Scan barcode
mscalls's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Book was better than the audiobook experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, and Sexism
blaineduncan's review against another edition
3.0
This was well written, witty, and insightful if not a little repetitive (but only at times).
larry_yonce's review against another edition
3.0
the crusade continues...
Batman thru the ages. Nice survey of Batman (and the "Batman Family ") in the worlds of comics, movies, and television. ...and the Rise of Nerd Culture is part of the title, so there are some lengthy discussions about how The Batman is seen in the eyes of what the author calls the "nerds" and the "normals". These two groups are brought up again and again, and a comparison/ contrast between them is a major theme of the book.
Batman thru the ages. Nice survey of Batman (and the "Batman Family ") in the worlds of comics, movies, and television. ...and the Rise of Nerd Culture is part of the title, so there are some lengthy discussions about how The Batman is seen in the eyes of what the author calls the "nerds" and the "normals". These two groups are brought up again and again, and a comparison/ contrast between them is a major theme of the book.
pazz17's review against another edition
The Grant Morrison impression ended all hope of me continuing.
kleonard's review against another edition
4.0
A good history of Batman and his significance in American pop culture.
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
Great overview of Batman and his impact on comics and culture. I really enjoyed the discussion of the idea of Batman vs the character of Batman. The research and information presented was clearly executed with a passion and an an expertise. Unlike many books which follow a chronology of a character or idea, this one clearly built to the argument and then tied pieces of the story to that argument. Too add to the pleasure, the writing was funny, clean and understated. It was like sitting through a lecture and enjoying the fervor of the lecturer. I bet the audio book is a treat to hear.
dtierra's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
So insightful and well researched! very enjoyable read and beginner friendly
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Child death, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
kathrynkao's review against another edition
5.0
I was so excited to read this book, given my love for Batman/the Batfamily. Since I'm more familiar with Batman than with Superman, I had already read or at least heard of a lot of the story arcs in the Batman comics, at least from the '80s on. However, it was great to read about them in a bigger cultural context, as well as in the context of the light-Batfamily-grimdark loner cycle that Weldon outlines. As I mentioned in my [b:Superman: The Unauthorized Biography|16116967|Superman The Unauthorized Biography|Glen Weldon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356462153s/16116967.jpg|21934818] review, I didn't get into comics until my first grad program, which gives me an outsider view of all the nerdrage that happens throughout Batman's changes, but I'm definitely not a normal (most childless adult women do not have all of Batman: The Animated Series, The Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Beyond, let alone have watched every episode multiple times). Tracking the bigger picture of Batman's many incarnations, as he cycles from light to dark, is fascinating, and gives me a greater appreciation for Batman's mythology--one of the things I love about comics, and about Batman specifically.
My minor quibble is that there's not a lot of mention of Batman's supporting cast, aside from Dick Greyson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake. Huntress and Barbara Gordon are namedropped, but since Batman-as-head-of-a-sprawling-Batfamily is my favorite incarnation, I really would have liked a little more exploration of that aspect. This isn't really the book for that, but I love Helena Bertinelli and Cassandra Cain so much, I wanted to read about them! I'm glad Carrie Kelly (first female Robin!) got a shoutout, but Stephanie Brown was also a Robin, and I'm really curious about the fan reaction to that (and how that storyline happened at all).
Personal preferences aside, Batfans of all types and normals alike can get a lot out of this book. Now I need to go find a copy of [b:Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth|1818336|Planetary/Batman Night on Earth|Warren Ellis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1188769612s/1818336.jpg|1817904], which I did not know existed despite having read what I was told was all the Planetary trades some years ago (shakes fist at the 20something boys who got me into comics and neglected to mention this book that includes two of my favorite things, Batman and alternate universes).
My minor quibble is that there's not a lot of mention of Batman's supporting cast, aside from Dick Greyson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake. Huntress and Barbara Gordon are namedropped, but since Batman-as-head-of-a-sprawling-Batfamily is my favorite incarnation, I really would have liked a little more exploration of that aspect. This isn't really the book for that, but I love Helena Bertinelli and Cassandra Cain so much, I wanted to read about them! I'm glad Carrie Kelly (first female Robin!) got a shoutout, but Stephanie Brown was also a Robin, and I'm really curious about the fan reaction to that (and how that storyline happened at all).
Personal preferences aside, Batfans of all types and normals alike can get a lot out of this book. Now I need to go find a copy of [b:Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth|1818336|Planetary/Batman Night on Earth|Warren Ellis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1188769612s/1818336.jpg|1817904], which I did not know existed despite having read what I was told was all the Planetary trades some years ago (shakes fist at the 20something boys who got me into comics and neglected to mention this book that includes two of my favorite things, Batman and alternate universes).