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What Is a Superhero?

What Is a Superhero?

By Peter Coogan & Robin S. Rosenberg

What Is a Superhero? Oxford University Press, 2013.

0.0 / 0

17 mins read

14 Key insights

A brief summary of What Is a Superhero?

A colorful collection of essays on how to define the superhero and the genre in which they appear, from the earliest characteristics that shaped the idea to cultural context to the evolution of a concept that has worldwide impact on millions of people.

Key insights in What Is a Superhero?

1
What do you get from this book? An examination of what makes a superhero and why they’re important
2
Although a superhero is easily recognizable, there is an ongoing debate about the genre and its cultural impact
3
A rich experience can be found in the tales of superheroes, that often mirror real problems and fears
4
Internal qualities as well as being figures of duality and denying death are some reasons superheroes draw interested fans
5
The time period and culture greatly matter when it comes to how a superhero is depicted because they reflect reality
6
The design of superheroes and the experiences people have with the characters allow the genre to be almost limitless
7
The other side of the selfless superhero is the supervillain, who provides the necessary antagonism for plight-filled plots
8
There are different kinds of villains, including those who think they’re the heroes of the narrative
9
Creators of superheroes don’t exist in a vacuum; their creations are influenced by the world they want to influence
10
The limitless potential of the genre allows superheroes to be universal metaphors for the human experience
11
The depth of the genre, built up by creators over time, taps into our need to be better people
12
Summary of the key insights
13
Selected critiques in brief
14
Final word

Who should read What Is a Superhero?

Comic book fans • pop culture junkies • psychologists • teachers • literature buffs • Marvel and DC movie watchers

About the author of What Is a Superhero?

Robin S. Rosenberg and Peter Coogan gathered several experts together to discuss the topic of superheroes and edited the essays they received. Rosenberg is a clinical psychologist and author of Superhero Origins as well as psychology textbooks used in college courses. American Studies doctorate holder Peter Coogan is the co-founder of the Comic Arts Conference and the director of the Institute for Comic Studies. He teaches at Washington University and has written multiple publications on the topic of the superhero.

author avatar

Peter Coogan

author avatar

Robin S. Rosenberg

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