BATMAN'S ARSENAL:
An Unauthorized Encyclopedic Chronicle
Matt MacNabb
Preface By Adam West
"No matter what generation you grew up with, this book is the essentials of truly understanding everything Batman."
-Dustin Nguyen, artist on Batman, DC Comics, Li'l Gotham & more
"Batman's Arsenal covers an incredible amount of history and Matt MacNabb's passion for the Dark Knight can be felt on every page. Hearing from creators and the people who've built Batman's universe adds new color to the history and legend of one of pop culture's most enduring heroes."
-Brandon T. Snider, author of DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide & The Dark Knight Manual
"Exhaustively researched and complete to the most minute detail, this book will be an indispensable tome for any Batman fan, and a must for anyone who wants to know whys and wherefores of the Dark Knight! Now, even I'll know why there's a dinosaur in the Batcave!!!!"
-Kelley Jones, artist on Batman, Detective Comics & Harley Quinn
For the first time, the entire scope and history of the Bat arsenal, from the famous cowl, the awesome Batmobile, the catacomb-like Batcave to the tank-like Tumbler is documented in this unauthorizedencyclopedic chronicle by Matt MacNabb. It is really Batman's equipment and the unique gizmos he employs to keep Gotham safe that not only defines him but transforms him into a superhero. After all, he's one of the very few superheroes who's as human as the rest of us.
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Survey the many iterations since its debut in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939: the original ferocious and bitter avenger, the campy crusader of the '60s TV series, the dark brooding antihero of the graphic novels and the recent Chris Nolan Dark Knight films. What's the one thing that remains consistent about this most mysterious of superheroes through the decades? His gear, his arsenal. When the Bat signal hits the night sky all the world knows who's been called. If you really want to get to know Batman, you must know his material.
• Entire history of the Bat cache of weapons, in all media
• In-depth interviews with the people behind the Bat cosmos
• Expert analysis of the Bat gadgetry by the author and other Bat-gurus
• Exhaustive, intimate catalog of Batman's incredible crime-fighting tools
• Comparison of all incarnations, from comic book to tv to film and beyond
• The Bat foes - from the Joker to Bane - with expert analysis and commentary
Matt MacNabb unravels the how and why of each significant piece of the Batman toolbox, along with intimate behind the scenes stories and knowledgeable commentary by the people who designed them. To really know Batman's armory, you must know this army of dedicated, talented artists, writers and technicians who are the ones who have really brought the Caped Crusader's weaponry to life. They are Batman's secret pit crew, swapping the Bat tires and equipping the Bat utility belt. Most of them grew up as super fans of the comics and the books and the TV shows and the movies the same way everyone else did, but they got the lucky break to contribute to the stockpile of the Bat armory.
Batman's Arsenal author and Bat Oracle, Matt MacNabb, mastermind of the LegionsofGotham.org Bat-fan-mecca super website, has poured a lifetime of Bat love and Bat lore into his book. He and his work have been featured in SFX Magazine, Variety, Brick Journal, on CNN and BBC Radio, and in contributions to books such as Holy Franchise, Batman and The DC Comics Action Figure Archive. He has been featured in a Batman comic book. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Comics & Graphic Novels / Superheroes; Film / Reference
An Opus Trade Paperback Original• $32.95
E_BOOK Editions Available
456 pages, duotone
ISBN: 978-162316-074-6