Super-History : Comic Book Superheroes and American Society, 1938 to the Present

In the less than eight decades since Superman's debut in 1938, comic book superheroes have become an indispensable part of American society and the nation's dominant mythology. They represent America's hopes, dreams, fears, and needs. As a form of popular literature, superhero narratives have closely mirrored trends and events in the nation. This study views American history from 1938 to 2010 through the lens of superhero comics, revealing the spandex-clad guardians to be not only fictional characters but barometers of the place and time in which they reside. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here. We need a hero: New Deal social avengers and vigilantes (1938-1940) World War II and super-patriots (1941-1945) The nuclear era (1945-1989) The postwar 1940s and 1950s: supernormal (1946-1959) Counterculture heroes (1960-1969) The American malaise (1970-1979) Super-conservatives and neo-cowboys (1980-1989) Searching for a new direction (1990-1999) Decade of fear (2000-2009). "As a form of popular literature, superhero narratives have closely mirrored and molded social trends and changes, influencing and reflecting political, social, and cultural events. This study provides a decade by decade chronicle of American history from 1938 to 2010 through the lens of superhero comics"--Provided by publisher.