The Superhero Book

Appealing to the casual comic book reader as well as the hard-core graphic novel fan, this ultimate A-to-Z compendium describes everyone's favourite participants in the eternal battle between good and evil. With nearly 200 entries examining over 1,000 icons and their place in popular culture, it is the first comprehensive profile of superheroes across all media, following their path from comic book stardom to radio, television, movies, and novels. The best-loved and most historically significant superheroes -- mainstream and counter-culture, famous and forgotten, best and worst -- are presented with numerous full-colour illustrations, including dozens of classic comic covers. Each significant era of the superhero is explored -- from the Golden Age of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s through the Modern Age -- providing a unique perspective of the role of the hero over the course of the 20th century and beyond. This latest edition has been revised to reflect updates on existing characters, coverage of new characters, and recent films and media trends in the last several years.

“"This comprehensive encyclopedia of comic books and super heroes provides a detailed look at both famous and obscure characters and publications from the past eighty years of comics."”

"Here's an 'ultimate' encyclopedia that lives up to its billing."— Atlanta Journal-Constitution

— Book News

"From Adam Strange to Zorro, the second edition of The Superhero Book delivers on its promise to be the Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes. Just plain fun ..., this inexpensive volume delivers the goods with a biff!, bam!, and pow! Recommended."— Booklist

"...excellent compendium of comic book superheroes...."— Choice

"Being a 'super-hero' book rather than a 'comic book' book, it includes plenty of non-comics entries....Happily, it has both a contents page and an index."— Comic Buyer's Guide

"There’s plenty of information here which may well inspire hours of diversion."— Popmatters.com

"This colossal encyclopedia of all things superhero could not have come at a better time. With a slew of comic-book movies each year, kids are more interested than ever in anything to do with these heroes....It is a must-buy for comic readers interested in knowing the early roots and conceptions of comic-book heroes."— School Library Journal

"This book is alive with detail, generous with comic book cover reproductions, comprehensive, colorful, accurate, and, most of all, entertaining. It wants to cover as much ground as possible, and cover it right. The impressive thing is, it succeeds.... This encyclopedia is inspiring, and as a reference tool it is going to get a lot of use."— Silver Bullet Comics

It definitely fills a much-needed niche in the growing lore of the genre and will be a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of spectacular superhero sagas. Excelsior!"— Stan Lee, inventor of the modern superhero

Gina Misiroglu has authored or edited more than three dozen books in the popular culture, biography, American history, folklore, and women's studies genres. She is the editor of the Encyclopedia of Women and American Popular Culture, which explores women's contributions to film, television, comics, music, fashion, and graphic art. Misiroglu was the co-editor of the first edition of The Superhero Book and its companion title The Supervillain Book, both of which received numerous accolades from the comics and film communities, including a Top Picks selection from SCOOP. She is a frequent speaker at the San Diego Comic-Con, where she moderates panels for the Comics Arts Conference, a gathering of scholars who publish in the American studies and popular culture genres.

Appealing to the casual comic book reader as well as the hard-core graphic novel fan, this ultimate A-to-Z compendium describes everyone's favourite participants in the eternal battle between good and evil. With nearly 200 entries examining over 1,000 icons and their place in popular culture, it is the first comprehensive profile of superheroes across all media, following their path from comic book stardom to radio, television, movies, and novels. The best-loved and most historically significant superheroes -- mainstream and counter-culture, famous and forgotten, best and worst -- are presented with numerous full-colour illustrations, including dozens of classic comic covers. Each significant era of the superhero is explored -- from the Golden Age of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s through the Modern Age -- providing a unique perspective of the role of the hero over the course of the 20th century and beyond. This latest edition has been revised to reflect updates on existing characters, coverage of new characters, and recent films and media trends in the last several years.

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