The fictional worlds of superheroes are in many ways more complex ones than our own, given to periodic upheavals and crises that enable the comics creators to tidy up loose plot threads and expunge the less well-considered characters that regrettably find their way into continuity.

It’s apposite then that the Batman comic books, one of the longest-running superhero series in comics, should have its own official encyclopaedia detailing all of the major characters and concepts of the Caped Crusader’s 69 year history.

The Essential Batman Encyclopaedia covers everything from dread planet Apokolips to saucily-garbed crimefighting conjurer Zatanna. There are inevitable omissions, as one might expect when cramming nearly seventy years of comics writers wildest imaginings into just under 500 pages, but all of the major actors and incidents appear to be present, correct and authoritatively annotated with references to specific issues of the comics.

The book is lavishly illustrated with panels and pin-ups from Batman’s entire history, albeit with a slight bias towards the solid muscular pencils of DC’s current star illustrator, overworked Korean-American Jim Lee.

Times Archive, 1966: In defence of Batman

Not a word of complaint was received from the police

• Batman sticks to letter of the law

• Batman's £3m. U.S. success, 1966

Does this book have a place in a world where the latest events in DC Comics’ convoluted continuity are posted for free on Wikipedia as soon as each new comic book is published? Counterintuitively, yes. Wikipedia is a great resource when you’re already reading a comic book and are suddenly struck by the reappearance of some re-imagined hero that hasn’t been seen since the Sixties, but the online encyclopaedia lacks the sheer infectious browsability of titles like these, where the serendipitous flick of a page can remind you of some bizarrely costumed criminal you haven’t thought about in years.

For the casual reader looking to expand on the mythology of The Dark Knight, this may delve a little too deep into the Batman legend. For those of us that grew up reading about the exploits of Gotham’s protector, there’s a welcome rediscovery on every page.

The Essential Batman Encyclopedia is published by Titan Books, price £18.99

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