Batman Unauthorized

Different views of Batman, since his first apparition on Detectve Comics from the pen (pencils) of Bob Kane till now. Experts talk of the differences between the first Batman and, mostly, Miller's Batman (Return of the Dark Knight). All the different Robin: Dick Grayson (who has his own comics right now and it's not so bad), the life, death and resurrection of Jason Todd and the actual Tim Drake. The father figures in Batman's life like Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Ra's Al Ghul, who even stole the coffins of Bruce Wayne's parents. There is even a diagnosis following the DSM-IV and we have our vigilante declared an antisocial personality with a PTSD. What is missed are mostly his realtionships with women: Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Talia of course, who will give him Damian, Batman of the future. If you love Batman this is the book for you.

Differenti visioni di Batman, dalla sua prima apparizione su Detective Comics, dalle matite di Bob Kane fino ad oggi. Diversi esperti parlano delle differenze tra il primo Batman e, fondamentalmente, il Batman di Miller (Il ritorno del Cavaliere Oscuro). Tutti i vari Robin: da Dick Grayson, che ora gode di una serie di fumetti tutta per lui e non é neanche male; la vita, la morte e la " pessima" resurrezione di Jason Todd; l'attuale Tim Drake. Le varie figure paterne che si susseguono nella trama come per esempio Alfred, il commissario Gordon e anche Ra's Al Ghul, che arriva addirittura a rubare le bare dei genitori di Bruce Wayne. In un capitolo c'é anche la diagnosi di disturbo di personalitá antisociale con possibile Disturbo Post Traumatico da Stress, il tutto seguendo le linee guida del DSM-IV. In realtá quello che salta all'occhio é la quasi totale assenza delle donne nella vita di Batman: Catwoman, Poison Ivy e Talia, figlia di Ra's Al Ghul che gli dará anche un figlio: Damian, che prenderá poi il suo posto diventando il Batman del futuro. Se vi piace Batman, questo é il libro per voi.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND BEN BELLA BOOKS FOR THE PREVIEW!

'Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City' is edited by Dennis O'Neil which should give lie to the "unauthorized" part of this title. It may not have the blessing of DC Comics, but it's edited by a Batman legend.

It's a series of essays and criticisms about the Caped Crusader. I found it much better than a similar one I've recently read about Superman, but I am biased towards the character. The essays include an argument in favor of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which left most fans wondering what happened. There is an essay on what the true cost of being Batman would be (including time spent in forensics and martial arts classes). It turns out you really would need to be a billionaire to pull it off. There is an essay about the murky origins of Batman and how we've heard one story, but there is much more to who is owed credit. The wacky stories of Batman in the 1950s are defended and praised in 'Batman in Outer Space.' And we learn that we get the Batman we deserve, as we look at how the character evolves with the times he lives in.

Most Bat-related things are discussed, but I would have liked a bit more on the really fine animated series. Since the book was writing about 10 years ago, only the first Christopher Nolan work is discussed. It's also nice that nobody came to the defense of the truly dreadful Joel Schumacher Batman films. This book would have lost a star or two if anyone had defended them.

I received a review copy of this ebook from BenBella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

A great study on Batman. It would be most interesting for those into Batman or comics in general; however, may be less appealing for those who are not.
This could be great to add alongside a comic collection, especially if a library ever wanted to do a comic/Batman display.