Superhero Comics

(Paperback)

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Description

A complete guide to the history, form and contexts of the genre, Superhero Comics helps readers explore the most successful and familiar of comic book genres. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book reveals: The history of superhero comicsfrom mythic influences to 21st century evolutions Cultural contextsfrom the formative politics of colonialism, eugenics, KKK vigilantism, and WWII fascism to the Cold Wars transformative threat of mutually assured destruction to the on-going revolutions in African American and sexual representation Key textsfrom the earliest pre-Comics-Code Superman and Batman to the latest post-Code Ms. Marvel and Black Panther Approaches to visual analysisfrom layout norms to narrative structure to styles of abstraction

Reviews

This would make the perfect textbook for a class on the history of comics. Its great for comic fans who want to go beyond the pages of the latest DC or Marvel adventure to understand and appreciate how these stories evolved and what were their origins. * Artistic Bent *
Accessible for any reader, and academically considered ... As a long-time comic book reader and lover of this medium, I appreciate the way Gavaler goes about this topic. * JD DeHart: Reading and Literature Resources Blog *
Scholar-author Chris Gavaler takes us through the history of superhero comics in a way that is accessible for any reader, and academically considered enough for any erudite. Gavaler traces the genre from the beginning, commenting on how comic books and graphic novels reflected the culture and events around them, including war and eugenics. * JD DeHart, Reading and Literature Resources *
Gavaler provides a comprehensive, engaging account of the evolution of the superhero bolstered by a fine concluding section on the visual analysis of comics ... An interesting read for anyone who wants to understand how superhero comics have developed into what they are today. * Fafnir *
A thoughtful, well researched academic work that is highly accessible. * Fantasy Literature's Fantasy Book and Audiobook Reviews *

Author Bio

Chris Gavaler is Associate Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, USA. He is also the author of On the Origina of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1 (2015) and Superhero Comics (2017) and Creating Comics (2021), both publishing by Bloomsbury.