The Caped Crusade

Weldon explores the history of Batman from his creation in 1939 to his most recent iterations in comics, film, and television. The author positions Batman's transformations as an ongoing dialogue among creators, companies, and fans. Though somewhat capable with his narration, Weldon ultimately proves disappointing in that nearly all the fans quoted sound like "the comic book guy" from "The Simpsons." At times, he also uses overly dramatic, stereotypical, and clichéd tones to depict artists, creators, and celebrities. The use of these caricatures seems to mock the fandom in a way that is not found in the prose itself, which reveals Weldon to be the very "comic book guy" that he so readily dismisses in his narration. L.E. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2016

This fascinating cultural history of Batman in all of his incarnations covers most of a century: comics, television, film, and video games. It's not just a history of the character, though; NPR podcaster Weldon weaves critical discussion of Batman's media appearances with an examination of fan response over the decades. The author describes a tug of war between the Dark Knight's creators and adapters, who continually push the character in new directions, and the fans who push back with demands for a more "badass" dark avenger version of the hero. Weldon's clear and confident narration provides a surprising and amusing range of character voices (comics nerds, radio announcers, British film directors, and, of course, various Batmen) for a work of nonfiction. VERDICT Recommended for Bat-fans and readers interested in superhero media and anyone seeking a deep-dive examination of a favorite character.--Jason Puckett, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

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