Why has the Caped Crusader endured so long as a paradigm of heroism in our collective consciousness? With his insightful deconstruction of the Dark Knight, Cary Friedman provides the answer by illustrating that above all else the most important item in Batman’s utility belt is a moral compass. Rabbi Friedman realizes that BruceWayne’s purpose-driven existence can also be a primer for any troubled soul to walk in the shadow of the Batman when facing the adversity and adversaries of this world. —Scott Beatty author, Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight and The Batman Handbook
In the 1950s much was made about the so-called immorality of comic books, but in fact, with rare exceptions, comics have always taught moral lessons – some obvious, some subtle. Wisdom from the Batcave perceptively shines a light on both kinds as manifested in the Batman mythos – an excellent book not just for fans of the Batman, but one to be given to anyone who doubts that there is morality, value, and yes, wisdom, in graphic storytelling. — Alan Brennert novelist, screenwriter, Batman writer
I thought I knew Batman, from years of writing him. I thought I understood how Batman and the real world related to each other. What I didn’t know was how much Batman and his code had affected me, until I read this book. A fascinating read, and a real eye-opener. — Ed Brubaker writer, Batman, Catwoman, Daredevil, and Gotham Central
Bat fans and general readers alike will find much wisdom in this refreshing take on the underlying lessons of this great popular culture hero. — Max Allan Collins creator of ROAD TO PERDITION
Wisdom from the Batcave is a thoughtful exploration of the moral messages one can discover in the Batman mythology. Cary has done a wonderful job analyzing comicdom’s most complex creation, and, in the process, shown that there is a Batman inside all of us. — Gerry Conway Co-Executive Producer, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”
It was a rough neighborhood I grew up in back in Philadelphia. And a kid needed some guidelines to make sure he didn’t follow the wrong path. The nuns at St Andrews would have been horrified to learn that sometimes What Would Batman Do was of more practical use than anything contained in my Catechism. BruceWayne, and the man he would become, spoke to me more than the other costumed do-gooders I read about because he wasn’t transformed by a lightning bolt, magic ring or the benefit of extraterrestrial origin. He became the Dark Knight Detective through dedication and courage and hard work. That meant that if I stayed in school, obeyed my parents and ate my vegetables then I could be a hero. That’s the message that seeped into my brain from the thousands of pages of comic books that I read and re-read throughout my childhood. Rabbi Friedman beautifully articulates the lessons and meaning and source of inspiration that Batman provided for me and millions of other kids; what we assimilated as kids through countless hours of following the struggles and solving the mysteries and going into combat beside Batman and Robin. The Rabbi distills that experience elegantly and provides a lesson even for the already-initiated. This book makes the case better than anything that I have ever read for why BobKane’s creation continues to fascinate (and instruct) decades after his first appearance. — Chuck Dixon writer, Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, and Catwoman
When BruceWayne was a child, his parents were gunned down in a random street crime. In response, he swore to spend his life warring on criminals. In the black and white world of comics, he could easily have become a black and white caricature – but something wonderful happened. He inspired his writers over the years to find the nobility in themselves and personify it through him; the Batman became a man who faces darkness but sees in shades of gray. He lives every moment on the edge of greatness because that’s his very human choice. That’s the kernel of the wisdom that Rabbi Friedman has uncovered in the Batcave. If you wouldn’t be caught dead reading a comic book, be caught alive reading this book, and see what the Batman inspires in you. — Steve Englehart writer, Batman, Justice League of America, Avengers, Fantastic Four
Beyond providing significant inspirational value, Wisdom from the Batcave unveils the human element that has turned an important popular culture icon from an enduring hero of graphic prose into a fount of inspiration for million of readers. This book is a worthy and necessary tool for understanding the American culture. —Mike Gold President and Editorial Director, ComicMix LLC
One of my most vivid memories is reading the passage in the Bible in which Moses intones, “Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot.” Now along comes Cary Friedman’s insightful, eruditious and clever book to set me straight. Moses didn’t say that, it was Batman, when the Dark Knight was splitting the Red Sea. …Okay, obviously I’m kidding, but what is true is that after reading the remarkable parallels Rabbi Friedman draws between his two most unlikely dramatic sources, you might believe it. This book is one eye-opening literary “mash up” and a must read! —Jordan B. Gorfinkel Former Editor, Batman, Birds Of Prey Cartoonist, “Everything’s Relative”
People will never know what changes the direction of their lives. For BruceWayne, it was the murder of his parents. For many who read Batman’s adventures, they have chosen to become protectors and helpers. Those subtle lessons contained in the four-color adventures are carefully explored in this labor of love. As the Rabbi has changed aspects of his life as a result of these studies, we can only hope that readers will be equally inspired to improve their lives and, through their actions, create a better world. — Robert Greenberger Former DC Comics Editor
Cary Friedman has delved into an American comic book icon and uncovered the secret of what it takes to become a hero in everyday life. Wisdom from the Batcave should be on the shelf of every aspiring writer. An eye-opener for anyone who thought comics were just for kids. — Mike Grell writer / artist, JonSable, Freelance, The Longbow Hunters, The Warlord
Wisdom from the Batcave is not only a love letter to comics, but also a touching celebration of life’s most basic treasures and humanity’s ongoing quest for nobility, greatness, and integrity, as observed through the Batman’s cowl. With an earnest, conversational style, Cary Friedman reminds us what it feels like to enter the mysterious depths of the Batcave for the first time as a wide eyed child, and illustrates how we can carry with us the artifacts found therein to the real, complicated, often troubling world. Charming, spiritual, and inspirational, Wisdom unabashedly embraces the fantasies of the Batman mythology, and translates them into simple earnest truths for the everyday superhero. —Joe Kelly writer, Superman, Justice League of America
When I was a kid and started to read comic books, I never tried to analyze them or ponder the good and evil of characters or story content. I only enjoyed them (as I do to this day) and thrilled to the effect they had on my imagination. It was the time of the birth of comic books and they determined my future as a cartoonist. Now, Rabbi Friedman has given reason and understanding to my motivation and commitment. The book he has written is a source of inspiration for all, regardless of the road we choose to travel. — Joe Kubert
After a lifetime of reading, writing and, yes, studying comic books, I didn’t think there were many angles I’d left unconsidered in my understanding of the form, but Rabbi Friedman has taken the hyper-muscular realm of the fantastic and found in it everyday, commonsense lessons for living a richer, fuller life. Superheroes leap tall buildings in a single bound; Wisdom from the Batcave provides the rest of us with a roadmap for accomplishing the equally heroic, and perhaps more difficult, task of leading a good life. — Paul Kupperberg writer and former Editor, DC Comics
When young BruceWayne suffered the worst loss imaginable, he stood vulnerable and traumatized at the precipice of momentous choice. In his never-fading pain, he nevertheless chose compassion over hatred. Justice, not revenge. He chose to counter everything inflicted upon him, doing his utmost to prevent the same violent tragedy from befalling others. Indeed, BruceWayne chose to remake himself as the Batman, a figure merely cloaked in darkness, his soul compelled by the forces of a light never dimmed. And from this choice, so utterly simple yet ultimately profound, all things positive flowed: Courage, heroism, loyalty, trust, empathy, and the indomitable strength of selfless decency. Rabbi Cary Friedman’s wise and absorbing book sheds light on the seeming paradox of Bruce Wayne’s choice, penetrating the cloak of darkness to reveal the Batman’s inner truth. — Doug Moench writer, Batman, Master of Kung Fu, Moon Knight
Cary Friedman understands Batman in the largest possible sense: as a character, as entertainment, as modern mythology and as an exemplar of moral and ethical values. His book is the best of its kind I’ve ever read and I’ve given copies of it to the writers and artists who produce our stories with the promise that they’ll both enjoy it and learn from it. — Dennis O’Neil Retired Group Editor Batman Comics
There is no shortage of writings about comics in general, or Batman in particular. Yet Cary Friedman has managed to produce a book which is absolutely unique in its approach. What’s even better is that it’s simply one of the finest and most thought-provoking — an outstanding contribution to this field. — Scott Peterson writer, The Gotham Adventures
I started reading super-hero comic books at the dawn of the Silver Age when I was about eight years old. I have often attributed much of my personal philosophy to the ideals set by Superman. But after reading Cary Friedman’s Wisdom from the Batcave, I realized how much I owe to Batman as well. If there was any need for proof that fictional characters can be as influential to our lives as real people, this book provides it. —Bob Rozakis Former DC Production Director and Writer
I hear people all too often bemoaning the lack of heroism in our modern world, the 'deplorable shortage of role-models.' Performance enhancing drugs and celebutante debacles blur our view, but the kids, the kids, they're the ones who've got it right, and Cary Friedman can see with their eyes. His analysis of Batman as both an icon and role-model is inspiring, encouraging, humorous, and enlightening, and Wisdom from the Batcave is exactly that -- wisdom, pure and simple and sweet like honey, and appropriate for everyone, at every age. A wonderful, scholarly, entertaining, and uplifting book.
—Greg Rucka
In Wisdom from the Batcave, Cary Friedman reveals the Light in the Dark Knight. While I discuss Batman only briefly in my book on Superman, The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero, Friedman makes me wish I’d dealt with Bats more. The truths he exposes about why the Caped Crusader appeals to us are timely, insightful and important. It’s an essential read for any Batman fan. —Stephen Skelton author, The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero
Rabbi Friedman’s work on the spirituality inherent in the best parts of the nearly 70 years of Batman mythos reveals not only why that character has endured in popularity for so long, but why he deserves to. One part of his book that particularly struck home with me is the eternal tension in our lives between “law” and “justice.” So often when I pick up a newspaper or watch TV news, I’ve felt mentally torn ‘twixt the difference between those two ideals, which ought to be identical but which, of course, so often are not. The four-color career of Batman holds up a mirror to life and invites us--nay, dares us--to work out for ourselves which of the two to value more highly. —Roy Thomas writer, Conan the Barbarian, The Avengers, The X-men, All-Star Squadron retired Editor-in-chief, Marvel Comics editor, ALTER EGO
The visible surface of the earth is what we walk on, but the riches – gold, diamonds, oil – are deep beneath the surface. One can find them only if one digs for them. Cary Friedman has dug beneath the surface of the episodes of the superhero Batman and has found treasure: ethical and moral ideas that can enhance a person’s spirituality. You will be able to learn something from Batman as well as be entertained by his adventures. — Dr. Abraham Twerski author of four books on the spirituality inherent in the Peanuts cartoon strip
The greatest heroes of literature are inspirational not because of their feats and powers but because of their ethics and their integrity. The dream of stopping bank robbers and super-villains like Batman does isn’t something we can realistically aspire to – but each and every one of us can find within us a path to personal heroism, and Cary Friedman provides the roadmap. This is one terrific read. — Mark Waid writer, Justice League of America
It was with a bemused skepticism that I sat down to read Wisdom from the Batcave. The idea of equating man’s highest and noblest aspirations with a cartoon character seemed outrageous, to put it mildly. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. With his brilliant analysis and fearless postulations, Rabbi Friedman has shown why, in an era of timidity, correctness and lassitude, Batman, by his own code of honor, is able to leapfrog over the demons that cause police, armies, and nations to pause. A spectacular book! — Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | 
