The Superhero Historicized, Theorized, and Read

The figure of the superhero looms large in today’s culture, not only in big-budget films and television programs, but also popular print and digital superhero comics. Within the context of such interest, The Superhero Reader is a welcome addition. It is a comprehensive and well-organized anthology of much of the best critical work done on superhero narratives. The volume explores the history of superheroes, the attempts to theorize the superhero narrative as a genre, and a diverse assortment of critical approaches to super-heroes as they have been received by different kinds of readers. While one may occasionally dispute editorial selections and omissions, The Superhero Reader is overall a valuable resource for scholars interested in this growing field.