It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s not Superman either. It’s the world’s most powerful superhero, without any actual superpowers — Batman. The Big Book of Batman takes you into the world of the Dark Knight and tells you all there is to know about the saviour of Gotham, who he saves it from and why he is considered dangerous, even by his close friends.

The book starts with the initial details of Batman’s career; in fact, it tells you why the son of a multi-billionaire Thomas and Martha Wayne decided to become someone who would lurk in the darkness to help those who can’t help themselves. He lost his parents in a ‘crime alley’ and vowed that no one else would suffer the same fate as him, and that’s why he became Batman. With his trusted butler-cum-confidante Alfred Pennyworth at his side, Bruce Wayne began his quest against criminals as Batman, making them fear him because of his costume, his superior fighting techniques that he taught himself, and above all, his gadgets.

Why did Bruce Wayne choose a bat as a symbol for his alter ego? Was Robin a random recruit or he chose Dick Grayson as his sidekick for a reason? And how does he know that there is work to be done in Gotham when he lives mostly in his Batcave?

You will find the answers to all these questions in this book, including how he travels from one place to another without being detected, who are the people he saves the City from and why did they go against him in the first place.

This book is laced with photographs of Batman from the animated series and the comic books so people can relate to the character easily. He may not have superpowers but the book tells you why he survives and how he survives within the Justice League, where everyone is either an alien, some kind of a God or a freak of nature. And then there are his crime-fighting friends including Commissioner Gordon, Batgirl and others who are always nearby to lend him a hand. Some know his secret identity and some don’t even bother, because the less you make the Bat angry, the better.

Know all there is to know about the Bat-Utility belt, the Bat Foes and the Bat’s City through this wonderful Big Book about the Batman. Test your new-found knowledge regarding the Bat-Universe with your friends and impress them without trying too hard.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 15th, 2019