The Avengers Face Their Dark Sides: Mastering the Myth-Making behind the Marvel Superheroes

by Valerie Estelle Frankel

The Avengers franchise has slammed off the charts, with brave, clever characters embarking on amazing adventures. But what fuels their fire? Tony Stark’s obsession with fast cars and fast women conceals a deep quest for purpose. When he witnesses that his weapons have murdered innocent families, his heart literally shatters – he builds himself the new heart of a hero. Captain America’s weakness is weakness itself, as Steve Rogers transforms into an outer self that matches the inner, a change mirrored in the heart of every kid beaten up on the playground. Rage rules the Hulk, though it’s also his greatest strength when mastered. The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Guardians of the Galaxy find family that complete them, while Daredevil reconciles his split, even contradictory personality. Each hero battles his dark side, appearing as Loki, Red Skull, Kingpin, and other subconscious shadows. Thus, the hero conquers his doubts and harnesses might beyond his gauntlets or guns…he becomes a superhero. With easter eggs, interviews, and comic history, there's treats for all the Marvel fans.

Genres: Nonfiction

206 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of 88 books on pop culture, including Doctor Who - The What, Where, and How; The Villain's Journey, History, Pop Culture, and Hidden Meanings in Hamilton; and How Game of Thrones Will End. Many of her books focus on women’s roles in fiction, from her heroine’s journey guides From Girl to Goddess and Superheroines and the Epic Journey to books like Star Wars Meets the Eras of Feminism and Fourth Wave Feminism in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She's editing a series on Jewish Science Fiction for Rowman & Littlefield. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she now teaches at Mission College and is a frequent speaker at conferences. Come explore her research at www.vefrankel.com.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good content

I brought this book to read about a critical analysis of the super heroes. This provided a lot of good analysis. However, the writing was full and boring at times and contains various errors. I gave it four instead of three because of the easter egg bonus section included.

[Jayden & Kay School]

L

[Wiktoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have divided mind about this book.It was quite an original take on the Marvel superheroes, analysing them through the prism of Jungian theories, but at the same time including only one theoretical background made the analysis repetitive. The book was also full of typos and clumsy sentences, so that it was clear that very little editing was done on the book and the author was in a real hurry to publish it before the première of "The Age of Ultron." It seems to me the book would be much, much better if it was not written so quickly. I was hesitating between three and two stars, finally I chose two, as the "Trivia" section at the end is extremely boring for all except the die hard fans of the Marvel franchise.

[إسلام عماد · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a passionate writer, and such a wonderful book for every MCU fan!