Superheroes!

Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture

By: Laurence Maslon, Michael Kantor

Narrated by: Laurence Maslon

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.

BONUS FEATURE: Exclusive first-hand commentary from some of the greatest creators in comic book history, from Golden Age artists and writers (Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, Stan Lee) to the superstars of the Silver Age (Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Denny O'Neil)--all the way up to the movers and shakers of the 21st Century (Todd McFarlane, Joe Quesada); plus luminaries such as Adam West, Jules Feiffer and Michael Chabon.

Selected interviews from Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle courtesy of Ghost Light Films, © 2013 Ghost Light Films.

©2013 Laurence Maslon (P)2013 Random House Audio

I loved it

I didn't know much about comic book besides the movies this was an awesome look into the history of comic books.

Superbook more powerful than a locomotive!

This book brought back memories of first discovering Spider-Man at my local drug store and a world that an eleven year old could live in.

Fantastic!

Great, robust history of comics. The narration was great and the interspersed interview dialogue was a nice surprise.

Great listen!

Really enjoyed the hearing interviews with the actual people involved. I have not seen the TV show that this a companion to, but I will actively look for it. One of the best books on Comic culture and history. Not complete by any means, but a fantastic overview.

A Solid Look at Comics Culture and History

It's a good primer on comics' history and its future. A solid foundation that doesn't overwhelm readers.

Superlative overview of superhero comics history

Companion books for PBS documentaries are often utilized more as decorative pieces for a coffee table rather than books to be read cover-to-cover. I remember a friend whose parents had the companion book for Ken Burns' The Civil War and thumbing through it when I was in high school. It was a beautiful book with great pictures but I don't think I ever read an entire page of the text.

I'm glad I took the plunge with this companion book. Maslon and Kantor have done a great job presenting a concise overview of the history of comics publishing in the United States. Both informative and entertaining, the book tells the story of superhero comics from their antecedents in the pulps of the early 1930's all the way through the current DC and Marvel Universes and the creator owned imprints.

As some have stated in Amazon reviews, there are a few discrepancies concerning the exact dates of origin for some creations. And no, it does not delve into all the smaller publishing houses that have produced superhero comics. This really doesn't detract from the book's overall effect though. You can't cover every aspect of the history of superhero comics in 300 pages and that is not what the authors intended to do.

For someone with Ph.D. level knowledge of comic history, "Superheroes!" will not offer any information you do not already know. For fans whose experience only stretches as far back as when they began reading comics, and for those with little to no knowledge of comic books at all though, it provides a great overview in an entertaining fashion that will hopefully spark further investigation of this thoroughly fascinating literary form.

if you love comic book history this is for you.

this is a great overview of comic book history. if you love comics you will enjoy this book. A+!

A fun, feel-good book for all interested in comics

Great book, even includes some short audioclips of some of the greatest comic creators of all time. Reasonably balanced between factual numbers and story. Definitely worth your time and money

Excellent! A must read!

Whether you are interested in comics, modern myth, popular culture, or the innate desire to be something more, this concise history and snapshot of the graphic literature phenomenon is for you!

Up, Up, and Away!

I’ve been reading a lot of histories of Marvel and DC comics lately, but this one adds all the other superhero comic companies into the mix and that makes it worth the cover price. It wasn’t just Superman versus Spiderman or The Justice League versus The Avengers. There was The Shadow, Green Hornet, Captain Marvel (or Shazam for those of you less familiar with the character) and so very much more. This is a must read for anyone who loves the superhero genre and has even the slightest interest in how it came into existence.