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Hottest Superhero from McFarland
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Almost immediately after his first appearance in comic books in June 1938, Superman began to be adapted to other media. The subsequent decades have brought even more adaptations of the Man of Steel, his friends, family, and enemies in film, television, comic strip, radio, novels, video games, and even a musical. The rapid adaptation of the Man of Steel occurred before the character and storyworld were... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $23.99
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This collection of new essays focuses on The CW network's hit television series Arrow--based on DC Comic's Green Arrow--and its spin-offs The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.
Comic book adaptations have been big business for film studios since Superman (1978) and in recent years have dominated at the box office--five of the 11 highest grossing films of 2016 were adapted from comics.... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$7.99
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Essays on the Social, Cultural and Geopolitical Domains
The Marvel Cinematic Universe—comprised of films, broadcast television and streaming series and digital shorts—has generated considerable fan engagement with its emphasis on socially relevant characters and plots.
Beyond considerable box office achievements, the success of Marvel’s movie studios has opened up dialogue on... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99 $7.49
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An Insider's View of the Birth of a Pop Culture Phenomenon
The first generation of American television programmers had few choices of Saturday morning children's offerings. That changed dramatically in 1963 when a Japanese animated television series called Tetsuan Atom was acquired for distribution by NBC. Fred Ladd adapted the show for American television and--rechristened Astro... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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For more than 60 years, Captain America was one of Marvel Comics' flagship characters, representing truth, strength, liberty, and justice. The assassination of his alter ego, Steve Rogers, rocked the comic world, leaving numerous questions about his life and death.
This book discusses topics including the representation of Nazi Germany in Captain America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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These essays from various critical disciplines examine how comic books and graphic narratives move between various media, while merging youth and adult cultures and popular and high art.
The articles feature international perspectives on comics and graphic novels published in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey, India, and Japan. Topics range from film adaptation, to journalism... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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In the 1950s and '60s, a grassroots movement arose to celebrate comic books and strips, which were becoming increasingly important to American popular culture. This broad group of ardent readers and collectors had little formal structure until the 1950s. As the art and literary form grew in popularity, a dedicated core began building an organized network.
Profiled here are 90 people at the heart... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Essays on Real and Fictional Defenders of Home
These essays consider the way that heroes and the domestic spaces they defend have been represented in 20th and early 21st century popular forms, especially film, comic books and material culture. The authors work in various academic disciplines such as English, film studies, history and human geography, thus bringing a rich variety... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Premiering in September of 2006, the weekly NBC television series Heroes was an immediate commercial and critical hit, lasting four successful seasons. Heroes follows a group of interrelated characters who discover they have superhuman powers, with each successive episode exploring how these people react to and utilize their powers for good or for evil.
This collection of essays explores a variety... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Superman is the original superhero, an American icon, and arguably the most famous character in the world--and he's Jewish!
Introduced in June 1938, the Man of Steel was created by two Jewish teens, Jerry Siegel, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe, and Joe Shuster, an immigrant. They based their hero's origin story on Moses, his strength on Samson, his mission on the golem, and his nebbish... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$45.00 $21.99
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Essays on The Punisher in Print and on Screen
Since the Punisher's first appearance in the pages of Spider-Man #129, the character has become one of the most popular and controversial figures in Marvel's vast universe.
The Punisher represents one of the most recognizable types of anti-heroes. His iconic skull insignia stands for a unique type of justice: protecting the innocent while violently eliminating... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $23.99
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From 1985 to 1995, Mark Gruenwald was the head writer for Captain America. During this decade, Gruenwald wrote some of the most essential stories in Captain America's history and guided the comic through an eventful period of both world history and comic book history.
This book dissects the influence of the world at large on Gruenwald's stories and the subsequent influence of Gruenwald's work on... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $17.99
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Marvel Studios’ approach to its Cinematic Universe—beginning with the release of Iron Man (2008)—has become the template for successful management of blockbuster film properties. Yet films featuring Marvel characters can be traced back to the 1940s, when the Captain America serial first appeared on the screen.
This collection of new essays is the first to explore the historical,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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Critical Essays on the Comic Saga
Marvel Comics has an established tradition of addressing relevant real-life issues facing the American public. With the publication of Civil War (2006-2007), a seven-issue crossover storyline spanning the Marvel universe, they focused on contemporary anxieties such as terrorism and threats to privacy and other civil liberties.
This collection of new essays explores... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99 $14.99
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An Annotated Guide to Comics, Prose Novels, Children's Books, Articles, Criticism and Reference Works, 1965-2005
This work provides an extensive guide for students, fans, and collectors of Marvel Comics. Focusing on Marvel's mainstream comics, the author provides a detailed description of each comic along with a bibliographic citation listing the publication's title, writers/artists,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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First appearing in Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, was introduced to movie audiences in Iron Man 2 (2010).
Her character has grown in popularity with subsequent Marvel films, and fans have been vocal about wanting to see Black Widow in a titular role. Romanoff has potent appeal: a strong female character who is not defined by her looks or her romantic relationships,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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Breaking box office records, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved an unparalleled level of success with fans across the world, raising the films to a higher level of narrative: myth.
This is the first book to analyze the Marvel output as modern myth, comparing it to epics, symbols, rituals, and stories from world religious traditions.
This book places the exploits of Iron Man, Captain America,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $17.99
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From his first comic-book appearance in 1939 through his many incarnations on the big screen, the archetypal superhero known as The Batman has never been far from the American consciousness. The character shaped the way we read comics and graphic novels, view motion pictures, and analyze the motifs of the Hero, the Anti-Hero and the Villain. He has also captured the scholarly imagination, telling us... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$14.99
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Critical Essays on the Graphic Novels
Alan Moore, the idiosyncratic, controversial and often shocking writer of such works as Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and V for Vendetta, remains a benchmark for readers of comics and graphic novels.
This collection investigates the political, social, cultural, and sexual ideologies that emerge from his seminal work, Lost... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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This is a book about the comics genre and language, how these were used to create Batman, and how that character's longevity is largely due to the medium's unique formal qualities.
It argues that Batman's core appeal is his mythic nature which allows him to transcend changes in reader tastes, the vicissitudes of the comics industry, and the changing media landscape.
While including some historical... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99 $9.99
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What comes to mind when you think about superheroes?
Strength, bravery, and heroism are common answers.
However, superheroes do not only have physical strength, but they also have mental strengths and skills. Superheroes tend to have intelligence and detection skills which allow them to develop other skills.
In this analysis of superhero literacy aimed at students, the connection between superhero... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$45.00 $27.99
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1938 to the Present
In the less than eight decades since Superman's debut in 1938, comic book superheroes have become an indispensable part of American society and the nation's dominant mythology. They represent America's hopes, dreams, fears, and needs. As a form of popular literature, superhero narratives have closely mirrored trends and events in the nation.
This study views... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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The work provides a unique study of superheroes and gods in literature, popular culture, and ancient myth.
The author selects a number of mythological figures (e.g., Babylonia's Gilgamesh and Enkidu), ancient gods (e.g., Greece's Eros and Tartarus), and modern superheroes (e.g., the United States' Superman and Captain Marvel) and identifies the often striking similarities between each unique category... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Persia had Rostam. Babylonia had Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Egypt had Horus and Isis. Greece had Odysseus and Achilles.
Israel had its heroes, too—Moses, David, Esther and Samson. While Israel’s heroes did not wear capes or spandex, they did meet cultural needs.
In times of crisis, heroes emerge to model virtues that inspire a sense of commitment and worth. Identity concerns were especially... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Few scholars nursed on the literary canon would dispute that knowledge of Western literature benefits readers and writers of the superhero genre. This analysis of superhero comics as Romance literature shows that the reverse is true--knowledge of the superhero romance has something to teach critics of traditional literature.
Establishing the comic genre as a cousin to Arthurian myth, Spenser, and... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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The heroine's journey echoes throughout ancient legend. Each young woman combats her dark side and emerges stronger. This quest is also a staple of American comic books. Wonder Woman with semi-divine powers gives us a new female-centered creation story. Batgirl, Batwoman and Black Widow discover their enemy is the dark mother or shadow twin, with the savagery they've rejected in themselves. Supergirl... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$7.99
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First introduced in a 1938 comic book, Superman has since become an iconic character in American entertainment.
This complete history covers Superman's appearances in film and television, from the 1941 introduction of the first Superman cartoon to the 2006 live-action film Superman Returns.
The book includes several rarely seen photographs of the actors who have brought Superman to life for over... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Superhero films are one of the most enduring genres of cinema, and their popularity is only increasing in the 21st century.
These ten critical essays explore the phenomenon through the lenses of numerous academic disciplines, and cover topics such as the role of globalization in the formation of superhero narratives, the shifting nature of masculinity and femininity in the superhero world and the... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Billionaire industrialist, cold warrior, weapons designer, alcoholic, philanthropist, Avenger--Tony Stark, alter-ego of Marvel Comics' Iron Man, has played many roles in his five decades as a superhero.
From his 1963 comics debut in Tales of Suspense to the recent film adaptations--The Avengers(2012), Iron Man 3(2013)--hundreds of creators have had a hand in writing the character... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Since Superman first appeared on the cover of Action Comics #1 in 1938, the superhero has changed with the times to remain a relevant icon of American popular culture. This collection explores the evolution of the Superman character and demonstrates how his alterations mirror historical changes in American society.
Beginning with the original comic book and ending with the 2011 Grounded storyline,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99 $11.99
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Comic book audience expectations have fluctuated dramatically through the years, and comic book creators have had to adapt to shifting hopes, fears and concerns among readers.
One of Marvel Comic's most popular franchises for five decades, The Avengers have always been reflective of their times, and have adapted to an evolving readership to remain relevant.
This collection of fresh essays by popular... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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The Incredible Hulk is one of the earliest Marvel Comics superheroes. Through the decades, the character and his narrative elements--the causes of Bruce Banner's transformations, the Hulk's strength, intelligence and skin color, the stories' tone, theme and sources of conflict--have been continually reinvented to remain relevant.
This collection of new essays explores Marvel's more than five decades... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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The X-Men comic book franchise is one of the most popular of all time and one of the most intriguing for critical analysis. With storylines that often contain overt social messages within its "mutant metaphor," X-Men is often credited with having more depth than the average superhero property.
In this collection, each essay examines a specific era of the X-Men franchise in relationship... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Created in 1941 by the psychologist William Marston, Wonder Woman would go on to have one of the longest continuous runs of published comic book adventures in the history of the industry. More than 70 years after her debut, Wonder Woman remains a popular culture icon. Throughout the intervening years many comic book creators have had a hand in guiding her story, resulting in different interpretations... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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This collection of essays analyzes the many ways in which comic book and film superheroes have been revised or rewritten in response to changes in real-world politics, social mores, and popular culture.
Among many topics covered are the jingoistic origin of Captain America in the wake of the McCarthy hearings, the post-World War II fantasy-feminist role of Wonder Woman, and the Nietzschean influences... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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Since her first appearance in 1992, Harley Quinn—eccentric sidekick to the Joker—has captured the attention of readers like few new characters have in eight decades of Batman comics. Her bubbly yet malicious persona has earned her a loyal and growing fan base as she has crossed over into television, theater, video games, and film.
In this collection of new essays, contributors explore... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$9.99
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For decades, Marvel Comics' superhero group the Avengers have captured the imagination of millions, whether in comics, multi-billion dollar grossing films or video games.
Similar to the chronology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers video games first started with titles driven by single characters, like Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Over time, the games grew to include... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$39.95 $17.99
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This is a complete reference work to the history of Batman big screen works, from the 1940s serials through the campy 1960s TV show and film, and up through the series of Warner Bros. summer blockbusters that climaxed with Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.
Chapters on each Batman feature include extensive film and production credits, a production history, and a critical analysis... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a complete guide to over 50 years of superheroes on screen!
This expanded and updated edition of the 2004 award-winning encyclopedia covers important developments in the popular genre; adds new shows such as Heroes and Zoom; includes the latest films featuring icons like Superman, Spiderman and Batman; and covers even more types of superheroes.
Each... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$29.99
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For decades, scholars have been making the connection between the design of the superhero story and the mythology of the ancient folktale.
Moving beyond simple comparisons and common explanations, this volume details how the workings of the superhero comics industry and the conventions of the medium have developed a culture like that of traditional epic storytelling.
It chronicles the continuation... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades and have given rise to a collective mythology familiar in popular culture worldwide.
Though scholars and fans have recognized and commented on this mythology, its structure has gone largely unexplored. This book provides a model and lexicon for identifying the superhero mythos.
The author examines the myth in several narratives--including... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$18.99
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These 15 essays investigate comic books and graphic novels, beginning with the early development of these media. The essays also place the work in a cultural context, addressing theory and terminology, adaptations of comic books, the superhero genre, and comic books and graphic novels that deal with history and nonfiction.
By addressing the topic from a wide range of perspectives, the book offers... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$19.99
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Superhero adventure comics have a long history of commenting upon American public opinion and government policy, and the surge in the popularity of comics since the events of September 11, 2001, ensures their continued relevance.
This critical text examines the seventy-year history of comic book superheroes on film and in comic books and their reflections of the politics of their time.
Superheroes... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$15.99
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Watchmen has been hailed as the quintessential graphic novel and has spawned a body of literary criticism since its 1986 initial appearance in installments.
This work explores the graphic novel's reception in both popular and scholarly arenas and how the conceptual relationship between images and words affects the reading experience.
Other topics include heroism as a stereotype, the hero's journey,... [click here for more] |
McFarland |
$17.99
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