The Superhero Symbol Media, Culture, and Politics

"With contributions by an imposing list of scholars, The Superhero Symbol offers readers enlightening essays on the politics of the superhero, on the commercial branding, nationalism and national identity, on sexuality and sexual identity, and on the culture and mythology of the superhero; in short, everything about the superhero that you never asked because it never even occurred to you to ask." - Trina Robbins (author of Pretty in Ink, North American Women Cartoonists 1896 - 2013) "This extraordinary league of transmedial comics scholars pull off the impossible: the definitive tome on how global industries create and planetary consumers actively engage with the superhero symbol. The tack-sharp cross-disciplinary scholarship along with deep-probe interviews with industry titans take us on a wild journey through time and space to forcefully show how those costume-clad full-chested insignias and sky-beamed icons are much more than expressions of fan-boy wish fulfilment fantasies. Provocative. Field defining. A must read!" - Frederick Luis Aldama (author of the Eisner Award winning Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics) "Throughout the essays cross-refer, giving the collection considerable unity. Combining fundamental concerns in superhero studies with a variety of thought-provoking special topics, and studded with color illustrations, this is a worthwhile collection for both knowledgeable scholars and newcomers to superhero studies. Recommended." (Choice) "There is a lot of ground covered in this book, much of which will make you think beyond your normal perimeters and that's never a bad thing and makes for an interesting book." (SFcrowsnest)