What is a Superhero?

What is a Superhero?
Author: Robin S. Rosenberg PhD
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2013-07-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 019933952X

It's easy to name a superhero--Superman, Batman, Thor, Spiderman, the Green Lantern, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rorschach, Wolverine--but it's not so easy to define what a superhero is. Buffy has superpowers, but she doesn't have a costume. Batman has a costume, but doesn't have superpowers. What is the role of power and superpower? And what are supervillains and why do we need them? In What is a Superhero?, psychologist Robin Rosenberg and comics scholar Peter Coogan explore this question from a variety of viewpoints, bringing together contributions from nineteen comic book experts--including both scholars in such fields as cultural studies, art, and psychology as well as leading comic book writers and editors. What emerges is a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most popular of pop-culture figures. Writer Jeph Loeb, for instance, sees the desire to make the world a better place as the driving force of the superhero. Jennifer K. Stuller argues that the female superhero inspires women to stand up, be strong, support others, and most important, to believe in themselves. More darkly, A. David Lewis sees the indestructible superhero as the ultimate embodiment of the American "denial of death," while writer Danny Fingeroth sees superheroes as embodying the best aspects of humankind, acting with a nobility of purpose that inspires us. Interestingly, Fingeroth also expands the definition of superhero so that it would include characters like John McClane of the Die Hard movies: "Once they dodge ridiculous quantities of machine gun bullets they're superheroes, cape or no cape." From summer blockbusters to best-selling graphic novels, the superhero is an integral part of our culture. What is a Superhero? not only illuminates this pop-culture figure, but also sheds much light on the fantasies and beliefs of the American people.

The Superhero Book

The Superhero Book
Author: Gina Misiroglu
Publisher: Visible Ink Press
Total Pages: 803
Release: 2012-04-01
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1578593956

The ultimate compendium to everyone’s favorite participants in the eternal battle between good and evil! Profiles of more than 1,000 mythic superheroes, icons, and their place in popular culture. Superhuman strength. Virtual invulnerability. Motivated to defend the world from criminals and madmen. Possessing a secret identity. And they even have fashion sense—they look great in long underwear and catsuits. These are the traits that define the quintessential superhero. Their appeal and media presence has never been greater, but what makes them tick? their strengths? weaknesses? secret identities and arch-enemies? The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes is the comprehensive guide to all those characters whose impossible feats have graced the pages of comic books for the past one hundred years. From the Golden and Silver Ages to the Bronze and Modern Ages, the best-loved and most historically significant superheroes—mainstream and counterculture, famous and forgotten, best and worst—are all here: The Avengers Batman and Robin Captain America Superman Wonder Woman Captain Marvel Spider-Man The Incredibles The Green Lantern Iron Man Catwoman Wolverine Aquaman Hellboy Elektra Spawn The Punisher Teen Titans The Justice League The Fantastic Four and hundreds of others. Unique in bringing together characters from Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, as well as smaller independent houses, The Superhero Book covers the best-loved and historically significant superheroes across all mediums and guises, from comic book, movie, television, and graphic novels. With many photos and illustrations this fun, fact-filled tome is richly illustrated. A bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness. It is the ultimate A-to-Z compendium of everyone's favorite superheroes, anti-heroes and their sidekicks, villains, love interests, superpowers, and modus operandi.

Superheroes!

Superheroes!
Author: Laurence Maslon
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Total Pages: 708
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0385348592

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Avengers, the X-Men, Watchmen, and more: the companion volume to the PBS documentary series of the same name that tells the story of the superhero in American popular culture. Together again for the first time, here come the greatest comic book superheroes ever assembled between two covers: down from the heavens—Superman and the Mighty Thor—or swinging over rooftops—the Batman and Spider-Man; star-spangled, like Captain America and Wonder Woman, or clad in darkness, like the Shadow and Spawn; facing down super-villains on their own, like the Flash and the Punisher or gathered together in a team of champions, like the Avengers and the X-Men! Based on the three-part PBS documentary series Superheroes, this companion volume chronicles the never-ending battle of the comic book industry, its greatest creators, and its greatest creations. Covering the effect of superheroes on American culture—in print, on film and television, and in digital media—and the effect of American culture on its superheroes, Superheroes: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture appeals to readers of all ages, from the casual observer of the phenomenon to the most exacting fan of the genre. Drawing from more than 50 new interviews conducted expressly for Superheroes!—creators from Stan Lee to Grant Morrison, commentators from Michael Chabon to Jules Feiffer, actors from Adam West to Lynda Carter, and filmmakers such as Zach Snyder—this is an up-to-the-minute narrative history of the superhero, from the comic strip adventurers of the Great Depression, up to the blockbuster CGI movie superstars of the 21st Century. Featuring more than 500 full-color comic book panels, covers, sketches, photographs of both essential and rare artwork, Superheroes is the definitive story of this powerful presence in pop culture.

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero
Author: Deb Pilutti
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2014-10-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0805097597

Here's what it takes to be a superhero—starring a boy and his superhero action figure!

There's a Superhero in Your Book

There's a Superhero in Your Book
Author: Tom Fletcher
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2021-01-05
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0593304632

Whoosh! A SUPERHERO has landed in YOUR book! Get ready for another lively, interactive read-aloud in the Who's In Your Book series! Use the power of your imagination to unlock this adorable Superhero's powers. But you'd better act fast before The Scribbler ruins your book completely! Readers will enjoy interactively tapping, stretching, and whizzing this book around as they help Superhero defeat the villain and save the day--while discovering the real power of kindness. Bestselling author and musician Tom Fletcher and illustrator Greg Abbott have once again created a creature that readers will fall in love with--and want to play with--again and again! Don't miss a single story in the Who's In Your Book series! • There's a Monster In Your Book • There's a Dragon In Your Book • There's an Elf In Your Book • There's an Alien in Your Book ...and more books to come!

My Brother Is a Superhero

My Brother Is a Superhero
Author: David Solomons
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2017-06-27
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0147516056

The award-winning #1 international bestseller that's perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Luke Parker was just your average comic book fan until his boring, teacher’s pet, helps-old-ladies-across-the-street brother Zack got turned into a superhero. Luke can’t believe the unfairness of it all—he’s the one with the encyclopedic knowledge of everything from Ant-Man to Wolverine! At least he can help Zack—aka Star Guy—with all the important parts of becoming a superhero, like using his newfound powers and deciding whether or not to wear a cape. But when Star Guy gets into super-size trouble, it’s up to Luke—and his intrepid neighbor, Lara—to rescue his big brother and, with a little luck, help him save the world. * “A non-stop action-packed, laugh-out-loud winner of a story.” —School Library Journal, starred review “A loving tribute to the genre consumed with capes, masks, supervillains, and great responsibility.” —Kirkus Reviews "Readers will enjoy the deadpan narration that reveals the unexpected difficulties of being a modern-day superhero.” —Publishers Weekly

Superhero Origins

Superhero Origins
Author: Robin S. Rosenberg
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013
Genre: Comic books, strips, etc
ISBN: 9781482015805

"Dr. Rosenberg explores the importance of origin stories and what they tell us about the characters and real people. She reveals the origins stories of seven superheroes, how those stories have evolved over time, and what they can tell us about ourselves"--

On the Origin of Superheroes

On the Origin of Superheroes
Author: Chris Gavaler
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2015-11-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1609383818

Most readers think that superheroes began with Superman’s appearance in Action Comics No. 1, but that Kryptonian rocket didn’t just drop out of the sky. By the time Superman’s creators were born, the superhero’s most defining elements—secret identities, aliases, disguises, signature symbols, traumatic origin stories, extraordinary powers, self-sacrificing altruism—were already well-rehearsed standards. Superheroes have a sprawling, action-packed history that predates the Man of Steel by decades and even centuries. On the Origin of Superheroes is a quirky, personal tour of the mythology, literature, philosophy, history, and grand swirl of ideas that have permeated western culture in the centuries leading up to the first appearance of superheroes (as we know them today) in 1938. From the creation of the universe, through mythological heroes and gods, to folklore, ancient philosophy, revolutionary manifestos, discarded scientific theories, and gothic monsters, the sweep and scale of the superhero’s origin story is truly epic. We will travel from Jane Austen’s Bath to Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Mars to Owen Wister’s Wyoming, with some surprising stops along the way. We’ll meet mad scientists, Napoleonic dictators, costumed murderers, diabolical madmen, blackmailers, pirates, Wild West outlaws, eugenicists, the KKK, Victorian do-gooders, detectives, aliens, vampires, and pulp vigilantes (to name just a few). Chris Gavaler is your tour guide through this fascinating, sometimes dark, often funny, but always surprising prehistory of the most popular figure in pop culture today. In a way, superheroes have always been with us: they are a fossil record of our greatest aspirations and our worst fears and failings.

What is a Superhero?

What is a Superhero?
Author: Robin S. Rosenberg, PhD
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2013-09-19
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0199795274

What is a superhero? Everyone knows, right? And yet everyone seems to have a different answer. In this innovative collection of essays, renowned psychologist Robin Rosenberg and comics scholar Peter Coogan explore this question from a variety of viewpoints. With essays from scholars and commentaries by the writers and creators themselves, What is a Superhero? is the first volume to provide a true synthesis and reflection of the state of superheroes in our society today.

Superhero vs. School

Superhero vs. School
Author: Ethan Long
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2020-07-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1681198304

Geisel Award-winner Ethan Long shows that every kid has the power to conquer school-day worries once and for all. In the darkest of nights, when all else is lost, Scotty is ready to vanquish any foe. After all, that's what a superhero does. But this hero is about to come face-to-face with his greatest fear, his only weakness: the first day of school! But just when Scotty thinks all hope is lost, he realizes that school is no match for a whole team of heroes--his new friends.