Batman: From the 30s to the 70s

[EnterDuration]

Found my battered copy after twenty years. I got this from a used-books store in 1989 and it was my source for "Batman history" during that pivotal year. Strangely, my copy is the Taiwanese copy mentioned here, which means there are no colored sections at all, despite what it says in the TOC. More discussion here.

[The Lucky One]

Our public library had a copy when I was growing up, and on the rare occasions I could find it (it was always checked out), I absolutely loved it. I didn't even remember that most of it was black-and-white until I bought a copy as an adult.

But yeah, what a great intro to Batman for kids. A mix of some of the classics (Chemical Syndicate, the Monk, the Joe Chill story, the Lew Moxxon amendment of the Joe Chill story, the Red Hood, etc.), but also a few of the weird late '50s/early '60s stories, and then wrapping it up with some awesome Bronze Age stuff like The Demon of Gothos Mansion.

I think this book was singlehandedly responsible for me thinking the Betty Kane Bat-Girl was more historically important than she actually was, since it reprinted like three of her appearances, and only one of Barbara Gordon's. Anyway, can't say enough good things. The Superman: From the 30s to the 70s volume was good too, but I think this one was better.

[MajorHoy]

Got both the Batman and Superman books back in the 1970s (probably had my parents get them for me different years for Christmas) and also got


Another great one available around then (as a "Bargain Book" at Waldenbooks):