Research Catalog

Title

Becoming Batman : the possibility of a superhero / E. Paul Zehr.

Author

Zehr, E. Paul

Publication

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xix, 300 p. : ill.; 23 cm.

Summary

"Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it?" "Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman?" "Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian. A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable - though extreme - level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero."--Jacket.

Subject

• Batman (Fictitious character)
• Physical education and training
• Human physiology
• Physical Education and Training

Genre/Form

• comic strips.
• comic books.
• Comics (Graphic works)
• Bandes dessinées.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [269]-283) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

pt. I. Bat-building blocks : exploring what Batman became by beginning where he started -- The "before" Batman : how buff was Bruce? -- Guess who's coming for dinner : Bruce's twin brother, Bob, and the human genome -- The stress of life : holy hormones, Batman! -- pt. II. Basic batbody training : laying the foundation for Batman's physical prowess to be later exploited by his skill -- Gaining strength and power : does the bat that flies the highest or the fastest get the worm? -- Building the batbones : brittle is bad, but is bigger better? -- Batmetabolism : what's for dinner on the Dark Knight diet -- pt. III. Training the batbrain : Batman on the path to mastery of the martial arts -- From Bruce Wayne to Bruce Lee : mastering martial moves in the batcave -- Everybody was Kung Fu fighting : but what was Batman doing? -- The caped crusader in combat : can you kayo without killing? -- pt. IV. Batman in action : knight moves with Batman when he acts as the caped crusader -- Batman bashes and is bashed by bad boys (and girls) : whan can he break without getting broken? -- Hardening the batbody : can sticks and stones break his bones? -- Gotham by twilight : working the knight shift -- pt. V.A mixed batbag : pondering possible pitfalls along the path to bathood -- Injury and recovery : how much banging until the batback goes bonk? -- Battle of the bats : could Batgirl beat Batman? -- The aging avenger : could the caped crusader become the caped codger? -- The reign of the bat : can you really become Batman and remain Batman?

ISBN

• 9780801890635 (hbk. : alk. paper)
• 0801890632 (hbk. : alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2008011325

OCLC

213408580

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library