Customer Reviews

The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Scott Beatty's The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual, opens with the following disclaimer:

"Attempting to exact vigilante-style justice is illegal, no matter what the situation. Even Batman himself, if he really existed, would be subject to prosecution, despite his close relationship with Commissioner Gordon... We urge you to obey all laws and respect all rights, including the property rights of others -- even the criminally insane."

DC's lawyers not only know their audience, they also have a sense of humor, something that's fully on display in Beatty's entertaining How To guide. Broken down into five chapters - The Basics, Bat Skills, Fighting Skills, Detective Skills and Escape Skills - Beatty offers up a realistic look at the caped crusader's methods and gadgets, along with a heaping helping of pure fanboy snark. Important information like how to make a Batsuit, how to drive the Batmobile on two wheels, and how to take out a roomful of goons is all presented in relatively straight-forward fashion, with real-world examples and common sense explanations, and frequently cut with wry observations such as: "Camouflage can save your life. Only a virtually invulnerable hero who operates in the daytime would wear bright blue, red and yellow."

Formatted like an actual training manual, it's very similar in tone to the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series, an oft-hilarious guide to surviving such potential disasters as escaping from quicksand or performing a tracheotomy. Besides explaining which martial arts are best to master and how to withstand poison kisses, The Batman Handbook is also rich in references to Batman history, making it a double treat for the fanboys and girls. In Chapter 5's "How to Win a Coin Toss," for example, Beatty briefly recounts Two Face's origin before suggesting, perhaps to future writers of the Dark Knight: "If your life is at stake or, more importantly, an innocent's fate is to be determined by the flip of a coin, you might be better off using the time it takes to toss a coin to launch an attack or slip from your bonds... Then decide the outcome yourself -- with your fists."

Batman's appeal has always been his universal relatability due to his lack of super powers. He's just a man - albeit an extraordinary man - the self-made hero that any of us could be if we had his willpower and drive, and of course, his bazillion dollar family fortune! The Batman Handbook is the perfect accessory for anyone who's ever dreamed of the vigilante lifestyle and answered the age old question of who they would rather be, Superman or Batman, with a derisive laugh: "Batman, of course."

If you like Batman, chances are at one time in your life you have thought about what it would be like to be involved in his line of work. Therefore, this book is for all Batman fans! I'd say it was a quick read, because I read the whole thing the day I got it, but seriously I was not keeping track of the time because I was so engaged in the book! A nice mix of fact and fun, it convinced me I could be Batman! Cool diagrams, insights into the character of Batman as well as his training, tactics, and abilities. I loved this thing and would recommend it to any comic reader.

Entertaining and well-researched, this manual is an enjoyable read for any one who ever fantasized being Batman as a kid. Written in an easy to understand, how-to format, it comes aross as being a book the caped crusader would give to one of his proteges. I agree with another reviewer about the disclaimer for parents. In fact, any parent should have a talk with their kid about not trying the things in that book, especially the jumping out of a tall building stunt. I had great fun reading through this, though, and was impressed with the amount of illustrations and technical terms. Well done!

I love this book. How wild is it that somebody out there came up with the genius idea of teaching us how to be Batman? The Caped Crusader! The leader of the Dynamic Duo! The Dark Knight! Half of World's Finest! The reluctant member of the Justice League!

You get the idea.

How ideal. Bruce Wayne being what Marx would consider a "normal human being," left a magnificent gateway wide open for all of us losers. Sitting around in your underwear all day, unemployed and fat? If you apply yourself, you can be Batman. Getting bullied around by your boss and wife and overbearing friends? Work hard and you too can be Batman. Getting smacked around by sissies smaller than you while women point and laugh? Get your self-respect back by being Batman! This book, written as believably and precisely as possible, does indeed give you everything you could possibly need and more in your quest to stop being the town clown and become the feared vigilante Bob Kane invented you to be....Batman!

It analyzes exactly what you would need and need to do to fashion your own batcave. This book tells you what to put in your utility belt and where to get one. It coaches you on the specifics of training a sidekick and contributing to juvenlie deliquence. You will find out exactly what are the best and most important martial art forms for you to learn in a ten year span and why. Get a cool car! Make your outfit something to be feared! Become an expert detective! Dude...BE BATMAN!!!

Batman was always my favorite superhero. He was dark, grity, and much more real than any other superhero out there. He was never gifted with powers... He was self made.

This book really lets you feel like you really could be the Dark Knight himself while still putting funny stuff in there to remind you it is fiction.

I gave this five stars because I think it deserves it but I think that the book would have been longer and better if they had gone into more detail. It wasn't so much a training guide as it was a book of ideas and hints on how to do these things. I would have loved to see more of the science behind the fiction, so to speak.

A very cool look at what it would take to be Batman or at least pull a good one off at a Halloween party. Laid out very much like a "Worst Case Scenario"-type book, it runs the gamut of things a "hero" would/should know and face in the line of duty. I think it is a most awesome gift to any comic fan and a quick, fun read!

First off I have to say I am the ultimate Batman fan, even have a batman tattoo. This book is very similar to those survival guides and how-to books. And as I read this I wound myself laughing out loud. It is written to the effect that you could do these things and afford to do them. i.e. go train with ninjas. Not only was I laughing at the book but also laughing at myself. Even if you don't a have batman tattoo you will still enjoy it if you like other superheroes.

I purchased this as a gift for my boyfriend, who is a huge fan of Batman. When I saw it online, I ordered it on a whim without knowing what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. After skimming the pages, I actually saw a lot to this book that even a non-Batman obsessed fan would find useful or entertaining. After some debating, I finally decided to give the book to my boyfriend (even though a part of me wanted to keep it for myself). He started reading it as soon as he got it and didn't put it down before he finished the whole thing, which only took him a couple hours so it was a pretty quick read. Although Batman is loved by kids, I actually don't think this book would be particularly appealing to them. I'm guessing someone in their teens or older might find this book more entertaining.

This is being written on my mother's account.

Man, where to begin?! I have loved Batman since I was two, and MANY years later, I find myself reading how to become my favorite superhero of all time! The things in this book are actually reasonable (trust me, I've tried several of them). Let me put it very simply before I go into detail: my copy of this book is as worn as our family Bible. I LOVE it.

Now for detail. First of all, anyone that wouldn't rate this five stars needs to be taken out to the firing range. There are pictures that go along with the handbook, illustrating how to correctly perform each maneuver. Backflips, throwing batarangs, detective work... it's all here. The drawings are nice and help to explain visually some concepts that may be difficult to just read and put into practice.

The book itself as far as writing is concerned, is beautiful! I think I actually wanted to shake the author's hand once I finished it... the first time. The second, third, fourth times, I wanted to give him a hug. Scott Beatty took the time to assemble an incredible book. I've flipped. I've thrown batarangs. I've won swordfights. I've done all the stuff (next to beating the crap out of some madman) that I saw Batman doing when I was little. Ah, life is good. :)

If you want to get this book, make sure it is for someone old enough to differentiate between fantasy and reality, though. Backflips, I did at home. I threw batarangs and had swordfights with my friends. The things in this book were put into practice by individuals that knew it wouldn't go any farther than a goofy plastic swordfight in the parking lot. A child with dreams of becoming Batman would probably, quite honestly, need to wait just a few years until his passion for the Dark Knight wears down a little bit. You don't want your son taking some kid out with a batarang at school.

So for those with the ability to discern, give them this book. Give them several copies of this book. The first one will be worn down to nothing in a matter of days!

I bought this book for my boyfriend's birthday because he is a big Batman fan and he loved it! I even had fun looking at it! I got a kick out of tips on how to make a Batcave and bulletproof your Batmobile but my favorite section was on how to outwith some of Batman's nemesis' such as Posion Ivy and the Joker. A must have for any Batman fan!