Joe Shahen’s Reviews > Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City > Status Update

Maybe I am too many years removed from psychology courses to recall Freudian analysis, but that Bledsoe essay about Batman and Robin hitting puberty and jorking was some of the dumbest and most unfunny shit I have come across in a minute.

Barr’s essay about Batman in space/sci-fi stories was fantastic.

Roberson’s essay on why Bruce Wayne doesn’t retire is interesting coming from a pre-Miles Morales era. Or Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, Sam Wilson as Captain America, etc. Even the Absolute and Ultimate universes in current comic continuity allow for resets like he is alluding to.

Holy Signifier, Batman! by Nick Mamatas was fantastic and nails the importance and impact of the Adam West Batman.

The Klock essay saying Frank Miller is some kind of genius and his maligned 2000s work is actually very smart is an early sign of how we get to the Snyder Cut lunatics

The Robert Brian Taylor essay was such a funny 2007/8 relic about how comic movies need to be gritty and real and Nolan has saved us. Even mocks the comic version of Iron Man! Oh my how wrong the MCU proves him.

Lou Anders’ essay on the Joker was very good - alway love Burgess Meredeth and Frank Gorshin getting the nod - and ends up nailing how Ledger’s Joker would turn out.

I am a very, very short bit into this, but it is really funny to check out Batman essays from before The Dark Knight and even before the MCU hit big. Really funny seeing digs about the fantastical elements or comic booky stuff in Returns or in the Joel Schumacher movies. The first essay even makes a dig at the Prince soundtrack for Burton’s first! Would never happen today!