Superhero Comics (Bloomsbury Comics Studies)

by Christopher Gavaler

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 comics—from mythic influences to 21st century evolutions
·Cultural contexts—from the formative politics of colonialism, eugenics, KKK vigilantism, and WWII fascism to the Cold War’s transformative threat of mutually assured destruction to the on-going revolutions in African American and sexual representation
·Key texts—from the earliest pre-Comics-Code Superman and Batman to the latest post-Code Ms. Marvel and Black Panther
·Approaches to visual analysis—from layout norms to narrative structure to styles of abstraction

• ISBN10: 1474226353
• ISBN13: 9781474226356
• Publish Date: 5 October 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 376
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received an advanced copy of Superhero Comics by Peter M. Coogan from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m fairly new to the world of comic book fandom, having only gotten into them in the last couple years. My attempt to get into reading comics as a child was thwarted by my shyness and a jerk at the register who told me “girls can’t read comics” (I regret to this day that I believed him), if only this book had existed back then, maybe I would have felt more confident striking out into the comic world on my own.. Having a complete history such as Superhero Comics is greatly appreciated. It provided a lot of context and explanation for the way things development. What was wonderful about it is it covered beyond my scope of reading and experience, explaining comics from the beginning up to now, and how the evolved in the meantime.
What I really loved about Superhero Comics was that is started at the most basic concepts (for example the reason why only Marvel and DC use the term superhero) and advanced from there (why female figures are drawn and portrayed the way they are). It made for a fascinating read and enhanced my comprehension of the subject at the same time.
I can picture this book sitting in a classroom – say in an art room full of students who one day hope to become comic book artists; or in a writing classroom. I’m happy I had the chance to read it, and frankly think I’ll be giving it a second read through as well, to increase my command of the subject matter.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks