thoughts. Gotcha
Such a great video from you really important
Only part I didn’t like is tying Batman’s mom into this. It doesn’t add much to the plot, and the implication that her investigation is what caused her death is dumb. Martha being given a larger role, off screen granted but still, is nice but it feels tacked on.
thank you for uploading another story =)
I'm you did a review on this book I have read it and I believe it should not be ignored. The subject is disturbing and unfortunately it's real but there needs to be more subjects like this to get people upset to make a stand.
God, I love ad breaks.
around 29:15, you say "ma lady", when it's more like "mal - a - dee"
Please do the doom that came to Gotham so many nods to lovecraft in batman already, especially with arkham itself
You gotta compile a playlist of all the dark comics
I thought the villain's name was "M'lady" for so long until I opened my phone and realized you were saying Malady
This is where I go to learn a thing. Everywhere else is just news.
That ended awesome
This needs to be a live action remake stat. Especially with what's going on now. Not enough people are angry about the injustice that happens to children.
Dude I'ma be real with you. I subbed purely for the fact you don't paywall the uncensored content.
A lot of people liked that. I decided that paid members will only get the video early. But once the censored version is up on yt. The uncensored version will be available to everyone on Patreon.
Speaking about batman can you do a video on the war of jokes and riddles please ? 😅
It’s criminal that this video doesn’t have more views
32:06 holy shit i saw this on tiktok and was so curious what the actual video was months ago
I bought this book about 10 or 15 years ago. It makes you wish he could save the kids in real life. I still have it.
That’s why a linked a few great organizations below. That’s the point of the story. You don’t have to be a superhero to help.
These videos have made me think: the only comic heroes you can really write real evil stories for are the top 3 (🦇🦸♂️🕷) and even then, supes and spidey are much harder to do this with imo.
We need more visceral writing in entertainment. Everyone is so scared to be offensive that it makes everything so soft and dull.
I honestly could see matt Reeves adapting this somehow
I would love to see that
I was worried that this was a Batman story. That would make light of child abuse for the sake of shock value. I'm very glad I was mistaken. This was a very good, and thoughtful look at exposing the evils sex trafficking. In a very intelligent way well done!
The comic was a decent adaptation of the novel, though I did like the book a lot better. I'm currently listening to the audiobook that I've found uploaded to UA-cam. For anyone who was intrigued by this book I would recommend Vachss' 'Burk' crime novels or his book 'Another Chance to Get It Right'.
You should definitely dive into the Hellboy Comics…none specific, all of them even. I Love them all. And do the movies due to the new one coming out this year.
I read this in high school. Such a good novel.
This is what I despise the most!! I have always been under the belief that unless it's an extremely sensitive topic (I will leave you to imagine what those are) sure I understand "toning it down". But when you have a creator trying to present material from a book, movie, novel, newspaper article, comic book, or any other "verified source", the content creator should have the freedom to present the material unedited, free from censorship, and in his/her way of conveying this presentation. WITHOUT fear of demonitization, age restriction, or censorship. It is the parents duty to watch what their children see on this platform, not the content creators, nor the platform itself.
This preserves the artistic freedom and integrity of the material, and should never be subject to restriction so long as the presenter is keeping within the source material and not violating any copyright rules. But because we seem to have people either unable, or unwilling to monitor what content they consume, we have to have a Nanny State to hold someone's hand. I wish creators had the freedom to just give a good presentation.
I’d want to tell an unofficial Sequel to the Ultimate Evil except instead of Batman I chose Green Arrow: A. Because he’s a hero who focuses on societal and social ills and B.because he’s a father and wouldn’t allow this kind of evil to perpetuate!
There was an audiobook version of this I had long ago back in the day that was quite good
what happened to the music man ? it made the video hit so much harder
You made a swell video about this great comic. 👍
Drakeo from the west coast is wild 😮
I love how Batman can’t kill so everyone else does the killing and just allows it
I had that book. My mom got it for me when I was a kid... That shizz were crazy yo.
While I like darker and realistic themes in these Batman comics, I just can't help but notice almost all of them make Batman looks like a naive and inexperienced rookie who is just finding about awful and sadistic nature humans can adopt.
Like I'm sure child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking aren't something Batman didn't know ever existed. I know author are trying to tackle darker topics with one of the most popular hero in comics but they are making him like an inexperienced child who is just finding out what real world is. I don't know how to feel about these comics.
Great deep dive and great story
You reckon this story was also influenced by what happened in Hollywood with those big names and other rich and powerful people involved in this? I wouldn't be surprised if The Dragonfire Marina was a reference to Little Saint James island...
Well this was written way before most people knew who Epstein was. But there were other things like this already happening. So yeah it was definitely inspired by something similar.
I love that Martha Wayne is a crime fighter in her own right. It lends creedence to the idea that even if Bruce didn't face the tragedy that created Batman, he would have still followed in his mother's footsteps to fight against the evils that plague Gotham.
It also discredits the idea that Bruce is a billionaire prick who beats up poor people for kicks. He and his family are just good people who want to change Gotham for the better, no matter how big or small that change is.
Ya know stories like this kinda ruins the whole point of the authority comics. Like "why dont superheroes go after the real sickos" but like
They do