Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vols. 1-8

 

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 7 by Louise Simonson, Kelley Puckett, Peter Milligan, Alan Grant, et al. (1991) 282 pages

I read eight volumes of this comics series that ran from the 1980s to the early '90s, but I'll just recommend one. I enjoyed the first story, "The Third Man," with two "armchair detective" older ladies getting involved in one of Batman's cases. Then there is a good three-parter. Video game monsters are coming to life in the real world and Robin/Tim Drake's knowledge of these games comes in handy. Even Gordon gets addicted to video games. Batman's research finds a kid in Arkham with the ability to project "video hallucinations," but is he really responsible. This is followed by a curious two-parter with a flashforward story featuring Ra's Al Ghul and Talia. Batman is unable to walk after a fall, Alfred is in an exoskeleton, and Robin/Tim is older. Through desperation Batman makes himself a cybernetic suit, and eventually returns to Ra's mountain lair. Next, the military wants Batman's help with a monster who has the ability to telekinetically set off explosions. In a bit of social commentary, it turns out the person is a black woman that the military has been experimenting on. The head officer is trying to use fear to set Batman and the woman against each other, but they both approach each other with an open mind and catch the officer in lies. Then there is another three-part adventure. An explosives expert is demolishing certain buildings around Gotham. Batman learns some Gotham history. The guy blowing up buildings is a fan of the architect who built Gotham's original skyscrapers and thinks the old architecture "keeps the demons at bay." In part three, Batman sets a trap. Finally, in "The Library of Souls" we get a mystery where Batman gets help from a librarian. They figure out that a recent pattern of dead bodies is based on the Dewey Decimal system and, so, the killer is also a librarian. I thought the writing was particularly good in each of these and the art by various artists helps tell the story well.

Batman: Earth One and Batman '89

 Batman: Earth One, Volume 1 by Geoff Johns (2012) 142 pages and Batman '89 by Sam Hamm (2022) 152 pages

I've read a handful of Batman graphic novels on Hoopla recently. Let me recommend two. The first volume of Batman: Earth One with art by Gary Frank was very good. It takes place in an alternate world where certain characters and events are slightly different than in the regular Batman continuity. We see a bit more of Bruce's boyhood while his parents are still alive. And later when he is putting together his Batman costume/persona, I really appreciated that this version shows him as just a man. His body and his tech are less super. The police are under the thumb of organized crime. It is still a dark criminal world, but very grounded in reality.

Then a newer Batman graphic novel imagines that Tim Burton got to make a third Batman movie. Sam Hamm has a story credit on both of Burton's Batman movies. Joe Quinones illustrates the characters to look like Michael Keaton, Billy Dee Williams, and Michael Gough, etc. The story here provides a lot of things that I liked. We get to know Billy Dee Williams' version of Harvey Dent much more deeply. We witness his transformation into Two-Face. We are also introduced to a brand new character who becomes Batman's sidekick Robin. There were some panels where the action was not quite clear, but it was good to revisit this version of Gotham.

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture

By Glen Weldon

336 pages

At night when millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne suits up to rid Gotham’s streets of crime the last thing on his mind is his status as an icon for geek culture in the contemporary world.

For over 75 years the Caped Crusader has been a fixture in American popular culture. In his new book, pop culturist Weldon examines his various incarnations, from a noirish detective in the '50s to hokey Technicolor ‘60s cult phenomenon, Batman has always been there. However as his character gave way to a grittier interpretation in the 1980s and a tortured vigilante in the last decade, he has come to reflect the mood and attitudes of his times.

Besides serving as a detailed cultural history, the book also points out how much a nerd he really is. Possessing no special abilities other than his own intelligence and vast fortune, Batman has done pretty well. He has a man cave, drives a tripped out car, has a super computer and out MacGyver’s everyone in coming up with cool gizmos to help him fight crime.

As noted repeatedly, throughout the years every version of Batman has embraced the finer points of being an anti-hero. Emerging from decades of darkness Batman’s attitude towards beating the bad guys has changed with the times.

Another core theme of the book is that despite all of the change and public perception, the one constant found in every version of Batman is his unwavering adherence to a personal code that serves as a framework for his character.

Whether you are a fan of the film, the comics or both, The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture is a fascinating character study of an intriguing figure that continues to serves as an emblematic caricature of the dark side of the American Dream.