On The Bench! - the Batman eBook by Ross Muir
In 2005 Ross Muir completed and made available the eBook On The Bench - 65 Years of The Bat which was not just a chronological history of the character and his place in popular culture, but a personal take on the Bat and the Author's association with the character as he followed the Dark Knight through the decades as a fan, and genuine enthusiast of the comic book medium.
Each page was a Bat Chapter dedicated to either information on the history of comic books themselves or a specific topic, era or highlight (or lowlight) within Bruce Wayne's own career. Laced with a lot of humour, it's the largest eBook article the Author has produced to date, being over 100 pages.
The Author intends to revisit and expand the Book to take in the re-emergence of the Dark Knight as a highly successful and lucrative movie franchise, as well as summarise the goings on in comic book land including the Author's own views on how he feels D.C. Comics have lost the plot as regards this seminal comic book character, with his persona and future actually more authentically served on the big screen.
The updated version is expected during the first half of 2010, but meanwhile a link to the original eBook can be found below and the following (taken from the Introduction) may help describe what will be found within the Bat-Book Cave...
Batman. A name known to anyone familiar with the world of entertainment.
Even beyond that. Those not in the habit of picking up comic books, graphic novels, watching fictional escapism t.v. or going to the movies, will still almost certainly acknowledge the name. For 65 years the character has been part of the fictional lore of the civilised world. Superman, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Count Dracula…the list of well-known and enduring franchises goes on, but not all are universally acknowledged. Few continue to reinvent themselves generation after generation.
Some though are obvious choices. Who wouldn’t at some point like to have the power to fly and have X-ray vision (behave at the back, please).
Who hasn’t thought of themselves as the deadly and debonair Spy facing dangerous assassins and saving the world every second Tuesday…
Yet as many, myself included, have always been drawn to the creature of the night, battling petty criminal and world-threatening foe alike, while flitting from rooftop to rooftop with the assistance of a few gadgets and supreme physical and mental skill. The ability to gracefully melt in to the shadows of the streets, then appear suddenly to strike fear into the hearts of the evil that lurk amongst us, with the cape, the cowl, and the blue underwear worn outside the combat leggings.
This collection of words will not particularly analyse the success of the Bat, nor will it yield critical observations on the impact this character has had on the psyche, or the kid round the corner who reads every comic. No – it is simply my take on old friend Bruce Wayne who it has been my privilege to have as a companion for somewhere around thirty-five years.
My stumbling attempts to take you through the many era’s of this comic book legend, and hopefully – via my own opinions and comments – a chance for the reader to get a gist of the history of Batman while at the same time bringing you up to speed with the World of the Bat as it is today. Just where are we with Mr. Wayne and his trusted friends & bat-family in the current world?
Well I’ll tell you, if you’ll let me.
My take on the Bat. Take it or leave it. Who knows, it may inspire you to revisit Gotham, look out your blue underpants and pull them over your trousers.
On The Bench - 65 Years of The Bat
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GQYMLSI0
©2005 Ross Muir. All rights reserved. No portion may be reprinted without express permission of the copyright holder.
