Book Review "Becoming Batman" - Where's Christian Bale When We Need Him?

Where's Christian Bale When We Need Him?

by Perry Mark Stratychuk

"Becoming Batman", is a a pop-cultural soft-cover book written by a university professor by the name of Zehr. This little book ought to be called "Becoming Tenured".

In this mighty tome, the writer supposes given the right amount of time, about 18 yrs or so and with the financial resources of  Bruce Wayne (Bill Gates?) a person, man or woman, could for all intents and purposes, become Batman, or even Batgirl. That is, if the Caped Crusader didn't spend more than one day a week fighting evil on our behalf.

Being a tacit fan of the Caped Crusader I say "Wow!" Actually, I think more of "Ow!", my sixties are showing again. That Zehr would hurl his professorial weapons my way and, shockingly, defend the concept of The Batman."Aghast!"

"Insult!" I feel somehow that in everyone's flight to return to old childhood turf, we're taking the usefulness and, yes, power out of our childhood heroes more and more nowadays.

I don't want my cartoons explained in terms of real life, what fun is that? I suppose I'm like one of those people who liked the band Guns and Roses so much that when everyone started liking them too, I lost interest. It was somehow like "they" were taking the piss out of what I saw as a really good band and, of course diluting it's worth, but I digress.

Really, is this what academia can offer up to us civilians? I mean, the populist "A Brief History of Time" was an easy read, but I walked away with something jarred aloose in my skull that made me value, a lot more, the efforts and intelligence it takes to tackle cosmology and physics, etc. Remember Einstein and Infeld's "The Evolution of Physics"? Me neither, probably because it was before my time. "Crash!"

With Zehr's book, I only realize all too clearly what is meant by "the geeks will inherit the earth". That itself is more forboding than receiving a Joker playing card as a warning. Excuse me while I go and watch The Machinist on DVD.

I'll probably lose weight from all the guilt for writing this article, because I am saddened . I am saddened for not being able to champion the book "Becoming Batman", which in the end is only a writer's wan attempt at populating shelfspace at the local Walmart. No, you don't have to tell me that you shop at Walmart, too. "Shazam!"

"Oops!" that was a another super-hero, also probably just around the corner.

Originally Published at Associated Articles 2012