Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent?: And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia!    by Brian Cronin Order:  USA  Can Plume, 2012 (2012) Softcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto The 20th century saw the rise of the superhero, many whom are still with us today. Brian Cronin pays homage to these caped crusaders, mutants, and other characters that have graced comic books in his book of lists, Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent?: And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia! Almost anything you could want to know about comic books – characters, artists, and multi-media ventures – can be found in one of Cronin's lists covering everything from Ten Crazy Items Found on Batman's Utility Belt to Sixteen Stan Lee Movie Cameos. Interspersed through Cronin's lists are other lists written by various names within the comic book/graphic novel industry, helping to create a well-rounded look at all things comics. The one problem I had (and this might be because I am not a superhero comic book fan – love the movies, but I prefer my comics more supernatural than sci-fi) was that issue dates were used but not years, so I had no frame of reference as to the style or culture factors that were present when the issue in question was released. Superhero fans will get a kick out of Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? and probably come up with a few lists of their own to add to Brian Cronin's comprehensive collection. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews