Table of Contents
Acknowledgments: My Bat-Family vii
Foreword by Michael Uslan, Bat-Films executive producer xi
Introduction by Dennis O’Neil, comic book writer/editor 1
1 Beneath the Cowl: Who Is Batman? 5
2 Which Batman? 8
Case File 2–1: King Tut
Case File 2–2: Mr. Freeze
3 The Trauma 35
4 Why the Mask? 54
5 Why the Bat? 67
Case File 5–1: Scarecrow
Case File 5–2: Hugo Strange
6 The “Superstitious, Cowardly Lot”: Criminal Nature 90
Case File 6–1: Bane
7 The Halloween Party: Why All the Costumed Crooks? 110
Case File 7–1: The Riddler
Case File 7–2: The Penguin
Case File 7–3: Poison Ivy
8 The Madhouse: What Insanity? 130
Case File 8–1: The Mad Hatter
Case File 8–2: Harley Quinn
Case File 8–3: The Joker
9 The Psychodynamic Duo: Freud and Jung on Batman and Robin 158
Case File 9–1: Two-Face
10 The Kids: Why Robin? 178
Case File 10–1: Red Hood
Case File 10–2: Dr. Fredric Wertham
11 The Women: Why the Cat? 211
Case File 11–1: Catwoman
12 The Fathers: Why Do We Fall? 237
Case File 12–1: Ra’s al Ghul
13 Why So Serious? 257
14 The Assessment: Bats in His Belfry? 266
Notes 272
References: Comic Books and Graphic Novels 291
References: Not Comic Books or Graphic Novels 304
Index 332