On the origin of superheroes : from the big bang to Action Comics no. 1 /
Most readers think that superheroes began with Superman in 1938, 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 st...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Iowa City :
University of Iowa Press,
[2015]
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| Summary: | Most readers think that superheroes began with Superman in 1938, 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 Superman 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 that led up to the first appearance of superheroes as we know them today, Superman's appearance in Action Comics, no. 1 in 1938. |
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| Physical Description: | 295 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781609383817 1609383818 |