Nerds versus The Batman

Weldon, Glen.  The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture.  New York: Simon &
            Schuster, 2016.  ISBN: 978-1-4767-5669-1

Batman has been in the public eye since his debut in 1939 in Detective Comics #27. In The Caped Crusade, Glen Weldon explores why Batman has endured, what his cultural impact has been, and the Bat's relevance to today's culture.

In the Introduction, Weldon opens by discussing a 30 year cycle of gritty to campy Batman through its 70 year history, the myth of Batman's reliability, and the rise of nerds in general culture.  He then dives into the history of Batman in nine chapters.  He opens with the first appearances of Batman and discusses his origins and how Robin turned the Lone Vigilant into the Dynamic Duo.  The Comic Book Panic with Dr. Wertham and how it affected Batman is covered in some detail next.  The 1960's television show and its effect on the comic and culture is explored in Chapter 3, followed by the backlash of the comic creators and fans.  There are chapters on the various movies and cartoon shows intermingled with the changing comic book scene covering to close to the present day.  Mingled throughout the chapters is the development of the nerd fan culture and its reaction to the multiple incarnations of Batman over the years.

Weldon has provided a nice history of Batman that places the character in context of his changing fan base.  He provides plenty of informed commentary with informational asides that make this a smooth read.  He lets slip his preferences while still presenting the other side of the argument.  If you like Batman, comics, or the rise of fan culture, you are likely to enjoy The Caped Crusade!