I'd had this book on my to-read list for a while, because who doesn't love Batman? I was pleasantly surprised very soon into this book to see how much of the story of Batman during the 20th Century reflects various cultural revolutions, reflections on society at the time, and a microcosm of media as a whole. As someone who's idea of Batman only comes from the last 20 years or so where the animated shows and Nolan movies reigned supreme, it was fun to learn about the various rise and falls Batman held in pop culture-- starting as a lone detective who comic readers saw in a reflection of who they wanted to be, Batman always served as a reflection of what people wanted to be (or already thought themselves to be) during various points in history. At various points, this meant: a rich guy looking out for other rich guys, a rich guy looking out for poor guys, an intensely intelligent hero, a father-like figure, a loner, a hyper-macho musclebound hero, a campy and flamboyant pop art figure, a grim and grisly badass, a humor-filled leader of a cheesy Bat-family who went into space and/or fought dinosaurs, and much more.

Not only has Batman served as someone for lovers of his comics and media to project themselves, but he also served as a litmus test for how mainstream and cool/acceptable the so-called 'nerd culture' was at any given point, culminating in today where every new super hero movie that comes out seems to break box office records. However, this creates a frustrating situation for the die-hards, who love that they're passions are now commonly accepted and celebrated-- but also feel that these icons (such as Batman) are being appropriated and changed for the 'normies.' The idea of 'that's not my Batman' started early in his history, reached a peak during the Adam West years (that apparently the hardcore fans have been trying to scrub in the decades since), and continue to this day anytime a new writer or director tries to veer the story away from what people consider their canon or their beloved image of the Batman. However, this all shows how interesting such an icon can be-- because it's not even true that all the hardcore fans feel the same way about what is the true depiction of Batman, something that only really gained steam once the Internet served as a collection spot for hardcore fans outside of isolated comic shops.

In the end, this book definitely gave me a much greater appreciation for the character of Batman and made me eager to revisit all the Batmen through the year, whether or not they were the ones I was familiar with. I'm eager to watch some of the Adam West, read some of the original Detective Comics, re-watch some of the animated series I grew up with, bask in the subject that was met with among the most vitriol (yes, the Bat-nipples), examine various iterations where Batman became something of a gay icon (to some people's celebration, and other's massive disgust to the point they had to get rid of Robin in the comics at one point to make Batman seem less gay...really), and see where future iterations take the story and character (Batfleck, anyone?)