Why are audiences so fascinated with heroes? What makes the idea of
heroes so necessary in society? The superhero has reached a level
of popularity never witnessed before, making a successful and
prolific transfer from the comic book and graphic novel into the
multi-million dollar blockbuster film. A number of films and their
sequels, including Spider Man, Batman, Batman Begins, Sin City, and
X-Men represent only a handful of examples that have attained
unprecedented box-office success or cult status in recent years.
This collection of essays explores contemporary superhero
narratives, including comic books and films, in a wider mythic
context. This is the first study to evaluate the social function of
the super/hero in contemporary, ancient and multiple media
contexts, evaluating its continuities, transformations and cultural
significance. The exploration of issues and hero types across time,
cultures and media will open up the possibilities of hero studies
across disciplines. This collection will be, in many respects, a
prototype that will reveal the limitless possibilities inherent in
truly inter-disciplinary studies in this area. "This collection
fills an enormous gap in the study of popular culture and provides
exactly what has been missing for too long-a comparative heroism
study, driven by close-grain analyses of a wide range of heroes
from different national cultures (comic book avengers, professional
wrestlers, rock stars, anime heroines, Jesus) all animated by
theoretical frameworks that are both rigorous and lucidly
articulated. The end result is a collection of fascinating case
studies which probe the popular appeal of the super/hero with an
unprecedented degree of insight." -Jim Collins, Professor of Film,
Television, and Theatre, University of Notre Dame. "Holy smoke
These essays offer a varied and engaging consideration of hero and
superhero culture in a variety of manifestations-from Greek heroes
and truly 'super men', to anime characters, Mexican luchadors and
gangsta rappers. Reaching backwards with mythic, biblical and
Jungian approaches to the heroic journey of mutation and
transformation, and forward into the role that diverse media
platforms and generic hybridity play in the evolution of superhero
universes, this timely collection challenges what it means to be a
Super/hero." -Roberta Pearson, Professor and Director of the
Institute of Film and Television Studies at the University of
Nottingham, and co-editor of The Many Lives of the Batman.
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