Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon [Paperback]

Will Brooker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2001

A work of scholarship and a labor of love. "This is the definitive history of the Batman in all media: comics, film, television and the internet. The bookÆs 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 "Will appeal to avid students of pop culture and comics, and a gay cult audience...BrookerÆs impressive overview of BatmanÆs history reflects on the masked oneÆs origins, early arch rivals and the introduction of Robin, and concentrates on four periods: WWII, the mid 1950s, the æ60s and the æ90s. In 1954, child psychologist Fredric Wertham attacked the comic book industryànoting homoerotic undercurrents between Batman and Robin; BrookerÆs lengthy and fascinating ægay readingÆ supports WerthamÆs claim, albeit with a positive, postmodern twist. After recalling the campy image of Batman spawned by ABCÆs 1960s TV show, the author takes a look at Batman writers, fans, fanzines and the Net, concluding with a hilarious chapter on how his research was ridiculed by the British media." -Publishers Weekly ôàBrookerÆs account is bolstered by his fan expertise. This book usefully expands uponàThe Many Lives of Batman. Recommendedàö—Library Journal"A historical, detailed, deep analysis of Batman as a cultural icon in America. This isn't a simple polemic or surface-shallow analysis. This is deep stuff-analyzing art styles, histories, individual panels, cultural concepts, and historical documentsà. plenty of startling revelations and analysesàThis is a stunningly well-done, intelligent book. It's proof that comics are not throwaway ephemera, but real, vital, analyzable parts of our culture. It's also a must-have for the hardcore Batman fan and comics fan-who doesn't mind some ideas being challenged."—www.super-heroes.netôBrooker cuts through the mumbo jumbo to deliver incisive analysis and very sharp reporting, particularly on the comic book's homoerotic subtext and on the 60's TV show's knowing self-mockery, as well as on how the 'official' 21st Century Batman nods to both.ö—Entertainment WeeklyOver the sixty years of his existence, Batman has encountered an impressive array of cultural icons and has gradually become one himself. This fascinating book examines what Batman means and has meant to the various audiences, groups and communities who have tried to control and interpret him over the decades. Brooker reveals the struggles over Batman's meaning by shining a light on the cultural issues of the day that impacted on the development of the character. They include: patriotic propaganda of the Second World War; the accusation that Batman was corrupting the youth of America by appearing to promote a homosexual lifestyle to the fans of his comics; Batman becoming a camp, pop culture icon through the ABC TV series of the sixties; fans' interpretation of Batman in response to the comics and the Warner Bros. franchise of films.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like James Bond, Robin Hood and Dracula, Batman stands as a cultural icon whose malleability from era to era reveals much about our changing social preoccupations. This heavily footnoted volumeDwhich will appeal to avid students of pop culture and comics, and a gay cult audience, though it's unlikely to break out to a wider audienceDallows Brooker (co-editor of Post-Modern After-Images) to examine the famed DC Comics character in greater depth, benefiting from access to DC's own library plus interviews with long-time Batman editor Denny O'Neil. Invented by artist Bob Kane and scripter Bill Finger in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), Batman has since branched into every form of communication: newspaper comic strips, radio, TV, short stories, graphic novels, magazines, movies, merchandising, and now the Internet. Brooker's impressive overview of Batman's history reflects on the masked one's origins, early arch rivals and the introduction of Robin, and concentrates on four periods: WWII, the mid 1950s, the '60s and the '90s. In 1954, child psychologist Fredric Wertham attacked the comic book industry in Seduction of the Innocent, noting homoerotic undercurrents between Batman and Robin; Brooker's lengthy and fascinating "gay reading" supports Wertham's claim, albeit with a positive, postmodern twist. After recalling the campy image of Batman spawned by ABC's 1960s TV show, the author takes a look at Batman writers, fans, fanzines and the Net, concluding with a hilarious chapter on how his research was ridiculed by the British media. 20 b&w illus. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Brooker’s account is bolstered by his fan expertise. This book usefully expands upon The Many Lives of Batman. Recommended"—Library Journal

"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

"A historical, detailed, deep analysis of Batman as a cultural icon in America. This isn't a simple polemic or surface-shallow analysis. This is deep stuff-analyzing art styles, histories, individual panels, cultural concepts, and historical documents…. plenty of startling revelations and analyses…This is a stunningly well-done, intelligent book. It's proof that comics are not throwaway ephemera, but real, vital, analyzable parts of our culture. It's also a must-have for the hardcore Batman fan and comics fan-who doesn't mind some ideas being challenged."—www.super-heroes.net

"Brooker cuts through the mumbo jumbo to deliver incisive analysis and very sharp reporting, particularly on the comic book's homoerotic subtext and on the 60's TV show's knowing self-mockery, as well as on how the 'official' 21st Century Batman nods to both.”—Entertainment Weekly

"Eloquent and reasoned."—Popmatters.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826413439
• ISBN-13: 978-0826413437
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,134,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting but flawed study of character, April 8, 2006

By 

Danny McCaslin Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon (Paperback)

Will Brooker's "Batman Unmasked" has its moments. Brooker does a great job of giving the character a solid publication background and discussing some of the key issues that have come up in the history of the Batman character. However, he seems to spend a disproportionate ammount of time trying to convince us all that Batman is gay, or, more accurately, that "gay readings" of Batman are not "wrong", or even uncommon.

Well, to be frank, of course they're not "wrong," as you can never be "wrong" in an interpretation of a character. I remember writing a paper in my freshman year comparing the characters of Hamlet, Iago, and Richard III, and concluding that Hamlet could be read as a villain. However, Brooker preemptively tries to pigeonhole everyone who argues against this point as "homophobic" and tries to essentially say that most of the gay subtext of the character in the 40s, 50s, and 60s was intentional. It's one thing to reinterpret a character, it's something completely different to make the assumption that the subtext is intentional.

Brooker spends little time talking about "The Dark Knight Returns," probably the most famous, well-loved, and groundbreaking Batman comic book of the last 25 years, and only mentions it as a counterpoint to the more campy interpretations and as an influence on Tim Burton's 1989 film.

Finally, Brooker spends way too much time quoting from Internet message boards. I guess that's fine for a Culture Studies book, but I think that time may have been better spent reading Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and Bruno Bettelheim and discussing how The Batman fits into the ideas of authors who have done similar works relating to mythology and fairy-tales.

This wasn't a bad book, but I think it could have been MUCH better.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Batman Stripped is More Like It!, December 13, 2000

By 

Mark Delaney (Lyles, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon (Hardcover)

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.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. We need more books like this., January 28, 2001

By 

Steven Savage "Steve Savage" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon (Hardcover)

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.