Gotham City Living: The Social Dynamics in the Batman Comics and Media

Gotham City Living explores how the Batman universe represents urban America, focusing on key sociological themes such as youth, gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity, class disparity, and criminality. It covers a wide range of material from the universe, including works by Tom King, Gail Simone, Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, and the Batman animated series and Gotham television shows.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 06 May 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Gotham City, portrayed as a miniature representation of a contemporary metropolis, serves as the focal point of Gotham City Living. This fictional setting is presented as a hyper-aware archetype, serving as a testament to the social, political, and cultural tensions prevalent in urban America. By examining the comics, graphic novels, films, and television shows that comprise the Batman universe, this book showcases how the diverse creators of Gotham City have envisioned a geographical representation of America, with the characters within the narrative acting as catalysts for a reevaluation of established urban values. McCrystal delves into the representations of the city and its inhabitants, categorizing them into essential sociological themes such as youth, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class disparity, and criminality. Spanning from mid-20th-century comic strip publications to modern depictions, this book explores a vast array of material from the Batman universe, as well as the most recent portrayals of the iconic caped crusader that have yet to receive scholarly attention. This includes the works of Tom King and Gail Simone, the films directed by Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton, and the Batman animated series and Gotham television shows. By examining characters ranging from Batman and Robin to Batgirl, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy, Gotham City Living offers a comprehensive examination of the Batman franchise as it has evolved. Through this analysis, the book demonstrates how Gotham City serves as a chronicle of social progression (and regression) within urban American society.

Weight: 290g
Dimension: 138 x 216 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350148895