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DK Ultimate Guide
DC Comics Batman: A Visual History
"Batman Year by Year" follows the DC Comics Super Hero from his 1939 beginnings as a crime-fighting vigilante to his present status as a worldwide cultural icon approaching his 75th anniversary.
The book celebrates Batman's greatest stories and the writers and artists that created them. It also charts the careers of the Super Heroes and super-villains -- Robin, the Justice League, the Joker, Catwoman -- associated with Gotham City's Dark Knight. The debuts of every key Batman character are featured, as well as some details of Batman movie and TV series, both live-action and animated.
Perfect for any comic book fan, this visually stunning, definitive guide arrives in a slipcase featuring specially commissioned artwork by a top DC Comics artist plus two original prints.
Written by Matthew K. Manning with additional text by Matt Forbeck.
The book celebrates Batman's greatest stories and the writers and artists that created them. It also charts the careers of the Super Heroes and super-villains -- Robin, the Justice League, the Joker, Catwoman -- associated with Gotham City's Dark Knight. The debuts of every key Batman character are featured, as well as some details of Batman movie and TV series, both live-action and animated.
Perfect for any comic book fan, this visually stunning, definitive guide arrives in a slipcase featuring specially commissioned artwork by a top DC Comics artist plus two original prints.
Written by Matthew K. Manning with additional text by Matt Forbeck.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2014
65 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Matthew K. Manning
229 books39 followersMatthew K. Manning is the author of over eighty books and dozens of comic books. He has written books for Scholastic, Disney Press, Abrams, Amazon, Capstone, DK Publishing, Insight Editions, Andrews/McMeel, and Running Press, dividing his time between writing original chapter book series and coffee table books. His chapter books include the six-book series Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns (Capstone), the four-book Drone Academy series (Capstone), Backstories: Batman and Backstories: Batgirl (Scholastic), and Artemis Fowl: How to be a LEPrecon (Disney Press), released in both paperback and on Audible. Many of his books have reached best-seller status on Amazon, including DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman, DC Comics Encyclopedia, and Batman: A Visual History. In addition, Manning specializes in comic books, writing for the titles Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!, The Batman Strikes!, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, Justice League Adventures, Scooby-Doo, and Looney Tunes for DC Comics, Marvel Action: Avengers for IDW/Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Amazing Adventures and TMNT: New Animated Adventures for IDW, and the top-selling Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures for DC/IDW, nominated by the Diamond Gem Awards for comic of the year. Manning’s work has received acclaim in Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and The Washington Times. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Dorothy and his daughters Lillian and Gwendolyn.
Buy his books and support independent booksellers on Bookshop at https://bookshop.org/shop/matthewkman...
Buy his books and support independent booksellers on Bookshop at https://bookshop.org/shop/matthewkman...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 5, 2022
I like oversized books that have cool art. I even have a section of my house where you can find those sorts of books. Witness my newest addition: Batman the Ultimate guide. This attractive HC edition is a Batman lover's dream. It is a beautifully illustrated and very detailed look into Batman. it could be considered a type of Encylopedia.
Covering topics from the creation of the character, to his development through the ages, his various villains, friends, costumes, and cars, the list is endless and all of it is complemented with great artwork. I consider myself a Batman fan and even I learned a few things. For example, in Batman issue #16-Alfred was introduced. But he was fat and a proper gentleman (the son of a butler named 'Jarvis').
It tracks the various ages of the series and shows us the multitude of different Batmans. Everything you wanted to know and fairly up to date, this is a gem for the Batman fan. The overall quality and information provided could make this something even a non-batman fan would enjoy. A top notch addition to my random oversized book collection.
Covering topics from the creation of the character, to his development through the ages, his various villains, friends, costumes, and cars, the list is endless and all of it is complemented with great artwork. I consider myself a Batman fan and even I learned a few things. For example, in Batman issue #16-Alfred was introduced. But he was fat and a proper gentleman (the son of a butler named 'Jarvis').
It tracks the various ages of the series and shows us the multitude of different Batmans. Everything you wanted to know and fairly up to date, this is a gem for the Batman fan. The overall quality and information provided could make this something even a non-batman fan would enjoy. A top notch addition to my random oversized book collection.
April 24, 2022
Awesome coffee book for new readers and collectors alike, I particularly enjoyed the timeline section, it helped me refresh my memory on the runs that I've read and the runs that I'm planning to read.
May 31, 2022
Maybe Batman: The Ultimate Guide will be more fun for kids. As an adult who has a pretty firm grasp of the Batman universe, I found much of the information derivative and uninteresting. The book is loaded with factoids about Batman the comic book character, but none of them are particularly intriguing unless this is the first time you've encountered Batman.
I appreciated that each era of Batman gets a look, but there's very little done to tie the disparate elements together. Batman was weird in the 60s and dark in the 80s! Why? Who knows! That's just the way he was written. The Ultimate Guide serves as one big reminder that Batman has been around forever, has done a lot of stuff, and none of it clicks together very well. I think I would have liked a little more effort made to tie together the random pieces instead of seeing them all thrown at the wall for me to parse.
Maybe I'm harshly comparing The Ultimate Guide to similar works in the Star Wars universe. There, an effort is often made to make the materials feel in-universe and somehow essential reading. Here, the Rogues Gallery awkwardly flows into a "timeline" which awkwardly flows into a potted history of Batman/Superman team-ups in World War II. Just a disappointing lack of coherency.
I appreciated that each era of Batman gets a look, but there's very little done to tie the disparate elements together. Batman was weird in the 60s and dark in the 80s! Why? Who knows! That's just the way he was written. The Ultimate Guide serves as one big reminder that Batman has been around forever, has done a lot of stuff, and none of it clicks together very well. I think I would have liked a little more effort made to tie together the random pieces instead of seeing them all thrown at the wall for me to parse.
Maybe I'm harshly comparing The Ultimate Guide to similar works in the Star Wars universe. There, an effort is often made to make the materials feel in-universe and somehow essential reading. Here, the Rogues Gallery awkwardly flows into a "timeline" which awkwardly flows into a potted history of Batman/Superman team-ups in World War II. Just a disappointing lack of coherency.
November 5, 2014
This one is for the fans. To be honest this is the ultimate divisive book, if you "get" Batman then this is truly amazing, if you "don't get" Batman then its a case of oh alright thats nice, and move on...
Ok thats now done and out of the way, for those who "do" the book is a massive (and heavy) tome charting year by year the milestones and achievements of the Caped Crusader. It charts the artwork, the characters and the events that shaped one of the best known and recognisable characters that have graced the comic book.
The book is massive, not just in page count but in physical weight too. The artwork is amazing with some of the most impressive and iconic artwork getting a full page spread. Not only are the comics referenced here but also some of the graphic novels are too - although I did notice that some of the more extreme cross overs were missing (did i miss the Judge Dredd / Batman cross overs, and yes there were several of them) for example.
However those omissions aside the book is a wonderful reference book which i can see myself going back to time and time again, after all it surprised me that some of the titles I recognise and even own came in a different order than I remembered and that some of the titles I was thinking of getting are in fact much more important that I realised - oh dear there goes my next months wages! So I will say this - the book is a must for any fan (unless you are lucky enough to own all the originals)
Ok thats now done and out of the way, for those who "do" the book is a massive (and heavy) tome charting year by year the milestones and achievements of the Caped Crusader. It charts the artwork, the characters and the events that shaped one of the best known and recognisable characters that have graced the comic book.
The book is massive, not just in page count but in physical weight too. The artwork is amazing with some of the most impressive and iconic artwork getting a full page spread. Not only are the comics referenced here but also some of the graphic novels are too - although I did notice that some of the more extreme cross overs were missing (did i miss the Judge Dredd / Batman cross overs, and yes there were several of them) for example.
However those omissions aside the book is a wonderful reference book which i can see myself going back to time and time again, after all it surprised me that some of the titles I recognise and even own came in a different order than I remembered and that some of the titles I was thinking of getting are in fact much more important that I realised - oh dear there goes my next months wages! So I will say this - the book is a must for any fan (unless you are lucky enough to own all the originals)
November 10, 2020
If you wondered if Batman ever used firearms, who his first reoccurring villain was or how did the first Batmobile look like, then this book is for you. Those, and many more, Batman facts can be found in this book. It starts with Batman’s first comic appearance and walks through the years (to 2014) touching significance moments of Batman and many of his support cast members and rogues gallery of villains. Presented in a mix of text and art from the relevant comic books, a lot of die-hard Batman fans will enjoy this.
September 22, 2019
Sooooo detailed. I love Batman but this is def for the hardcore fans out there!! Five stars for what it is but three stars for my personal enjoyment as I'm no longer a Batman fangirl like I was when I was 15! Lots of really interesting info and history and visuals tho.
March 2, 2017
As a huge fan of the Caped Crusader, I was recently given this tome as a gift from a family member. I was impressed by the color spreads and the evolution of the Batman story that the book presents. However, I also felt the title to be a bit misleading.
Basically, this is a history of the Batman character in the comic books. For what it is, a more excellent resource probably could not be found. This book is filled with all the information one would ever need about the history of Batman on the printed page, making it an excellent coffee table book for the superhero fan. In terms of what it is meant to be, then, this is a five-star effort all the way.
Unfortunately (at least for me), I was a little disappointed that this book didn't cover any other incarnations of the Dark Knight, such as films, TV series, or video games. With a book titled "Visual History", I was kind of expecting that, and was misled a bit as a result. Since I have always been more into the cinematic side of Batman (only a passing interest in the comics), this isn't anything that will stay in my permanent collection. It was fun to page through and see the great comic art with a smidge of character history, but not enough for a fan like me to go back to.
So, your overall enjoyment of this book will depend on what medium of Bat-fandom you come from. If you are a "comic geek", this NEEDS to be in your home. If you are more into the movie/TV side of things, this is a fun "once-through" but not necessarily an "own".
Basically, this is a history of the Batman character in the comic books. For what it is, a more excellent resource probably could not be found. This book is filled with all the information one would ever need about the history of Batman on the printed page, making it an excellent coffee table book for the superhero fan. In terms of what it is meant to be, then, this is a five-star effort all the way.
Unfortunately (at least for me), I was a little disappointed that this book didn't cover any other incarnations of the Dark Knight, such as films, TV series, or video games. With a book titled "Visual History", I was kind of expecting that, and was misled a bit as a result. Since I have always been more into the cinematic side of Batman (only a passing interest in the comics), this isn't anything that will stay in my permanent collection. It was fun to page through and see the great comic art with a smidge of character history, but not enough for a fan like me to go back to.
So, your overall enjoyment of this book will depend on what medium of Bat-fandom you come from. If you are a "comic geek", this NEEDS to be in your home. If you are more into the movie/TV side of things, this is a fun "once-through" but not necessarily an "own".
March 24, 2022
Not something to sit and read over a short time this anthology is faaaaaaar to long for that. I have always enjoyed the mythology and characters of batman. This book is showing me just how far down the rabbit hole goes.
December 24, 2014
This book is huge! It's very detailed.
Read
August 15, 2022I think that the older I get and decades away from childhood, the more I appreciate books of this nature. I was not around when Batman premiered for the first time in May 1939, but I certainly felt he was part of my life, because for close to a five year span from 1963 to 1968, I had owned pretty well every comic featuring him. That included Batman, Detective Comics, and World’s Finest. Marvel Comics may have come into my life in 1964, and I was hooked on all their comics, but I never did abandon Batman and his sidekick Robin, intent on keeping up with their exploits in the superhero world.
BATMAN THE ULTIMATE GUIDE NEW EDITION, gives us a taste of where Batman came from and where he headed over the years. Comics sure have changed, and what I thought was incredible tales, has evolved into stories that have altered the comics world in many ways. Yes we discover the roots of the Batman, and how Bruce Wayne watched his parents shot and killed by a mugger in an alley. It changed him forever, Bruce making it his goal and destiny to hunt down criminals to the best of his ability.
I can only imagine the enthusiasm of children who saw Batman the first time, discovering how the comics world was changing thanks to the emergence of creations like Superman and other caped and masked heroes. This book is certainly most authoritative and complete, pretty well relating every key moment, key villain, key ally, and anything else that has affected the life of Batman. Batman was challenged by so many bad guys such as The Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face Catwoman, and more evildoers than you could shake a bat belt at.
Key timelines in the life of Batman are mentioned here, six pages of events that changed the Batman universe forever. There were deaths of key characters, near deaths of others, along with emerging villains, pretty well changing the way people viewed Batman. You truly need a scorecard to keep up with everything that has gone down, and this comprehensive edition has all that.
The Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, and others detail this, with reproductions of classic covers, adding even more to the mystique of Batman. Batman has certainly changed since my comic reading days, but it is nice to be updated on so many moments that created a new generation of Batman lovers, who will be as dedicated to the character and as delighted by this tribute book as I was.
BATMAN THE ULTIMATE GUIDE NEW EDITION, gives us a taste of where Batman came from and where he headed over the years. Comics sure have changed, and what I thought was incredible tales, has evolved into stories that have altered the comics world in many ways. Yes we discover the roots of the Batman, and how Bruce Wayne watched his parents shot and killed by a mugger in an alley. It changed him forever, Bruce making it his goal and destiny to hunt down criminals to the best of his ability.
I can only imagine the enthusiasm of children who saw Batman the first time, discovering how the comics world was changing thanks to the emergence of creations like Superman and other caped and masked heroes. This book is certainly most authoritative and complete, pretty well relating every key moment, key villain, key ally, and anything else that has affected the life of Batman. Batman was challenged by so many bad guys such as The Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face Catwoman, and more evildoers than you could shake a bat belt at.
Key timelines in the life of Batman are mentioned here, six pages of events that changed the Batman universe forever. There were deaths of key characters, near deaths of others, along with emerging villains, pretty well changing the way people viewed Batman. You truly need a scorecard to keep up with everything that has gone down, and this comprehensive edition has all that.
The Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, and others detail this, with reproductions of classic covers, adding even more to the mystique of Batman. Batman has certainly changed since my comic reading days, but it is nice to be updated on so many moments that created a new generation of Batman lovers, who will be as dedicated to the character and as delighted by this tribute book as I was.
August 19, 2018
Batman: A Visual History is a visual encyclopedic reference book about the Dark Knight compiled by Matthew K. Manning. It chronicles the Batman's vigilante career from his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (1939) to the date of publication (2014). This book is divided into nine chapters – each chapter covering a decade from the 1930s–2010s and the chapters are further subdivided into annual sections.
Batman: A Visual History is mainly composed of a two-page spread of illustrations with chockfull of information. Not only does it track Batman and his history throughout the years, it charts the careers of superheroes and super-villains at well from his trustworthy allies in the Robins and the Justice League to the Joker and other Gotham City Rouges. This visual encyclopedia also features the debut every key Batman character. It also details the Batman films and television series, both live-action and animated. It has a nifty and useful index at the end for an easier guide to find certain entries where certain people or objects are mentioned.
Manning has done a superb job of collecting the most important aspects of Batman, his allies, contemporaries, and villains and he charts them extremely well. It is far from exhaustive, but that would take volumes to do, but this tomb is more than adequate for what it sets out to do – to give a visual history of one of the most iconic superheroes.
All in all, Batman: A Visual History was wonderfully constructed and illustrated reference of the life and times of Batman, his allies, contemporaries, and villains.
Batman: A Visual History is mainly composed of a two-page spread of illustrations with chockfull of information. Not only does it track Batman and his history throughout the years, it charts the careers of superheroes and super-villains at well from his trustworthy allies in the Robins and the Justice League to the Joker and other Gotham City Rouges. This visual encyclopedia also features the debut every key Batman character. It also details the Batman films and television series, both live-action and animated. It has a nifty and useful index at the end for an easier guide to find certain entries where certain people or objects are mentioned.
Manning has done a superb job of collecting the most important aspects of Batman, his allies, contemporaries, and villains and he charts them extremely well. It is far from exhaustive, but that would take volumes to do, but this tomb is more than adequate for what it sets out to do – to give a visual history of one of the most iconic superheroes.
All in all, Batman: A Visual History was wonderfully constructed and illustrated reference of the life and times of Batman, his allies, contemporaries, and villains.
February 16, 2023
Really massive, comprehensive, and stunning book. It's a must-have for die-hard Batman fans.
I, however, am more of a fair weather fan. I could care less about the early incarnations of Batman, mainly because of the subpar art, bizarre plots, and absurd villains. It's not until the mid-1970s that things really turned around and the tone and style became more befitting to the legend.
The format of the book is somewhat annoying: instead of focusing on key moments, panels and character arcs within each issue, Manning focused on tangentially related titles that might have affected or been affected by Batman's concomitant developments. I don't care. I don't care for Catwoman's titles or other third-tier titles that might have featured a Batman foe or ally.
Some of the writing is unediting and unclear. It could have used a good cleaning-up prior to publishing.
Still, it was a joy to relive those moments and to learn what has happened in the past twenty years since I stopped reading comic books.
I, however, am more of a fair weather fan. I could care less about the early incarnations of Batman, mainly because of the subpar art, bizarre plots, and absurd villains. It's not until the mid-1970s that things really turned around and the tone and style became more befitting to the legend.
The format of the book is somewhat annoying: instead of focusing on key moments, panels and character arcs within each issue, Manning focused on tangentially related titles that might have affected or been affected by Batman's concomitant developments. I don't care. I don't care for Catwoman's titles or other third-tier titles that might have featured a Batman foe or ally.
Some of the writing is unediting and unclear. It could have used a good cleaning-up prior to publishing.
Still, it was a joy to relive those moments and to learn what has happened in the past twenty years since I stopped reading comic books.
January 2, 2025
A great read, even for an avid reader of Batman comics / collected editions. It includes tonnes of info on the different eras (golden age, silver, bronze etc) and dives into particular comics and storylines at regular intervals.
The only thing keeping this from reaching the full five stars is the lack of references to the cinematic and TV versions of Batman. The 1966 TV series gets a passing mention, but no references to any of the movies or the more recent TV adaptations (Gotham etc).
Still a great coffee table style book that’s well worth picking up for any Batman fan. Loads to get stuck into and visually stunning too.
The only thing keeping this from reaching the full five stars is the lack of references to the cinematic and TV versions of Batman. The 1966 TV series gets a passing mention, but no references to any of the movies or the more recent TV adaptations (Gotham etc).
Still a great coffee table style book that’s well worth picking up for any Batman fan. Loads to get stuck into and visually stunning too.
December 11, 2023
Das geballte Batman-Wissen auf einen Blick, diese Enzyklopädie, ist eine umfassende Aufschlüsselung der Welt von Batman. Wichtige Comic-Themen, jahrzehntelange Rückblicke und Beschreibungen von Batman, Helden, Gegner, Waffen und Geräten. Es erklärt alles vom Anfang bis zu New 52. Wir bekommen detaillierte Porträts der Helden und Schurken, von seiner ereignisreichen Vergangenheit bis zu seinen jüngsten Comic-Abenteuern. Eine wirklich tolle Auswahl an Geschichten, abwechslungsreiche Auswahl an Künstlern und sehr gut aufbereitet. Für Fans ein Absolutes muss 10/10
May 16, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. As an avid reader of Batman (though not a hardcore fan), I found this provided a great background for all things Batman. Lovely art collections and character summaries are sprinkled throughout. Highly recommend particularly for those who are not entirely familiar with the Batman universe but want all of the information in one, beautiful book.
January 5, 2024
Terrible, terrible book. The only positive note is that it has made me discover a good number of comics that I will never read. It's surprising to see the amount of Batman-related garbage that's been produced over the last few decades.
October 1, 2025
I enjoyed this book but it was abit disappointing at times. I haven’t read a lot of comics. I got this book because Batman is my favourite superhero and wanted to read more about his story and history.
May 3, 2018
Sorprendente recopilación de 75 años de este gran personaje. LA Batienciclopedia por excelencia.
January 12, 2019
Excellent.
May 15, 2021
Best Batman non-fiction that I've read. Terrific.
July 14, 2023
my hyperfixation is so happy maybe i wont kill myself i love batman so fucking much
January 13, 2024
Todo el libro entero es un spoiler gigante. Fatal
August 20, 2025
nwm czy kąsam fabułkę
September 28, 2025
Just started reading Batman comics. This is a good summary of all of the pertinent story lines so I don’t feel the need to go back to all of the previous issues.
October 17, 2025
Excellent book! Jam packed with information and covers so much of Batman’s history. Also used great images and artwork.
November 30, 2025
An amazing piece of coffee table book to have.
July 23, 2023
Muy buen libro, demasiada información acerca del personaje, su historia, y creadores. Me spoileé algunos cómics que quería leer pero nimodo lel. Me gustaría que hubiera cubierto un poco más de la década de los 2010. Gracias Kikis 😗
December 31, 2021
Cambiamos de década, siglo y milenio
Se cierra el crossover No Man's Land y vienen cambios en el Caballero Oscuro
Nuevos miembros en la Batfamilia, reestructuración en algunas revistas, nuevos equipos creativos (Rucka y Brubaker grandes arquitectos en la primera mitad de la década) y sí, uno que otro crossover entre títulos relacionados al Murciélago, aunque también tenemos 3 crisis que afectaran a Gotham y sus vigilantes
Crisis de Identidad, Crisis Infinita y Crisis Final
También en la segunda mitad de la década, Grant Morrison tomará las riendas del mito batmaniano y nos dará nuevos personajes e historias haciendo uso de elementos que se daban fuera de continuidad
Se cierra el crossover No Man's Land y vienen cambios en el Caballero Oscuro
Nuevos miembros en la Batfamilia, reestructuración en algunas revistas, nuevos equipos creativos (Rucka y Brubaker grandes arquitectos en la primera mitad de la década) y sí, uno que otro crossover entre títulos relacionados al Murciélago, aunque también tenemos 3 crisis que afectaran a Gotham y sus vigilantes
Crisis de Identidad, Crisis Infinita y Crisis Final
También en la segunda mitad de la década, Grant Morrison tomará las riendas del mito batmaniano y nos dará nuevos personajes e historias haciendo uso de elementos que se daban fuera de continuidad
December 30, 2021
La década de los 80s es una década de grande cambios... y solo hablando de la segunda mitad de la década
El universo DC se ordena en una sola línea temporal entre 1985 y 1986, reiniciando muchas historias
Watchmen (1986-1987) levanta la moda "grim & gritty"
Miller nos da el final definitivo(1986) y el inicio definitivo (1987) de Batman
1988 nos da The Killing Joke y A Death in the Family
Sin duda... una decada movida, tambien nutrida por largas duplas de artistas como Moench, Barr, Aparo, Breyfogle, Wolffman, Perez, Davis, Grant, Starlin, entre tantos otros, que empezaron a alargar las tramas a más allá de un número,
El universo DC se ordena en una sola línea temporal entre 1985 y 1986, reiniciando muchas historias
Watchmen (1986-1987) levanta la moda "grim & gritty"
Miller nos da el final definitivo(1986) y el inicio definitivo (1987) de Batman
1988 nos da The Killing Joke y A Death in the Family
Sin duda... una decada movida, tambien nutrida por largas duplas de artistas como Moench, Barr, Aparo, Breyfogle, Wolffman, Perez, Davis, Grant, Starlin, entre tantos otros, que empezaron a alargar las tramas a más allá de un número,
December 30, 2021
La década de los 90s le da más vida y aire al Caballero Oscuro, con 3 peliculas (4, si consideramos que Batman se estreno en 1989) la popularidad del Cruzado de la Capa llega a su peak, con nuevas series centradas solo en él, con miembros de la bat-familia con sus propios comics, grandes crossovers como KnightFall, Contagio, Cataclismo y la primera parte de No Man's Land nutrieron fuertemente la mitología gothamita y nos entregaron uno de las décadas más fructíferas para los fans de Batman
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews