Back in November there was a new book that made it on to my radar. As many of you know, I really enjoy books that deal with superheroes or specifically Batman. Books that are not graphic novels, but real-books. Examples would be Batman Unauthorized which was a collection of essay discussing Batman at great length. They discussed everything from Batman's tech to the psychology of Batman's villains.
This new book entitled Missing You, Metropolis is not a collection of essays, but a collection of poems. The author Gary Jackson writes a number of poems related to the superhero world. He uses superheroes to get a point of view on social and cultural themes. Some of the themes that he touches on are racism and suicide, among others. He uses his own life experiences and relates them to certain comic book characters.
The book is an interesting find for those who enjoy poetry and comic books. It is a perfect blend of quality writing combined with our favorite superheroes. Here is an example of one of the poems based on Batman.
Gothamites
Let Metropolis have its superman,
Keystone have its flash, Opal
its star. We have our Bat.
He is legend.
True he's only a man,
but not one boys dream about
becoming—streaking the cityscape,
freshly christened into godhood.
Our man keeps company
with gargoyles, skulks parapets,
keeps time by the flapping of wings.
We've heard the rumors—
from mutated bat
to millionaire playboy. How
he's fifty now, yet still keeps
stride with heroes able to pitch
the moon into the earth.
Some of us bet he's even
Gotham-grown, right here.
Not some Kryptonian
or clay breathed to life.
But on of us, who just decided
he was gonna right a few wrongs,
take this crime-fighting business
into his own hands,
show those other costumes
how a man defends his home.
Missing You, Metropolis is available now for purchase. You can find it on Amazon here
Missing You, Metropolis:
Reviewed by Dustin
