Batman The Complete History: The Life and Times of the Dark Knight

Batman

by Les Daniels

Following on the heels of Superman: The Complete History, author Les Daniels spotlights another famed crime fighterone who is perhaps even more popular than Superman. Batman, the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knightwhatever name he goes by, he is recognized by millions of fans as the most enigmatic and complex character in the super hero pantheon. Driven by personal demons, Bruce Wayne has loosed his shadow self on the villainy of Gotham City for 60 years. In celebration of this anniversary, Chronicle Books is proud to offer the first definitive account of Batman's heroic exploits. Les Daniels covers it allfrom Batman's creation and runaway success in 1939, to the campy antics of the Adam West TV show, to the emergence of Frank Miller's very disturbed and very dark Dark Knight, to the billion-dollar movie franchise and beyond. Illustrated with archival comic book art and rare Batman paraphernalia, Batman: The Complete History also includes a comic book story colored by animator Bruce Timm especially for this book. Designed by Batman fan Chip Kidd, this history will please the hardcore fans, and win many new ones.Batman and all related characters, names and indicia are trademarks of DC Comics Copyright 1999

Genres: Comics, Batman, Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels, Art, Superheroes

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Les Daniels was one of the earliest historians of comic books and an author of horror novels.

Reviews

[Ben Flay · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT,Highest recommendation possible. I thought the the Batman Collected and Batman: Animated books were enough but I was wrong. The abudance of information on the Batman mythos is unbelievable. An added bonus on the hardcover book is Alex Ross'amongst all the classic artists its all here
the Batman concept as expressed in comic books and strips, television shows (animated and live action) and movies is brilliant this is a must have

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book to see the evolution of Batman throughout the years.

[Kayleigh Loeffler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great, well-written and concise look into the history of Batman. There are a lot of awesome pictures of both iconic comics/covers and pop-culture items. Some of the merchandise gleaned from this character is hilarious and fun to look at alongside the text.
My biggest complaint would be that I felt like there could have been more information and less pictures (there are several two or three-page spreads of just pictures) and it only goes to 1999. There have been so many new things in the realm of Batman since then that it seems kind of unfortunate that this hasn't gotten a bit of an update. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable read and worth the price you pay for it.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surely the best documentary-style book of the history of Batman from his 1930s origins to almost the present day juxtaposed with events and trends of the decades between. I've read it several times and will probably read it several more. Wonderful.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The selling point for this book is the treasure-trove of illustrations! From comics to collectibles, they're tons of fun to look at. The history is told from point to point without much exploration, which is expected. It's a "Team DC" history book with controversy quietly swept away. If all you want are the bullet points, this is the one. It runs out of steam towards the end when the author can barely disguise his yawns for the then-current goings-on in the comics and the Schumacher films of the mid-90s, which is in sharp contrast to his obvious love for the animated series (rightly so). It really brought home for me how little I care about Batman comics. I prefer my Batman to be animated.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief history from 20,000 foot level but the strength is in the selection of photographs. I was interested to learn of Dr. Wertham's protest against comics and how it was part of a firestorm that changed the trajectory of comics. I had always wondered how Batman's stories went from taut and gritty to comic and ridiculous. Some of the photos depict Batman merchandise and toys from around the world, also interesting to see how Batman was seen outside of US.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of the characters in its various media incarnations. I only fault the book for failing to give a real sense the extreme ugliness of the character and his world in the last almost three decades and the art program going off kilter, failing to match the text near the end of the book. These flaws are minor compared to being so informative everywhere else.

[Juanchi Maffeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una enciclopedia del mejor superhéroe, diseñada sobresalientemente por Chip Kidd.

[Dan Prestwich · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a fun coffee table book than the definitive Batman history I was looking for, but it's good at what it does.

B-

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I basically skimmed/read this book in day. It's short, and it's mostly in comicbook form. It had its interesting moments. Batman is probably my favorite superhero (though, okay, yes, he doesn't really have superpowers, just training, wits and gadgets, and a really tragic backstory to fall back on), but I have to say I have no experience reading comicbooks (just manga). My interest in this book sprung out of researching an animated Batman TV show from the 1990s, "Batman: The Animated Series", one that I had watched and enjoyed then and am buying on DVD now. One of the components that made the show great then and now was the style of animation coupled with the grim, dreary backgrounds of Gotham City. (During the fourth season, the characters became more stylized, which was a little unsettling.) Anyway, this a great book to check out for fans of Batman.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good survey of the character's history to 1999. Having read this, I have a better appreciation of homages to the characters history in the most recent films. The writers really did their homework.

It was also fascinating to learn about the op culture obscura that helped create the Batman we're so familiar with now.

[Timothy Patishnock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent reference source, although the breadth of knowledge in no way makes up for the lack of detail in some areas of Batman's history. However, I would recommend this book to any old or new fans of the Dark Knight Detective :)

[captain america · Rating 3 out of 5]

i still like the 1930s batman best when the batmobile was a powerful sedan and he carried a gun and killed criminals. the dark knight indeed.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

163rd - 2011

[Elisabeth Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much know everything about my favorite super hero now thanks to this book.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the evolution of the character since his beginning to the turn of this century. Love the photos.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! A documentary from the beginning to the 90's

[Woody Woodrum]

Entertaining look at Batman from earliest influences up to the start of the Frank Miller movie trio.