Description
Book SynopsisFraming Gotham City as a microcosm of a modern-day metropolis,
Gotham City Living posits this fictional setting as a hyper-aware archetype, demonstrative of the social, political and cultural tensions felt throughout urban America. Looking at the comics, graphic novels, films and television shows that form the Batman universe, this book demonstrates how the various creators of Gotham City have imagined a geography for the condition of America, the cast of characters acting as catalysts for a revaluation of established urban values. McCrystal breaks down representations of the city and its inhabitants into key sociological themes, focusing on youth, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class disparity and criminality. Surveying comic strip publications from the mid-20th century to modern depictions, this book explores a wide range of material from the universe as well as the most contemporary depictions of the caped crusader not yet fully addressed in a scholarly context. Thes
Trade ReviewIf readers are looking for an introduction to academic scholarship on comics and identity, Gotham City Living provides a good entry point. * The Geek Anthropologist *
In this fascinating examination of the
Batman comic book, television, and film adventures from 1939 to 2020, Erica McCrystal demonstrates how the enduring multimedia superhero franchise can help us understand the crisis of urban life in 20th and 21st century America, from “the war on crime” to gentrification to Black Lives Matter. Great stuff. * Marc DiPaolo, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, author of Fire and Snow: Climate Fiction from the Inklings to Game of Thrones *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Youth and Gotham City: Raising Criminals, Training Vigilantes, and Influencing Readers Chapter 2: Beyond Batman: Gender in Gotham City Chapter 3: The Sexualized City: Violence, Power, and Liberation Chapter 4: Pluralism and Identity Formation: Race and Ethnicity in Gotham City Chapter 5: From the Slums to the Manors: Gotham City’s Class Disparity Chapter 6: Criminal Productivity: Gotham City’s Most Wanted and Most Needed Epilogue Bibliography
