Review by Booklist Review
On what day of the week were Bruce Wayne's parents murdered? What color are Commissioner Gordon's eyes? What are the salient characteristics of the Gotham architectural style? What are five aliases used by the Joker? If your readers care about the answers to these questions, this oversize resource belongs in your collection. Unlike The Batman Vault (2009) and The Essential Batman Encyclopedia (2008), which collect facts about a fictional character's history, this handsomely designed and maniacally meticulous book is written as though it were the scrapbook and journal of the character himself. Featuring diary entries, police reports, newspaper clippings, and workout schedules, highlighted with sketches, blueprints, and illustrations from decades of comic-book history, Manning's work covers every moment of this icon's life from birth up to the moment of his recent reinvention in DC's 52 event. While this is mainly the province of a rarefied crowd, even the uninitiated may enjoy dipping into the obsessively crafted fictional world, and placing The Batman Files in a display could help many browsers wile away a few diverting hours.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Packed full of Gotham City newspaper articles, police records, criminal files, and blueprints, The Batman Files is the definitive compendium for Batman knowledge. Produced in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Comics, this distinctive collection showcases Manning's knowledge as a comic book writer (The Attack of Professor Zoom!) and his passion as a historian and fan of comics (coauthor, DC Comics Year by Year). The beautiful packaging and layout seal everything together, giving the reader an in-depth and highly enjoyable look at one of the comics world's most fascinating superheroes. Verdict The high price tag may scare some away, but the details inside will wow anyone who gives this book a look. Libraries with robust graphic novel collections and fervent graphic novel fans will find this title a must-have. Great for teen and adult Batman fans.-Justin Hoenke, Portland P.L., ME (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
