In honor of the legendary comic book writer Dennis O’Neil, who died in June this year at the age of 81, for this edition of our Memphis Parent book club series, I’ll be taking a look at What Is the Story of Batman? (Penguin Workshop) by Michael Burgan and illustrated by Jake Murray.
O’Neil, along with illustrator Neal Adams, reinvented Batman in the ’70s. Though the Dark Knight of today owes more to Frank Miller’s 1986 take on the character, O’Neil’s fingerprints are still evident — a point made evident in What Is the Story of Batman?, which takes readers through the characters many epochs (Remember Adam West dancing the Batusi?).
What Is the Story of Batman? is one of the newest books in the Who HQ series, an excellent tool for parents trying to push their stuck-at-home kids in the direction of independent learning. The series includes books on world history, Oprah Winfrey, the Underground Railroad, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the Serengheti desert in Africa, the Berlin Wall, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And that’s just for starters. The new Batman-themed title is simply a fun vehicle to talk about a series that manages to be both educational and entertaining — and in bite-sized amounts easily digestible by easily distracted young children.
So is Penguin’s Who HQ series a safe bet to combat the no-summer-camp doldrums? Indubitably. But does Michael Burgan manage to concisely sum up the story of DC’s Dark Knight Detective? Indeed, he does. And that’s coming from someone who grew up watching reruns of Bill Dozier’s Batman (1966-1968) television series, whose first cliffhanger TV moment was breathlessly watching the “Two-Face: Part 1” and “Two-Face: Part 2” episodes from Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995).
So if this certifiably batty fan can read Burgan’s 105-page encyclopedia of Batman and still learn a thing or two, it’s a safe bet any young superhero stalwart will enjoy it as well.
Thank you to Cotton Tails, the place to find unique children's clothing and shoes, located in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, and Literacy Mid-South for sponsoring this children’s book review! Learn more about the various programs offered by Literacy Mid-South by visiting their site literacymidsouth.org and following them on Facebook and Instagram @literacymidsouth.