#10042019

BOOK REVIEW

The title says it all, “Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond” … talking about hitting the nail on the head, this is the most comprehensive book based on Batman ever! The 400-page hardback by Insight Editions is encyclopedic covering every aspect about the Dark Knight in chronological order. It starts off with the Golden Age and the very first comic book issue in which Batman appeared (Detective Comics #27). In fact, they even include a reprint of issue. From there you are led on a journey of early comic book covers and artwork that laid the foundation for the most awesome superhero ever.

It’s fantastic that both Bill Finger and Bob Kane receive their credit here for co-creating Batman. Until recently, Finger’s contributions were unjustly ignored. After dipping into images and information of early comic books, the first two incarnations of live-action Batmen are covered starting with the serials from 1943 and 1949. Fan favorites like the 1966 Batman TV Series gets first-rate coverage, with magnificent photos, insider details, as well as the toys and collectibles that the show helped generate.

I specifically love the attention shown to all the cartoons, from the Super Friends to Beware the Batman, they’re all covered, with a major section devoted to the legendary Batman: The Animated Series ... and why not, for many including myself, it’s the definitive version of the Cape Crusader.

As you leaf through the pages, some of the real treats are attachments you’ll find throughout the book. Besides the reprint of Detective Comics, you’ll also get reprints from a number of storyboards, Frank Miller ‘s original “Year One” script and many other extras. On the back cover you’ll find an envelope with Bob Kane’s original story treatment from 1986, which would eventually become Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.

Speaking of movies, each one is superbly covered. You’ll get a magnificent look at both the Burton and Schumacher films with behind scene photographs, marketing material, storyboards and concept artwork for each film. The book moves through each film delightfully. Being a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, I spent ample time browsing through the examination of those three films. It sure is enjoyable taking a look back at cinematic history. 

Video games are not overlooked either. The section on the Arkham series has information about the games that I’ve never seen or read anywhere else. It really gives you a much greater appreciation for those world-famous games.   

It’s impossible to recapitulate “Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond” in a short review, but rest assured that no stone is left unturned about the world most popular superhero. This isn’t a book you look at for hours, days or months … this is one you’ll enjoy for your many years to come. This is truly a must-have for fans of Batman and comic book fans alike. 

You can preorder your copy now at Amazon.

Coming October 29, 2019

[20190410] GOT7Official update

Today’s showcase that exploded with the chemistry of MC-Twae and Jus2! Did you have a good time with Jus2? See you again tomorrow Tokyo!

[20190410] GOT7 Japan’s twitter update

And the special guest MC Youngjae, thank you very much♡

Ich streife dich ab wie eine Schlange ihre Haut. Du passt mir nicht mehr, zu eng, ich fühle mich eingeengt mit dir, bei dir, beim Gedanken an uns. Ich wollte dich, ich brauchte dich, selbst als du mich fortstießest, verließ ich dich nicht. Ich war hier, und Du, warst alles was zählte. Deine Meinung zu allem, war wichtiger als jede andere. Ich habe das getan, ich habe Dich über alles gestellt. Was ich nicht begreifen konnte war, selbst wenn Du nicht da bist, selbst wenn Du es nicht siehst, bin ich gut

Genug.

Dieses Leben ist viel mehr als Du. Ich bin es. Ich werde es immer sein. Und vielleicht, bin ich ohne Dich besser als mit Dir. Weil Du nicht zu sehen scheinst, dass ich gut bin. Da wartet das Gefühl von Freiheit, ich muss nichts wollen, außer mich. Du kannst wütend, verletzt, traurig sein, Du hast mich nicht gewollt. Ich habe Dich gewollt, so lange, weil ich Dich nicht loslassen wollte/konnte, ich habe es nicht. Ich darf eine andere Entscheidung treffen, so wie Du es auch getan hast. Eine für mich. Du und Ich sind, im Moment, keine Entscheidung für mich mehr. Ich bin es.

Es mag an manchen Tagen schwerer sein als an anderen, aber ich will mich an jedem Einzelnen davon. Ich habe immer jemanden gesucht, der mich wählt. Und Du hast es nicht.

I came across this French cover of Luis Fonsi’s Despacito, and it got me thinking of translations. More specifically, Tyler Cowen’s conversation with Emily Wilson about her translations of Homer’s Odyssey into English”

In a recent Twitter thread, Emily Wilson listed some of the difficulties of translating Homer into English. Among them: “There aren’t enough onomatopoeic words for very loud chaotic noises” (#2 on the list), “It’s very hard to come up with enough ways to describe intense desire to act that don’t connote modern psychology” (#5), and “There is no common English word of four syllables or fewer connoting ‘person particularly favored by Zeus due to high social status, and by the way this is a very normal ordinary word which is not drawing any special attention to itself whatsoever, beyond generic heroizing.’” (#7).

The reason why there are different translations of the same book in the same language by different people is because different people focus on different things. I think, especially with poetry, things tend to get messier. Like, should one try to preserve the rhyme structure or the metaphor? How about the number of lines? I remember reading about some Harry Potter translations changing some of the characters’ names because some of the names are anagrams or mean different things in another language.