This past Thursday Henry Tucker of Blueprint: Review was kind enough to write a nice ★★★★ review of my book Holy Franchise, Batman!; here’s an excerpt…
Whatever your personal favourite [Batman incarnation], it will be in this rather excellent book by Gary Collinson. He has broken down Batman’s many appearances in chronological order from the very earliest film, through that 60s TV show, the Tim Burton / Joel Schumacher period, the 1990s animated TV show and then right up-to-date with Chris Nolan’s trilogy… So if you just can’t get enough of the Dark Knight at the moment, then this is well worth shelling out for and shouting at the top of your voice, “Holy Franchise Batman!”
Check out the full review here.
Meanwhile, to coincide with Friday’s release of The Dark Knight Rises, I also took part in an interview with Robert Hale Book Blog, during which I discussed the appeal of Batman, the challenges of researching and writing the book, and my thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy. If you’re interested in what I have to say, you can read the interview here.
HOLY FRANCHISE BATMAN: BRINGING THE CAPED CRUSADER TO THE SCREEN:
Since the Caped Crusader first made the leap from comics to silver screen in the early 1940s, generations of audiences have been captivated by the screen adventures of Batman, establishing the celebrated comic book hero as a true icon of popular culture. Now, Gary Collinson traces the entire screen history of Bob Kane’s Dark Knight Detective, providing a fascinating insight into one of the most successful media franchises of all time.
Beginning with the early movie serials of the 1940s, Holy Franchise, Batman! charts the development of Batman’s many exploits across both live-action and animation, presenting a comprehensive overview of his illustrious screen career. From the classic 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward to the hugely successful blockbuster feature films from directors Tim Burton (Batman, Batman Returns), Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin) and Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), as well as early Saturday morning cartoon outings through to the acclaimed ‘DC Animated Universe’, this book explores the evolution of Batman – a journey that has taken him from ‘camp’ crime-fighter to Dark Knight.
Holy Franchise, Batman! is available now via Amazon.co.uk, or click here for a full list of stockists.
Originally published July 23, 2012. Updated December 6, 2019.
