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sashareadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
zach_collins's review against another edition
3.0
Batman and Philosophy is a collection of essays that attempt to explain philosophical concepts by way of the Batman comic book series and characters. While this collection is a decent introduction to philosophical thought, especially for someone with little to no background in the subject matter, the essays vary widely in terms of subject, style and quality. Recommended for bat-fans interested in brushing up on their Aristotle and Kierkegaard, but it might be best to keep expectations low.
Additionally, this book deals almost exclusively with the comics; if your exposure to Batman has been through movies, this might not be the book for you.
Additionally, this book deals almost exclusively with the comics; if your exposure to Batman has been through movies, this might not be the book for you.
rjstreet's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this title up, but it's fair to say that whatever my initial thoughts, my expectations were surpassed. For a book with a seemingly light subject matter, this work covers a wide range of philosophical thought with clear and concises explanations and copious examples - so much so that I'm relatively certain this work was more informative than my first semester of philosophy in college. Few books have inspired me to go out and read works by other authors, bu this one actually inspired me to read two other books (The Killing Joke and Leviathan). Fun and educational, this is a must for any fan of Batman and/or philosophy.
read_100_books's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very interesting if you are both a Batman fan and wish to learn about some of the most important philosophical concepts that have developed through the years. Some sections are more engaging than others - the Superman/Batman chapters were the best - but you learn something new each chapter.
Overall a quick and engrossing read.
Overall a quick and engrossing read.
mjthomas43's review against another edition
4.0
Having read and enjoyed Batman stories since I was young, and having a BA in Philosophy, I know a little more than average about both topics, and therefore found that most of the ideas and level of detail were a little simplistic. However, someone who knows one and not the other (and is interested in the other) would probably get a good deal of good out of this book. I found that I discovered a few things about aspects of some philosophers and ideas that I wasn't clear on before, because of the comparisons and connections made to the Batman universe. Overall, I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it for anyone knowledgeable about one and interested in the other. This would be suitable for public library collections and some high school library collections.
smm231's review against another edition
2.0
OK introduction to some philosophical subjects, though rather repetitive, and for many of the topics (possible worlds, e.g.) the links to Batman were tenuous. The couple chapters on virtue ethics were my favorite.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
4.0
This was an awesome concept for a book. Use a subject I like, Batman, to teach me about somethings I do not, philosophy. Unfortunately Batman and Philosophy never quite measures up to the concept.
Some of the articles are engrosing, like Tao of the Bat. These are the ones that teach you, effortlessly tying the Batman history and mythology to philosophy.
Unfortunately not all the articles are that good. Some are just OK, but others are dense, dense, dense. These ones put you to sleep.
While some of the writers are clearly fans, all of them have clearly done their research, referencing things like Bluhaven in their writing and actual comics in their footnotes. The problem is that the references are very similar, like the same press package was sent out to all who agreed to contribute.
Still, this book was a good bathroom read and a must for the uber-Batman fan.
Some of the articles are engrosing, like Tao of the Bat. These are the ones that teach you, effortlessly tying the Batman history and mythology to philosophy.
Unfortunately not all the articles are that good. Some are just OK, but others are dense, dense, dense. These ones put you to sleep.
While some of the writers are clearly fans, all of them have clearly done their research, referencing things like Bluhaven in their writing and actual comics in their footnotes. The problem is that the references are very similar, like the same press package was sent out to all who agreed to contribute.
Still, this book was a good bathroom read and a must for the uber-Batman fan.