The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture

â€œA roaring getaway car of guilty pleasuresâ€ (The New York Times Book Review), Glen Weldonâ€™s The Caped Crusade is a fascinating, critically acclaimed chronicle of the rises and falls of one of the worldâ€™s most iconic superheroes and the fans who love himâ€”now with a new afterword.

Since his debut in Detective Comics #27, Batman has been many things: a two-fisted detective; a planet-hopping gadabout; a campy Pop Art sensation; a pointy-eared master spy; and a grim ninja of the urban night. Yet, despite these endless transformations, he remains one of our most revered cultural icons. In this â€œsmart, witty, and engrossingâ€ (The Wall Street Journal) cultural critique, NPR contributor and book critic Glen Weldon provides â€œa sharp, deeply knowledgeable, and often funny look at the cultural history of Batman and his fandomâ€ (Chicago Tribune) to discover why it is that we canâ€™t get enough of the Dark Knight.

For nearly a century, Batman has cycled through eras of dark melodrama and light comedy and back again. How we perceive his character, whether heâ€™s delivering dire threats in a raspy Christian Bale growl or trading blithely homoerotic double entendres with Robin the Boy Wonder, speaks to who we are and how we wish to be seen by the world. Itâ€™s this endless adaptability that has made him so lasting, and ultimately human.

But itâ€™s also Batmanâ€™s fundamental nerdiness that uniquely resonates with his fans and makes them fiercely protective of him. As Weldon charts the evolution of Gothamâ€™s Guardian from Bob Kane and Bill Fingerâ€™s hyphenated hero to Christopher Nolanâ€™s post-9/11 Dark Knight, he reveals how this symbol of justice has made us who we are today and why his legacy remains so strong. The result is â€œpossibly the most erudite and well-researched fanboy manifesto everâ€ (Booklist). Well-researched, insightful, and engaging, The Caped Crusade, with a new afterword by the author, has something for everyone: â€œIf youâ€™re a Bat-neophyte, this is an accessible introduction; if youâ€™re a dyed-in-the-Latex Bat-nerd, this is a colorfully rendered magical history tour redolent with nostalgiaâ€ (The Washington Post).
Country USA
Brand Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer Simon & Schuster
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9781476756738
ReleaseDate 2017-03-21
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781476756738

Country	USA
Brand	Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer	Simon & Schuster
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	9781476756738
ReleaseDate	2017-03-21
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781476756738

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture

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