Travis Langley - Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight

PRAISE FOR TRAVIS LANGLEY AND

AND PSYCHOLOGY

This man is a genius! Stan Lee

Marvelous. Adam West

Thought-provoking. Kirkus Reviews

Langley cleverly combines his two loves, as evinced by the title, to create a work that will draw the most disinterested psychology students in by using the seemingly universally loved Byronic hero of Batman. Geekscape.net

Dr. Langley puts this masked vigilante and his admirers on the analyst couch to examine what makes himand ustick. A revealing look at Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego. Barnes & Noble

If you love Batman, you will love this book. If you love psychology, you will love this book! Do not worry about getting lost though, as Langley does an excellent job explaining everything he discusses A book you shouldnt pass up, as once you start reading it you simply will not be able to put it down! International House of Geek

More entertaining than many of the others which populate the ever-growing field of texts about pop culture and the sciences. Rather than just telling us what we should know or think about Batman, the book supplements our own interest in the hero and provokes us to think more about whats going on in his head. StarPulse.com

A modern classic. Mark D. White, author of Batman and Ethics

It is a terrific book. Dennis ONeil, Batman comic book writer/editor.

Scholarly and insightfulHis professional credentials, mixed with his love for comic books and the character of Batman, create a fascinating, entertaining, and educational read. Michael Uslan, Bat-Films executive producer

This book is not only an ode to one of pop cultures most famous mythical figures but an analytical look at an intriguing character An intriguing read and a fascinating book. eXpert Comics

If you ever wanted to really know if Bruce Wayne is nuts, then this is the book for you. Perhaps some incarnations of Batman are more crazy than others! Great read and tremendously insightful into the psyche of The Dark Knight. Batman-on-Film.com

This book diagnosing or debunking Batmans various alleged mental disorders is the jam. Craig Calcaterra of HardballTalk at NBC

Langley cleverly combines his two loves as evinced by the titleto create a work that will draw the most disinterested psychology students in by using the seemingly universally loved Byronic hero of Batman. Geekscape

Absolutely fascinating and fantastically geektastic. Book Haul

If youre interested in Batman, psychology, or even inspirational books, I recommend this book. Its entertaining as well. Knight Light

Awesome book, and its helping me psychologically prepare myself to wear the cowl. Batcave Chronicles

A fantastic look into the inner workings of one of comic books most compelling, dynamic characters; a masterfully written analysis/love note to the Dark Knight. FindYourGeek.com

A really great book that I recommend all Batman fans read. Fansided

If you love Batman, I really recommended this book. Pannita

A diamond addition to the world of psychology. New Hope Psychology

You should definitely read or hear this book. NBU

What makes the book really shine, aside from its great content, is the way that content is presented. Langleys writing style is very natural and relaxed, and not stiff or stuffy. This allows for the various complex ideas to be expressed clearly and understandably10/10 The Stuff of Legend

Batman & Psychology is easily one of my Top 10 favorite books of any genre. Super work! Chad Ellsworth, author of Building Up without Tearing Down: How to Cultivate Heroic Leadership in Your & Your Organization

If you are a Batman fan then chances are you have read, or at least heard of, Dr. Travis Langleys Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight. If not, I would highly recommend it. Mark Cook, LRM Online

possibly the most fascinating book Ive ever read. Chelsea Campbell, author of the Renegade X series

SECOND EDITION

AND PSYCHOLOGY

A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT

TRAVIS LANGLEY

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

an imprint of Turner Publishing Company

Nashville, Tennessee

www.turnerpublishing.com

Copyright 2021 Travis Langley

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight 2nd edition

This book has not been approved, licensed, or sponsored by any entity or person involved in creating or producing Batman, the comics, the films, or the TV series.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to Turner Publishing Company, e-mail: submissions@turnerpublishing.com.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

BATMAN is and DC Comics. Used with Permission. Illustration credits: pages 9, 12, 44, 61, 63, 75, 87, 95, 109, 128, 149, 159, 169, 175, 195, 219, 245, 264, 279: Marko Head; pages 91, 142: Nick Langley; pages 38, 113, 121, 235: Travis Langley.

Cover design by M.S. Corley

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021950023

Paperback 9781684428557

Hardcover 9781684428564

Ebook 9781684428571

Printed in the United States of America

For Spencer, who said at age 3, I need to go save the world, and assured me, Yes, you can help.

This book began one summer when Batman was packing crowds into theaters; when teaching a psychology in literature class made me realize the power of story to explore real human nature; when reading Danny Fingeroths Superman on the Couch made me think, I want to write this kind of book as a psychologist; and when accompanying my son Nicholas to San Diego Comic-Con, where he collected data for Matt Smiths ethnographic research (no, not the Matt Smith who flew a TARDIS), opened the next chapter in my life. I looked around Comic-Con, watched people bustling about in an environment that celebrated their passions, met scholars writing about comics, and it all came together for me: I needed to study comics fandom, and I needed to write about Batman. Ten years later, I still need to write about Batman.

Because of Turner Publishing acquisitions editor Stephanie Barron, my literary agent Evan Gregory, and the countless readers and listeners who kept the first edition popular all this time, I get to update things I wrote then and to add new notions now. Turner staffers Ezra Fitz, Claire Ong, Lauren Ash, Tim Holtz, Ryan Smernoff, and their whole team have proven friendly and helpful. Marko Head and Nicholas Langley illustrated the chapter openings. Connie Santisteban, who edited the first edition and oversaw the launch of my subsequent Popular Culture Psychology series, joins as copyeditor. Having Connie on board pleases and reassures me beyond words.