Product Description

An academic monograph that traces the various ways in which Batman has been interpreted over the years - by wartime film producers, gay teenagers, pop artists, Internet fan communities, and so on. Written from both an academic and a fan's perspective, is examines how a character can be a brand and a myth at the same time. The book draws on substantial research from the DC Comics archives, as well as interviews with DC editors and writers. Also included is a comprehensive Batman iconography, listing examples of how Batman has been used as a reference in other TV shows, movies, and fast food restaurants.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #488732 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

From the Author
The must-have gift for Bat-fans this Christmas
I have loved Batman for as long as I can remember. This is the book I always wanted to read about the Dark Knight: a love-letter and a tribute to his role in my life. BATMAN UNMASKED is the result of three years' dedicated research, including interviews with DC Comics staff and examination of the original comics kept in DC's vaults. It deals with the Batman in all his incarnations, from a detailed analysis of the first ever comic story through Adam West's TV show to Frank Miller's "Dark Knight", Alan Moore's "Killing Joke" and the Burton/Schumacher franchise. This is the only book about Batman you will need - until I write the second edition.

Customer Reviews

Taking Batman seriously ...
This is an academic textbook, a revised version of the author's doctoral thesis. Most comics' fans, I guess, have a rough idea of the history of Batman: wartime crimefighter, 50s SF, 60s camp, 70s social relevance, 80s revisionism, 90s films and animated series. Brooker's survey is chronological, but comes to some interesting new insights - Batman's forays into wartime propaganda were surprisingly rare, the growth of comics fandom was engineered by the publishers themselves. Pride of place, though, is a radical reinterpretation of Seduction of the Innocent, the fifties book that first raised the question of a gay subtext in Batman and Robin's relationship, which comic fans have long equated with the McCarthyite witch-hunts.

There's an interesting analysis of fans and fandom, and how fans who take Batman seriously equate this with a serious Batman, seeing any hint of humour or camp as aberrant. While Brooker demonstrates there are common elements to all Batman tales, there is plenty of room for all manner of interpretations and versions of Batman - Adam West is just as valid as Frank Miller, Brooker's Batman contains multitudes.

Anyone after pictures (not an unreasonable request, given the medium under discussion), go for Les Daniels' 'Complete History' series instead. But this is almost certainly the most intelligent and informative analysis not just of Batman but of the production and reception of comics. There are insights into fan psychology here which ought to make this book a key text in the study of 'fandoms', and the analysis applies as much to other series with a cult following (Doctor Who and Star Wars, for example) as it does to Batman or other superheroes.

The acid test, though, is that it made me want to seek out some of the stories being discussed. It's a labour of love, as well as a rational, balanced analysis. It's an expensive book, it won't be to everyone's taste, but it's an important, informative and entertaining study.

A unique piece of research
The thing that struck me most about this book, apart from the fluid writing style, is the sheer amount of detailed research presented and analysed. There is close reference to various media - comics, television and film - as well as important primary texts. Wertham's "Seduction of the Innocent" is of particular note. Even for non Bat fans such as myself, it is fascinating reading. It is interesting to discover just how significant a figure Batman has been in American culture. The book covers a wide span chronologically, from the 1940's through to the late 90's, yet recurrent themes give the work continuity and focus. Brooker offers a refreshing approach to readings of Batman, considering the use of the character as 1940's propaganda, and the much disputed gay readings of the 1950's.

Finally, read the book for Brooker's anecdotes. Ranging from childhood memories as a batfan to the reception he received from the press as a bat academic, these are wonderfully written and give a personal touch to what otherwise is pure scholarly research.