{"product_id":"the-caped-crusade-batman-and-the-rise-of-nerd-culture-9781476756738","title":"The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture","description":"\"A roaring getaway car of guilty pleasures\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e), Glen Weldon's \u003ci\u003eThe Caped Crusade\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating, critically acclaimed chronicle of the rises and falls of one of the world's most iconic superheroes and the fans who love him--now with a new afterword. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSince his debut in \u003ci\u003eDetective Comics\u003c\/i\u003e #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 \"smart, witty, and engrossing\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ecultural critique, NPR contributor and book critic Glen Weldon provides \"a sharp, deeply knowledgeable, and often funny look at the cultural history of Batman and his fandom\" (\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e) to discover why it is that we can't get enough of the Dark Knight. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor nearly a century, Batman has cycled through eras of dark melodrama and light comedy and back again. How we perceive his character, whether he'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. It's this endless adaptability that has made him so lasting, and ultimately human. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut it's also Batman's fundamental nerdiness that uniquely resonates with his fans and makes them fiercely protective of him. As Weldon charts the evolution of Gotham's Guardian from Bob Kane and Bill Finger's hyphenated hero to Christopher Nolan'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 \"possibly the most erudite and well-researched fanboy manifesto ever\" (\u003ci\u003eBooklist). \u003c\/i\u003eWell-researched, insightful, and engaging, \u003ci\u003eThe Caped Crusade\u003c\/i\u003e, with a new afterword by the author, has something for everyone: \"If you're a Bat-neophyte, this is an accessible introduction; if you're a dyed-in-the-Latex Bat-nerd, this is a colorfully rendered magical history tour redolent with nostalgia\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Simon \u0026amp; Schuster\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/21\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476756738\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 360\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.30h x 5.50w x 1.10d","brand":"Glen Weldon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36652466438300,"sku":"9781476756738","price":14.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_48c63860-2784-4c43-b23d-97e24697ad5b.jpg?v=1603879846","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-caped-crusade-batman-and-the-rise-of-nerd-culture-9781476756738","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}