What Is a Superhero?
By Peter Coogan & Robin S. Rosenberg
What Is a Superhero? Oxford University Press, 2013.
Summary of What Is a Superhero? book by Peter Coogan & Robin S. Rosenberg
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.
Chapters in What Is a Superhero? book summary
What do you get from this book? An examination of what makes a superhero and why they’re important
Although a superhero is easily recognizable, there is an ongoing debate about the genre and its cultural impact
A rich experience can be found in the tales of superheroes, that often mirror real problems and fears
Internal qualities as well as being figures of duality and denying death are some reasons superheroes draw interested fans
The time period and culture greatly matter when it comes to how a superhero is depicted because they reflect reality
The design of superheroes and the experiences people have with the characters allow the genre to be almost limitless
The other side of the selfless superhero is the supervillain, who provides the necessary antagonism for plight-filled plots
There are different kinds of villains, including those who think they’re the heroes of the narrative
Creators of superheroes don’t exist in a vacuum; their creations are influenced by the world they want to influence
The limitless potential of the genre allows superheroes to be universal metaphors for the human experience
The depth of the genre, built up by creators over time, taps into our need to be better people
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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What Is a Superhero? — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read What Is a Superhero? book
- Comic book fans
- pop culture junkies
- psychologists
- literature buffs
- Marvel and DC movie watchers
About the author of What Is a Superhero?
Peter Coogan
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.
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