The Art of Batman Begins [Hardcover]

Mark Cotta Vaz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Batman Begins | Publication Date: June 15, 2005

The origin of Batman, the crown jewel of all superheroes, will be revealed for the first time in Batman Begins, the highly anticipated film from director Christopher Nolan (Memento). A contemporary, innovative incarnation of a character and story that have captured people's imaginations for six decades, Batman Begins hits theaters Summer 2005 and stars Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. Full of exclusive photographs of moody sets and exotic locations, as well as concept art, storyboards, and costume designs from the movies creative team, this oversized hardcover documents the newest spectacular portrayal of the most popular and enigmatic superhero ever conceived. The Art of Batman Begins is a must-have for artists, Batman aficionados, and filmgoers everywhere.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics 2005.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dreamwatch Magazine June 2005: " If you ever want to move to Gotham City (or build your own), this is the book for you." Film Review, September 2005: "A feast for the eyes, this is a quality piece of tie-in merchandise." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Mark Cotta Vaz has authored nineteen books, including The Art of The Incredibles , The Art of Finding Nemo , Tales of the Dark Knight (the fiftieth anniversary history of Batman), and Industrial Light + Magic: Into the Digital Realm (a chronicle of George

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Printing edition (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811849481
• ISBN-13: 978-0811849487
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Cotta Vaz is the author of over twenty-one books, including four New York Times bestsellers. His recent works include Mythic Vision: The Making of Eragon, The Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion, and the biography Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, which was a Los Angeles Times bestseller

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly lacking in depth, September 4, 2008

By 

Parka (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Art of Batman Begins (Hardcover)

Length:: 1:03 Mins

This book is also pretty light on content, just like The Dark Knight: Featuring Production Art and Full Shooting Script. It explains very little on the production of the movie. You might probably even get more information on Wikipedia.

There are pretty detailed storyboards in the book, even if they are only a few pages. The paintings and concept art to be lacking in comparison to movie stills. A lot of movie stills were included. Some of these movie stills occupy a whole page, or two by themselves. By themselves, they really served no purpose.

The cinematography for the movie was great. The composition was amazing. But there are too few reference paintings included.

This book is only for the hardcore movie fans. Batman fans won't really miss anything if they stick to their comics.

The probable reason for the lack of depth, I believe, is that not much material was provided to the author, Mark Cotta Vaz. His two other art books which I have, The Art of The Incredibles and The Art of Finding Nemo, were fantastic.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ART OF THE MOVIE, June 27, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Art of Batman Begins (Hardcover)

With any of the big-time, franchise, summer blockbuster films you always get a flood of merchandising, of course. Batman Begins is the start of a new Batman franchise and the start of a massive marketing campaign. The Art of Batman Begins takes you through a kind of step-by-step tour of the creation of the film and it's dark influences. The book begins with the cover to the classic Detective Comics #27, the first ever appearance of Batman along with a few panels from that issue by the late Bob Kane, Batman's creator. Then it's on to brilliant, full page concept paintings and drawings, and storyboards. A veritable treasure trove of material. If you haven't seen the film yet, this book is a great example of how Batman is being returned to his dark roots of the late 1930's and early 40's. A great book...one of the best merchandising items so far for the movie. Must-have for collectors!

5.0 out of 5 stars If you think you want it... get it, August 9, 2011

By 

cajentsch2 "cajentsch2" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Batman Begins (Hardcover)

If you like the movie and Batman, you'll like this book.
It's really quite an insight into the building of one of if not the best live 'superhero' movie yet made.
The pictures, drawings, digital sketches help to tell the story of taking these ideas from someone's mind... to paper... to the screen.
If you like knowing more about what it took to make this film come to life... this is a great book to own.