- "Welcome home, Bruce Wayne -- or shall I address you as the Batman?"
- ―Ra's al Ghul
| "Daughter of the Demon" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Batman | |
| Title: | "Daughter of the Demon" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 232 |
| Cover price: | .15 |
| Cover date: | June, 1971 |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Credits | |
| Ex. Ed: | Carmine Infantino |
| Writers: | Denny O'Neil |
| Pencilers: | Neal Adams |
| Inkers: | Dick Giordano |
| Cover artists: | Neal Adams |
| Cover inker: | Neal Adams |
| Letterers: | John Costanza |
| Editors: | Julius Schwartz |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Batman #231 |
| Next: | Batman #233 |
"Daughter of the Demon" is the title to the 232nd issue of the superhero fantasy comic book series Batman by DC Comics. The story was written by Denny O'Neil with artwork by Neal Adams and inks by Dick Giordano. Adams also composed the cover art illustration for this issue. The story was lettered by John Costanza and edited by Julius Schwartz. This issue shipped with a June, 1971 cover date and carries a cover price of 15 cents per copy (US). In this issue, an international criminal mastermind named Ra's al Ghul approaches Batman and enlists his aid in finding his missing daughter. The two find themselves sharing a common problem, as Batman's junior partner, Robin, has also been abducted.
Synopsis[]
As Robin returns home from a night of adventuring, he finds himself the target of two gunmen armed with tranquilizer darts. They shoot the Boy Wonder and take him prisoner.
Hours later, Bruce Wayne receives a photograph of his kidnapped partner along with a challenge to find him. He returns to the Batcave to investigate further, but when he arrives he finds a man named Ra's al Ghul and his servant Ubu waiting for him. Ra's' contacts have deduced that Bruce Wayne and the Batman are one in the same, and he has called upon the world's greatest detective to help him find his daughter Talia, who has likewise been kidnapped. Suspecting that Talia's kidnapping and Robin's are related, Batman agrees to aid Ra's al Ghul.
Their journey leads them first to Calcutta where they find clues linking the kidnappers to a cult known as the Brotherhood of the Demon. Batman interrogates a local thug about the Brotherhood's whereabouts and the man points them towards a building in the Alley of Widows. As Batman enters the building, a poised leopard leaps out and attacks him. Batman catches the animal's jaw with his elbow and is forced to snap its neck. With the danger past, Batman finds a map that points them towards the Himalayan Mountains.
Ra's al Ghul finances a mountain-climbing expedition and the three begin scaling the frozen mountainsides. A sniper begins firing at them, and it appears that one of the bullets strikes Ra's. Ubu pulls him inside of a crevice, while Batman deftly evades repeat gunfire. Ascending the peak, he finds a temple belonging to the Brotherhood. He enters the temple where he finds Robin bound with rope under armed guard. Batman frees Robin, and the gunmen begin to advance on him. Turning around, Batman reveals that he is not fooled by this elaborate ruse. The masked "leader" of the Brotherhood approaches him, but Batman tears the mask off of him revealing the face of Ra's manservant Ubu. He knew all along that Ra’s was the true perpetrator of this crime. Ubu and Batman fight, but Batman's speed and skill prove more than a match for him. Ra's finally enters the chamber along with his daughter Talia. He confesses to staging the entire episode to see if Batman could prove to be a worthy successor to Ra's role of leader of the Brotherhood. He also reveals that Talia is in love with Batman, and Ra's wants assurances that the Dark Knight would be a worthy son-in-law.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
Organizations
Races
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Notes & Trivia[]
- This is the first appearance of Ra's al Ghul. He appears next in Batman #235.
- This is the second appearance of Talia al Ghul, who is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. She appeared last in Detective Comics #411. She appears next in Batman #235.
- Batman appeared last in World's Finest Comics #202. He appears next in Flash #207.
- Robin appeared last in Teen Titans #34. He appears next in Batman #234.
- This issue includes a flashback to the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne as first revealed in Detective Comics #33.
- This is the first appearance of Ubu.
- This is the first appearance of the League of Assassins, though they are called the "Brotherhood of the Demon" in this issue.
Reprints[]
- The story from this issue is reprinted in the following volumes:
- Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams 3
- Batman in the Seventies
- Batman: Tales of the Demon (TPB)
- Best of DC 51
- Limited Collectors' Edition C-51
- Saga of Ra's al Ghul 1