Review Fix Exclusive: Matt MacNabb Talks ‘Batman’s Arsenal’

Review Fix chats with “Batman’s Arsenal” author Matt MacNabb, who breaks down his inspiration for the book and the exhaustive research that made the encyclopedia a reality.

About “Batman’s Arsenal”:

The super-comprehensive BATMAN’S ARSENAL: An Unauthorized Encyclopedic Chronicle, by MATT MACNABB,  documents the entire scope and history of Batman’s incredible crime-fighting tools from the famous cowl, the awesome Batmobile, the catacomb-like Batcave to the tank-like Tumbler – the unique weapons Batman employs to keep Gotham safe. It is really his equipment and unique gizmos that not only define him but also transform him into a superhero. After all, he’s one of the very few superheroes who’s as human as the rest of us.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this book?

Matt MacNabb: I own so many Batman “reference” books and picture books, DK Guides and such, but none of them do more than scratch the surface of Batman’s extensive 77-year history. I see a gap that needs to be filled and so I set out to write the most detailed and extensive Batman reference book ever written. One reader referred to it as “a college course on Batman”.

Review Fix: What was the research process like?

MacNabb: It was extremely labor intensive. I literally read through thousands of comic books and watched endless hours of cartoons and movies. I know, not exactly the worst job in the world, right? It is still, believe it or not, very hard work. The amount of data to organize can be overwhelming. Still, it was a labor of love, time well spent.

Review Fix: Why is Batman still a fixture in pop culture?

MacNabb: The themes expressed through Batman are timeless. Our need to create a harbinger of justice in a world where we are so often faced with injustice. A silent and thankless hero, incorruptible by the world, devoting his every day and night to bringing balance to a chaotic world. Plus, he’s awesome.

Review Fix: What did you learn about Batman (that you didn’t already know) through your research?

MacNabb: It was a humbling experience. I found that while I knew quite a bit, there is always so much still to learn. One interesting tidbit is how overstated Batman’s early association with guns was. There is always the talk about how Batman originally carried a gun and shot criminals, and yet there is no evidence of Batman killing anyone, save a run-in with a vampire. In fact, he never carried around a gun at all. He did, on the other side of that coin, kill criminals…a lot. He just didn’t use a gun.

Review Fix: What was it like to work with Adam West on this?

MacNabb: Adam West is an absolute gentleman. When I started my website back in 2003 he was my first big interview. It was gracious of him to do that back then and it was more than gracious for him to take the time out of his life to contribute to my first book. It was an honor.

Review Fix: Batman has continued to adapt through the years. Which era of the Caped Crusader is your favorite and why?

MacNabb: That’s such a hard question, I love it all in different ways. I tend to gravitate towards the Batman of the 1980s and 1990s. The era of the Knightfall saga and No Man’s Land comic book arcs still resonates for me, as well as Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond. I was a teenager during that time, so I think a lot of that sticks with me as nostalgia.

Review Fix: What would you like readers to get out of this book?

MacNabb: My sincere hope is that everyone that picks up this book will learn something new and maybe surprising about Batman. There is so much misinformation that goes around online, much of which I was able to debunk with first-hand research.   I hope this book can serve as a great reference for the fans.

Review Fix: What’s next for you?

MacNabb: I have a new book coming out this June, Ghostbusters Collectables, that showcases 30 years of Ghostbusters toys. I’ll also be working with Opus to produce a few more Batman non-fiction titles in the coming years.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13818 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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