Forensic Files of Batman

Rating:
Summary: Good intro to forensics
Review: The idea of using Batman to discuss forensic pathology is quite clever. (Indeed, one can easily imagine a CSI-Gotham City series.)
Moench does a good job intermixing research and storytelling. Much of the research is well done and interestingly told, although the interested reader might wish to consult DiMaio & DiMaio's Forensic Pathology regarding analysis of knife wounds and drowning deaths, where the textbook differs from the information in this book.
All in all, a good read and a good introduction to forensics.

Rating:
Summary: Superhero Fiction at its best
Review: This book deserves more comment. I've read and own hundreds of prose works that have been described as "superhero fiction," a subcategory, I guess, of the science-fiction/fantasy category. Plucked from the comic-books for the "more discerning" reader of costumed do-gooders, virtually the complete stables of mainstream superheros have been portrayed in black and white print instead of their usual four color, picture format: Spiderman, Hulk, X-Men, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc., etc. Some are novelizations of superhero movies, some are merely the prose form of a particularly popular comic-book storyline, others are original stories meant to supplement that characters' continuum as established in the comics. Of course, a fourth type of superhero fiction is the novel starring an entirely original character(s) not beholden to a decades-in-the-making comic-book backstory. For numerous reasons not relevant for this already wandering review, the latter version usually makes for the better novel, in my opinion.

With that said, The Forensic Files of Batman is one of the best portrayals of a mainstream, comic-book hero in prose fiction today. Ironically, it is the author's seemingly conscious effort to understate or ignore the more "superheroic" elements of the Batman mythos that makes this book so appealing. In his almost 70 years of existence, Batman has been the rare mortal hero in the pantheon of otherwise godlike champions of justice. Nonetheless, having paired off or teamed up with many of those immortal superheros, Batman certainly has the trappings of the superhero: garish costume with cape, bright chest emblem, machines and weapons that defy laws of science generally and physics specifically . . . ooh, and the cherubic, young sidekick. The Batman of "The Forensic Files . . . " has none of this. The costume is described as nothing more than "cape and cowl," draped over a chair when not in use. The "batmobile" isn't mentioned. It is merely Batman's "black car." The author gives Batman his "Batarang" - but it is little more than a less-than-perfectly manipulated club. Batman does make a swing or two from building to building - an act that would tear the arms off even a seasoned Olympic gymnast - but this too is kept to a minimum.

I agree with another review that described "The Forensic Files . . . " as more a forensics 101 course or a prose adaptation of a CSI episode. I would add that there are shades of "Silence of the Lambs" as well. Batman's story and origin aren't compromised, merely muted in favor of emphasizing the true core of this hero's mission - solving crimes. The Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman and other known villains make their appearances, but each is brought to justice through existing, practical investigative techniques.

Some parts of this book seem pointless (like the inventory of Batman's forensics lab) and gratuitous (a detailed description of a full autopsy), but each ultimately served as a point of reference when similar equipment or events occur later in the book.

"The Forensic Files of Batman" should attract a broader readership than merely comic-book or Batman fans. It really is an excellent murder/mystery, suspense/thriller on top of being great superhero fiction.