The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and his Media

by Roberta E. Pearson (Editor), William Uricchio (Editor), Boil Boichel

The phenomenal success of Batman: The Movie seemed to signal the apotheosis of the Batman in the American popular imagination. But what social conditions can account for the enduring popularity of such a dark and conflicted character? The Many Lives of the Batman is the first serious academic exploration of this intriguing cultural phenomenon. Marketing savvy alone did not build the Batman's extraordinary success; it traverses a variety of audiences who have embraced the hero in a collage of different media manifestations throughout his fifty year history. These overlapping lives are illuminated in this critical anthology, which analyzes the contexts of the character's production and reception across a wide spectrum of time and media forms.

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Batman

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Victoria Hawco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I’ve GOTTA watch the 1960s tv show now.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished The Many Lives of the Batman feeling kind of wrecked, in a good way. Roberta E. Pearson doesn't hold your hand through the grief, and that's what makes it work. There's a quiet scene near the middle where nothing happens except two people doing dishes, and it somehow hurt more than the big funeral chapter. The only thing that bugged me was a handful of side characters who show up just to say something wise. For readers who can handle sad. Not for anyone looking for a feel-good escape.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and his Media hits different if you've ever moved to a new place where nobody knew your name. Roberta E. Pearson captures that lonely, wobbly feeling without wallowing in it. There's real warmth underneath the awkwardness. Great for anyone mid-transition, maybe too quiet for readers who want fireworks.

[Ivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... the good news is that the only good essay in the book happens to be the first.

There is also a good interview in there with Frank Miller, but that's about it. Aside from being 20 years old, the book is a compilation of essays, which I have a struggling past with.

Some include charts on the decline of comic book sales and ethnographic studies on the kinds of people who buy them.

Not the book for me. I'd recommend reading Bill Boichel's essay "Batman: Commodity as Myth" and saving yourself a couple of hours. If it wasn't for him, one star.

If anyone has any good nonfiction stuff on the Batman send the mail my way. I was excited to read this.