Rating: 
Summary: Praise for Batman Unmasked
Review: "This is the definitive history of the Batman in all media: comics, film, television, and the internet. The book's combination of rigorous historical research and a witty, fluid writing style make it both vastly instructive and vastly entertaining." -Roberta Pearson, editor of 'The Many Lives of the Batman'
Rating:
Summary: Synopsis
Review: A fun and fascinating study of an enduring pop culture figure.Over the sixty years of his existence, Batman has encountered an impressive array of cultural icons and gradually become one himself. He is an international star of comics, graphic novels, television, the movies, and the Internet. What is the secret of his enduring appeal? Pinpointing four key moments in Batman's history, Dr. Will Brooker illuminates the debates over Batman's signifigance by shining a light on the cultural issues of the day. Batman refused to adapt to the patriotic propaganda of the Second World War. In the mid-1950's, he was accused of corrupting American youth by appearing to promote a homosexual lifestyle to his fans. The 1960's ABC TV series transformed him into a camp pop culture icon. And, in recent years, Batman has been, once again, reinterpreted by his fans in response to the comics and the Warner Brothers franchise of films. Brooker's tireless reasearch has led him to challenge many of the accepted notions of Batman's development as a character. The result is a book that stands up as both a work of scholarship and a labor of love - and a book that will provoke debate wherever Batman is studied or discussed.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Batman unmasked is the quintisential exploration into the role of Batman as a cultural icon. It is a must read for those who have followed the 'caped crusader' in print, television and the cinema.
Rating: 
Summary: BATMAN FANS BEWARE!
Review: Being a huge Batman fan, I was very excited to read of this book's release in the 1/5/01 issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY -- I was tremendously disappointed in it after buying it. The Batman photos included along with the EW review led me to believe that the book would be at least somewhat adaquately illustrated, which it is not. Practically the only photos in the book are of the author's diary entry about Batman written when he was seven years old, a newspaper clip telling of the author's Ph.D in Batman history, a photo of some Batman toys, and a magazine cover showing Chris O'Donnell as Robin! Batman is obviously a very visual character, and this pathetic selection of photos is worse than having no photos at all. I feel the photos relating to the author are particularly distasteful -- he seems determined to milk his 15 minutes of fame as a self-proclaimed "Batman Doctor" for all it is worth. And the text of the book leaves much to be desired as well -- for example, he devotes a lot of text to a discussion of the 1943 serial BATMAN, and then does not even mention the 1949 serial BATMAN AND ROBIN. And the author seems to be somewhat fixated on the idea that Batman is gay, not a particularly appealing or original concept. To me, the book's uneven literary content and nonexistent visual content lead to the work not being worth a fraction of its cover price -- I'm baffled by the fact that EW reviewed it at all, let alone reviewed it favorably. Batman fans, do yourself a favor -- instead of buying this book, buy a Batman graphic novel, a Batman T-shirt, or a cool Batman toy. Because when all is said and done, Batman is about escapist, adventurous fun, and this book is about a mediocre author with lots of publicity savvy getting way more attention than he deserves.
Rating:
Summary: BATMAN FANS BEWARE!
Review: Being a huge Batman fan, I was very excited to read of this book's release in the 1/5/01 issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY -- I was tremendously disappointed in it after buying it. The Batman photos included along with the EW review led me to believe that the book would be at least somewhat adaquately illustrated, which it is not. Practically the only photos in the book are of the author's diary entry about Batman written when he was seven years old, a newspaper clip telling of the author's Ph.D in Batman history, a photo of some Batman toys, and a magazine cover showing Chris O'Donnell as Robin! Batman is obviously a very visual character, and this pathetic selection of photos is worse than having no photos at all. I feel the photos relating to the author are particularly distasteful -- he seems determined to milk his 15 minutes of fame as a self-proclaimed "Batman Doctor" for all it is worth. And the text of the book leaves much to be desired as well -- for example, he devotes a lot of text to a discussion of the 1943 serial BATMAN, and then does not even mention the 1949 serial BATMAN AND ROBIN. And the author seems to be somewhat fixated on the idea that Batman is gay, not a particularly appealing or original concept. To me, the book's uneven literary content and nonexistent visual content lead to the work not being worth a fraction of its cover price -- I'm baffled by the fact that EW reviewed it at all, let alone reviewed it favorably. Batman fans, do yourself a favor -- instead of buying this book, buy a Batman graphic novel, a Batman T-shirt, or a cool Batman toy. Because when all is said and done, Batman is about escapist, adventurous fun, and this book is about a mediocre author with lots of publicity savvy getting way more attention than he deserves.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and fun
Review: I bought this not because I'm a Batman nut, but because the jacket implied it was going to be a well-written, well-researched history book of a sort, and I enjoy reading those. I didn't realise it would be quite such a good read as it is. Brooker is clearly in love with the subject, but he's also very thorough and is an amusing writer as well. Some of the chapter on Adam West and camp had me laughing out loud on the tube. Yes it would have been nice to see a few more pictures, and yes it reads like a thesis at times (I suspect it probably was!), but if you want to read an intelligent, fun book that touches on some major issues in pop culture, this is a great place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and fun
Review: Readers searching for a loving, fannish look at Batman would be happier with those books written by Les Daniels or Chip Kidd. Batman Unmasked contains no Batman art, no story reprints, not even a Batman image on the cover. Brooker intends instead to present the reader with a well-researched and documented work that reads rather like a Ph.D thesis. Oddly enough, Brooker devotes well over half the book to discussing what has become little more than a humorous footnote to most Batman fans: the idea, first presented by Frederic Wertham in Seduction of the Innocent, that Batman's relationship with Robin can be read in a homosexual context. As has always been the case, some readers will laugh at the examples provided; others may find offense. More interesting, however, are Brooker's assertions that secondary artists and writers, specifically Jerry Robinson and Gardner Fox, worked on Batman far earlier than previously thought, thus leaving us with the idea that Bob Kane contributed far less to the character's genesis than he has earned credit for. Ultimately, Batman Unmasked will be interesting only to those readers who know what to expect when they buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Batman Stripped is More Like It!
Review: Readers searching for a loving, fannish look at Batman would be happier with those books written by Les Daniels or Chip Kidd. Batman Unmasked contains no Batman art, no story reprints, not even a Batman image on the cover. Brooker intends instead to present the reader with a well-researched and documented work that reads rather like a Ph.D thesis. Oddly enough, Brooker devotes well over half the book to discussing what has become little more than a humorous footnote to most Batman fans: the idea, first presented by Frederic Wertham in Seduction of the Innocent, that Batman's relationship with Robin can be read in a homosexual context. As has always been the case, some readers will laugh at the examples provided; others may find offense. More interesting, however, are Brooker's assertions that secondary artists and writers, specifically Jerry Robinson and Gardner Fox, worked on Batman far earlier than previously thought, thus leaving us with the idea that Bob Kane contributed far less to the character's genesis than he has earned credit for. Ultimately, Batman Unmasked will be interesting only to those readers who know what to expect when they buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant. We need more books like this.
Review: The idea of analyzing Batman as a serious cultural icon may seem laughable - until one realizes that there is some sixty years of history to the character and his companions. Batman has been there through most of the 20th Century, so there's something to analyze. This is not a pop culture book - this is an analysis of culture. Serious, insightful, footnote-heavy analysis. This is not for the casual comics fan - this is for people who love comics and their culture and want some insight into that culture and that history. This book analyzes batman in "blocks" of time. From the creation, to the war years, to the 50's, the 60's, the 70's, and beyond. Examples of interpretations, misinterpretations, and historical impact are given, at times in incredible detail (such as panel-by-panel analysis of a comic issue). Without giving anything away about the book, this analysis looks at how Batman came to be, what themes have endured, and how the times have (and haven't) affected him. Most interestingly, the "dark eras" of the comics Inquisition of the 50's and the controversial pop-interpretation of the 60's are examined in detail - and some startiling revelations and interpretations are made. The problem with reviewing this book is that I can't do it justice and don't wish to spoil the readers. However, simply, if you care about comics in general or Batman in particular, and like to understand the deep issues of culture, buy it. Buy several - give them to friends. It's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant. We need more books like this.
Review: The idea of analyzing Batman as a serious cultural icon may seem laughable - until one realizes that there is some sixty years of history to the character and his companions. Batman has been there through most of the 20th Century, so there's something to analyze. This is not a pop culture book - this is an analysis of culture. Serious, insightful, footnote-heavy analysis. This is not for the casual comics fan - this is for people who love comics and their culture and want some insight into that culture and that history. This book analyzes batman in "blocks" of time. From the creation, to the war years, to the 50's, the 60's, the 70's, and beyond. Examples of interpretations, misinterpretations, and historical impact are given, at times in incredible detail (such as panel-by-panel analysis of a comic issue). Without giving anything away about the book, this analysis looks at how Batman came to be, what themes have endured, and how the times have (and haven't) affected him. Most interestingly, the "dark eras" of the comics Inquisition of the 50's and the controversial pop-interpretation of the 60's are examined in detail - and some startiling revelations and interpretations are made. The problem with reviewing this book is that I can't do it justice and don't wish to spoil the readers. However, simply, if you care about comics in general or Batman in particular, and like to understand the deep issues of culture, buy it. Buy several - give them to friends. It's worth it.
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