The Caped Crusade
Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture
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The Caped Crusade
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Narrated by:
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Glen Weldon
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By:
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Glen Weldon
About this listen
A witty, intelligent cultural history from NPR book critic Glen Weldon explains Batman's rises and falls throughout the ages - and what his story tells us about ourselves.
Since his creation, 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 and gritty ninja of the urban night. For more than three-quarters of a century, he has cycled from a figure of darkness to one of lightness and back again; he's a bat-shaped Rorschach inkblot who takes on the various meanings our changing culture projects onto him. How we perceive Batman's character, whether he's delivering dire threats in a raspy Christian Bale growl or trading blithely homoerotic double entendres with partner Robin on the comics page, speaks to who we are and how we wish to be seen by the world. It's this endlessly mutable quality that has made him so enduring.
And it's Batman's fundamental nerdiness - his gadgets, his obsession, his oath, even his lack of superpowers - that uniquely resonates with his fans who feel a fiercely protective love for the character. Today, fueled by the Internet, that breed of passion for elements of popular culture is everywhere. Which is what makes Batman the perfect lens through which to understand geek culture, its current popularity, and its social significance.
In The Caped Crusade, with humor and insight, Glen Weldon, book critic for NPR and author of Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, lays out Batman's 78-year cultural history and shows how he has helped make us who we are today and why his legacy remains so strong.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2016 Glen Weldon (P)2016 Simon & SchusterWhat listeners say about The Caped Crusade
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sean
- 14-03-2018
A great performance by the author, all around
Glen Weldon, brought his words to life in an outstanding matter, giving a variety of different voices to the ideas he conveyed. He reading passed his clear passion onto the listener and the was better for it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-10-2020
Well Read and Highly Informative
The author gives a profound insight and overview of Batman's history and legacy providing a fair share of laughs and excellent impressions of all the men who have played and/or voiced the Dark Knight. A must have for any Batfan.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jodhi
- 16-05-2016
The Bestman!
Listening to this brought me so much joy. I'm only a passing batman admirer, this book gave me a deeper understanding of a culture I can only peer into, and admire from a distance. Thank you Glen. You are truly wonderful.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 15-11-2017
Batman is whatever you need him to be
Weldon gives a engaging and coherent timeline of Batman and nerd culture, from the characters inception right through to the current day. After listening to this audiobook I've come to realization that in regards to nerd culture, the more things change the more they stay the same. Wheldon doesn't attempt to define Batman according "my Batman" but rather explains how and why Batman has stood the test of time and why he is so compelling to so many people around the world for the last 75+ years.
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