Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life: Neil Gaiman!! Jodi Picoult!! Brad Meltzer!! . . . and an All-Star Roster on the Caped Crusaders That Changed Their Lives

by Liesa Mignogna (Editor), Austin Grossman, Carrie Vaughn

As broad as our exponentially growing cultural fascination with caped crusaders is, it runs just as deep as this long awaited anthology underscores. Liesa Mignogna the VP, Editorial Director at Simon Pulse and editor of this anthology can expound on the virtues of Batman (her wedding was even Batman-themed) but it's her retelling of incredibly harrowing yet ultimately inspiring encounters with The Dark Knight over the years, as she struggled to coexist with the supervillains in her own family that birthed this collection.

Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life gives readers the chance to connect to their beloved authors, while those same authors connect to their beloved superheroes, and within that feedback loop of respect and admiration lies a stellar, and phenomenally accessible, anthology full of thrills, chills, and spills.

Contributors include New York Times bestsellers Christopher Golden, Leigh Bardugo, Brad Meltzer, Neil Gaiman, Carrie Vaughn, Jodi Picoult, and Jamie Ford, as well as award-winners and mainstays like Joe R. Lansdale, Karina Cooper, and Ron Currie, Jr among many others. Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life's authors share their most hilarious and most heart wrenching experiences with their chosen defender to explain why superheroes matter, what they tell us about who we are, and what they mean for our future.

Me and Batman and you / Austin Grossman --
On the Hulk: you wouldn't like me when I'm angry / Delilah S. Dawson --
Dented hearts: a story of Iron Man / Anthony Breznican --
The weight of four-color justice / Christopher Golden --
Daredevil, Elektra, and the ninja who stole my virginity / Jamie Ford --
Everything I know about love, I learned from Gambit and Rogue / Karina Cooper --
Spider-Manhattan / Scott Westerfeld --
How I spent my summer vacation with the Judas Contract / Brad Meltzer --
How Batman saved my life / Joe R. Lansdale --
All the world is waiting for you / Carrie Vaughn --
The devil inside: how Matt Wagner's Grendel saved my life / Brendan Deneen --
You never forget your first time / Neil Gaiman --
We are not Amazons / Leigh Bardugo --
Weapon X / Ron Currie, Jr. --
Wonder Woman / Jodi Picoult --
God of thunder / Kevin Seccia --
Underdog and me / Martin Kihn --
Superman: one rad dude / Jim Di Bartolo --
Some interstitial thoughts on the In-Betweener / Charles Yu --
Becoming Bethany: a life in seven deaths / Alethea Kontis --
Swashbuckle my heart: an ode to Nightcrawler / Jenn Reese --
The hero I needed / Liesa Mignogna

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Anthologies, Short Stories, Adult, Comics, Superheroes

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Words: Inspiration, admiration, heroes, strength, love.

I decided to read one of these essays every day to kick off 2018.

And I didn't expect to cry so much.

This is a deeply personal collection of essays by some magnificent authors. There were some that I didn't like (and one in particular which screams Serious White Male Author) but I loved the collection as a whole and the exploration of what superheroes mean to us all.

I'll definitely pick this up again in future to read through some of the essays. I particularly loved Leigh Bardugo's.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was completely off my radar until it jumped out at me from the library's new releases shelves. I expected it to be a fun, slightly glib collection of why the assembled writers love comics. And while some of the essays (like Jim Di Bartolo's homage to Superman) are that, it's more. So much more.

Superheroes-and by extension, pop culture-got some of these people through REALLY bad times: abuse, extreme poverty, various demons, internal and otherwise. It's humbling what they chose to share here. Several essays made me laugh, others made me cry like a bitch. Jamie Ford's essay seemed like he was going the wistful but funny route till he got to the end and effortlessly sucker punched me--and I loved it. Delilah S. Dawson's essay made me want to hug her, Carrie Vaughn's made me want to high five her. Brendan Deneen's story about getting a fan mail answer from Matt Wagner (and how that changed his life) was perfectly sweet. I want Leigh Bardugo to be my best friend because, girl, I GET YOU!! Anthony Breznican and Alethea Kontis' stories....I'm just glad that I read them at home because I bawled uncontrollably. There's a real variety here, always delivered with glorious hardcore fanboy/girling.

My count is that Batman won the most hearts and minds in this collection, followed by Wonder Woman and Superman. The top is rounded out by various X-Men.

I'm not going to list everything, but these essays were amongst my favorites:

"On the Hulk, You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry" by Delilah S. Dawson

"Dented Hearts: A Story of Iron Man" by Anthony Breznican

"The Weight of Four-Color Justice" by Christopher Golden

"Daredevil, Elektra, and the Ninja who Stole my Virginity" by Jamie Ford

"Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Gambit and Rogue" by Karina Cooper

"How I Spent My Summer Vacation with the Judas Contract" by Brad Meltzer

"All the World is Waiting for You" by Carrie Vaughn

"We are not Amazons" by Leigh Bardugo

"Weapon X" by Ron Currie

"Becoming Bethany: A Life in Seven Deaths" by Alethea Kontis

"Swashbuckle My Heart: An Ode to Nightcrawler" by Jenn Reese

"The Hero I Needed" by Liesa Mignogna

I tried to restrain myself to my very favorites, and I still listed 12 essays. That's over half of the essays in the collection! This was clearly a passion project of the editor, Liesa Mignogna, who contributed one of my favorite essays about growing up with a truly amazing single mom and a passion for Batman (Mignogna further demonstrates her bona fides by making her author photo a picture from her Batman-themed wedding. I love this woman!) (And her mom!)

(As a random aside, I was surprised to see Jodi Picoult's name on the book cover. Apparently, she's written some Wonder Woman comics. There's your left-field trivia for the day.)

If you love comic books, this is a no-brainer. But even if you don't, I predict you'll like it or maybe love it. Maybe so much that you'll want to buy your own copy. Reader, I did.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to rate this anthology. Firstly and as with any collection from various authors, lots of hits and some misses. Secondly, (and I realize lots won't agree with this) there was too much Batman - every other essay tackled the Dark Knight. And yet, only 2 authors brought actual perspective to it (Austin Grossman opened the book with a great essay on how Batman influenced his creative life and Liesa Mignogna closed the book with a great essay on Batman and in particular, The Killing Joke got her past trauma. While I still loathe The Killing Joke, her essay opened my eyes to another way to approach the text). The best essays in the book (Karina Cooper on her love life and how Rogue and Gambit shined a light on her hang-ups; Jamie Ford tackling similar terrain but with Daredevil and Elecktra; Deliah Dawson on the Hulk) actually tackle how a superhero saved a life i.e. how comics allowed them to come to terms with problems in their lives and weren't just mere escape. Some of the middle tier essays position certain heroes or arcs within larger comics history (Jodi Picoult on Wonder Woman and Brad Meltzer on The Judas Contract storyline in Teen Titans). Others simply write love letters to their first experience (Neil Gaiman on Batman [the 4th Batman essay, in an overcrowded field]).

[Bernard O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a war, and the geeks won.

Even after Tim Burton's excellent Batman movies, and Bryan Singer's very good X-Men movie, superhero comics were still thought of as something for kids or adults who had missed a step in their cultural development. But somewhere between that and the first Iron Movie, everything changed. And what changed is this: a bunch of very smart people who grew up loving comic books had reached maturity. They became the dominant cultural voices of our time. And they used their position to announce that comics were cool.

Last Night A Superhero Saved My Life is a lovely collection of essays that straddles both of these realities. The authors are all successful writers, including luminaries such as Neil Gaiman and Jodi Picoult. In times past, some of those writers may have felt compelled to add caveats about the artistic merit of comics, or justified their love for superheros by talking about how comics led them to proper novels.

The closest we get to that here is an essay by Wonder Woman fan Carrie Vaughn, who releases some pent up rage, first at her fellow pre-schoolers who criticised her inaccurate playtime portrayal of the mighty Amazonian hero, and later at the college professors who told her that all genre fiction is not real fiction. Apart from that, there's no question in this book that DC and Marvel might not be as important as Shakespeare and Chaucer.

Wonder Woman features more than any other hero, which is maybe unsurprising in a genre that generally likes to stuff its female characters in a fridge. A generation of girls learned a lot from her, although there still seems to be some confusion about how she ran around in that bustier without popping out and giving herself a black eye. Jodi Picoult did, we learn, attempt to give Wonder Woman some straps when she was writing the comic, but DC refused.

Wonder Woman, Superman, Thor, and a few other characters like Underdog all appear in the capacity of joy. Because most comics in the 70s and 80s were about joy, starring clean-cut heroes with a simple morality. Some of the writers in this book discuss how these wonderful characters inspired them to believe in their dreams and themselves.

And then there are the other writers. The X-Men fans. The Batman fans. They're the ones who explain why genre fiction is often so important.

It's amazing and saddening how many of them tell the same story: I was a child, and I trusted adults to care for me, and they didn't. Some failed through neglect, others were more malicious. The only thing that kept me going were these stories, tales of heroes who lurk in the shadows and stop the bad guys. Heroes who had messed up childhoods too, and survived, and lived good lives.

The mythology of Gotham or the mutants is every bit as developed as any major text, and has a big advantage over the Bible: it's alive, and being constantly rewritten. These stories might seem like trash to some people, but to others they contain truth, hope, philosophy, insight, humour, catharsis and occasionally a full epiphany.

Sometimes they have been the only source of light when everything else in the world has been dark. The most moving stories in this volume are about how these superheroes have reached out through the garishly-coloured panels and literally saved someone's life.

It's not all gloom, and there are funny and moving stories of how comics have influenced first loves, led to wreckless childhood adventures, acted as imaginary friends, and provided valuable lessons about life and morality. Superhero comics are a multifaceted cultural entity that offer meaning on an archetypal level, adaptive to the reader's internalised contextualised expectations which develop circumstantially.

Or, as they say in comics, superheroes are here when we need them. No matter what.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Comic-Inspired
The Most Fist-Pump Worthy: “We Are Not Amazons” by Leigh Bardugo, “Swashbuckle My Heart: An Ode to Nightcrawler” by Jenn Reese
The Most Eye Roll-Inducing: “Weapon X” by Ron Currie, Jr.
The Most Educational: “Spider-Manhattan” by Scott Westerfeld
Bonus Factors: Superhero Adoration
Break Glass In Case Of: Seeking Nerd Solidarity

Read the full book report here.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of authors writing about what superheroes -- mostly Batman -- meant to them. The essays go from a bit banal (side eye at DC for a particular hiring choice) to brilliant and devastating. The closing essay grapples with The Killing Joke and was particularly powerful.

Does a nice job of demonstrating how important it is to see ourselves in our stories. Of having characters to emulate and love. Sometimes that's Nightcrawler. Bamf!

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab your Kleenex, true believers: this one's a weepfest.

There are two reasons why I won't be finishing this book. The practical reason is that it's due back at the library, because somebody else wants to read it. The emotional reason is that every single damn essay I read from this made me cry.

Think about it. Most of us don't really have gods anymore, at least, none that we talk about publicly aside from the one big guy people decide they either do, or don't, believe in. What do we have? Rock stars, sports dude(ette)s, and superheroes. That's it. But if you find the right rock star / sports dude(ette) / superhero, it can be enough. Mignogna's collection contains a lot of extremely personal, heartfelt stories about people who have made it through the difficult parts of their lives thanks to a comic book character, who became the symbol of whatever the suffering person needed to pull through. The heavy hitters are represented, yes, but there's a wide range of super men and women here who functioned as lifelines for the lost and bewildered. By the time I got through "Everything I Needed to Know About Love I Learned From Rogue and Gambit," I kind of just wanted to go lie down in a dark room and weep over humanity's collective suffering for a while.

So, um, consider NOT reading all of these essays at once. Or not picking it up at all if you are extremely sensitive to others' pain...or feel your own a little too deeply at the moment. Then again, a good healthy cry might be just what the doctor ordered. Of course, you probably won't catch ALL the feels unless you worship at the altars of Marvel or D.C. In fact, if you don't, you might just roll your eyes over all these weirdos who take their comic books so seriously. Just make sure you're not wearing a team jersey or a concert tee when you're doing so, because I will call you on it.

Ahem. Comic book culture is here to stay, so nab this one for all non-fiction collections, especially if you have a special new non-fic or current events / pop culture section.

[Berni Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book more stars if some of the essays had been omitted. It's strongest with the very touching, very personal essays. A couple of the essays bored me, and one left me feeling like the writer was a complete jerk. (He laments that fist fights are no longer a socially acceptable method for settling disagreements. He thinks that's what true masculinity is. I hope he doesn't have kids.)

But some of the essays are very good. While I think the strongest are the ones where the writers are coming from a place of pain, telling how comic books helped them, others, such as Carrie Vaughn's essay about her relationship with Wonder Woman are just as good, coming from hope and joy and love.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little collection. I didn't get into reading comics until I was a little older (I got my fix from Batman: The Animated Series, and the X-Men cartoon for the most part along with movies) so it was really neat to see different writers' stories on how meeting the right superhero at the right time, or just meeting them early, shaped them or shaped their approach to things. Not just Superman and Batman either. There were even two superheroes that I've never heard of!

Fast read, good fun, and if you like comics you'll definitely find a familiar person here.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the different ways superheroes saved people--by giving them hope in dark times, by giving them examples/models when they had none, by challenging them to rethink, by inspiring them to pursue writing. Beautiful collection of essays.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started to read this cover to cover in curated order and found I couldn't. Many of the first stories just didn't appeal to me. Also I was hoping, from reading the blurbs, that they were more fictional stories but found them to be essays. I ended up picking and choosing which to read, Gaiman if course. A found it to be the same way. So spoiler, it is essays from writers based around super heroes influence or impact in their lives. On that note though I would use this in a writing class as examples on personal narrative. I would hand this to a kid who doesn't like fiction, or so they say, but you know realistic fiction would be a great fit. It just might be a gateway for them.

[Kathy Cowie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book because Jamie Ford was kind enough to visit our town and speak at our annual author lunch, so I felt it was my duty to buy as many books of his as I could. I loved his story in the collection, because it felt honest and real - many of the others have a similar conversational/confessional style. There are a few who very obviously phoned it in, which does not reflect well on a couple of my favorite authors... For the most part though, it was a fun read, and will especially appeal to anyone who has ever been inspired by a superhero.

[Jennifer Abella · Rating 3 out of 5]

read primarily for the Wonder Woman essays, which were moving, as are the ones on Iron Man and Hulk.

[Tabitha Hartropp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just not really my thing. I'm could see how others could find it interesting to see how superheroes inspired other writers, but it felt a little feel-good preachy to me. or maybe I'm just super cynical :P

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting perspective on the role and power of superheroes and comics in our society. I'll be curious to see if the influence holds as kids turn to digital media for escape and stories. In a generation will this collection be titled "Last Night Call o Duty Saved My Life?"
Provocative and a valuable resource as I begin building a unit on graphic novels, comics and superheroes.

[Terynce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best book of this year's Reading Challenge. Its stories are personal, yet I could see myself in many of them or see my friends. I was never into comics growing up and I have a difficult time getting into most comics/graphic novels now, but I'm beginning to truly get a sense of their appeal.

Batman has long been my favorite because he has no superpowers, save his intellect and being pissed off. And an endless supply of money, but ... err... yeah. But the pages about Wolverine and the role that fighting plays for men was a perspective I hadn't considered. And Wonder Woman, always with her armor, despite the attention on the rest of her outfit.

Very, very good read. Definitely front-loaded, I thought the second to last section Superheros and Childhood was the weakest part of the book, but almost every essay had something of merit to take away.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life seems like a preposterous idea. Everyone knows that superheroes are creatures of the imagination, at best, modern mythology as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby advocated or colorful forms of C. G. Jung’s archetypes. So, it was with great curiosity that I glanced at the title and tugged this volume off my local library shelf. To be sure, Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life does touch base with archetypes and mythologies, but more than that, it is a refreshing anthology of essays from people (many who are celebrities in popular culture) which share how comics in general, or how particular comic heroes managed to affect their lives in a positive way.

Yes, I just typed “positive way.” So, take that Herr Professor Doktor Fredric Wertham, you quack! While you were trying to find a scapegoat to blame juvenile delinquency, teenaged pregnancy, and mental illness on, some marvelous people experienced the therapeutic nature of comic book literature. For some, like journalist Anthony Breznican, the weakness in comic book superheroes helped give himself and his family the strength to struggle their way through grief. A similar account comes from Alethea Kontis, author of the Arilland series of young adult fantasy and a delightful book of fantasy-based poetry for children. For novelist Delilah S. Dawson (author of numerous licensed novels such as Star Wars, Marvel, and Minecraft properties), it was viewing the anger management (or mismanagement) issues of The Incredible Hulk that helped her deal with her own inner rage. Brendan Deneen of Flash Gordon comic and Morbius novel fame credits Matt Wagner’s Grendel and a 12 word note from his writing hero for pulling him out of a drug/alcohol haze.

For novelist and comic writer Joe R. Lansdale, comics brought the color to his self-described “gummy gray” existence that enabled him to become a writer (in different media). I loved Lansdale’s description of Batman as Doc Savage, Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow all rolled into one (p. 117). And I definitely resonated with his description of enjoying comics as: “Some way to let the ordinary seep out of my head and the let the fantastic seep in.” (p. 117) I’ve read enough Lansdale to be able to say “Mission Accomplished” with no sense of irony.

Similarly, Austin Grossman, an author and video-game designer that I met both at Looking Glass Technologies and the short-lived Dreamworks Interactive, confessed how Batman/Bruce Wayne has inspired him to be true to himself, even if it meant haunting unused rehearsal rooms at night to write and read aloud (p. 12). Neil Gaiman spent several pages recounting various forms of Batman, preferring the gothic Batman of a particular Neal Adams story, but it was Len Wein’s Swamp Thing that made him want to write.

And, while I haven’t read Carrie Vaughn’s urban fantasy series about Kitty Norville, I certainly appreciated how Wonder Woman inspired her to stand up for what she believes in. She never made a distinction between fantasy, science-fiction, and “literature” (p. 127) and, when her professor insisted that, “’There’s nothing you can do in science fiction that you can’t do in real literature.’” (p. 128), I wished that she had been able to say what she wrote later on the page directly to that professor. She wrote: “If science fiction is doing the same thing as ‘real’ literature—then it is real literature.” (p. 128)

I was surprised not so much by Leigh Bardugo’s early adolescent sense of body-shaming related to the sensual and impractical costumes of female superheroes as by how, after a time of focusing almost strictly on anime heroes in all-girl groups, she eventually felt empowered enough by those exaggerated costumes to feel good about herself. I was intrigued by Ron Currie, Jr.’s inspiration to build up his body and then, learn that there was a time not to fight after his reading experiences with Wolverine.

Personally, I was most amused by Kevin Seccia’s observations about Thor (reminding me that it’s time to pull out some of my vintage runs and reread them). Seccia, screenwriter of Kung Fu Panda among others, observed: “Blake actually transformed into Thor—an entirely different being—and they shared separate minds and experiences. In fact, Blake had not memory of what Thor said or did after he changed back. I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds like a humongous rip-off. It sounds less like being a superhero and a lot more like being roommates with a superhero--…” (p. 197).

The book closes with editor Liesa Mignogna’s personal testimony, a heart-wrenching story that not only explained her vision for Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life but also offers a refracted glimmer of hope. I would have never thought of Batman: The Killing Joke as a potential beacon of hope. So, once again and in its final pages, the book slaps down the opportunistic, publicity-loving, sensationalist Dr. Wertham with a vivid and personal counterpoint.

I very much enjoyed Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life. I don’t know of any other book like it (forgive my ignorance if there are more). I do think, however, that the book could have used a little biographical and bibliographical information on each contributor. Professionals in the field would likely have interacted with these talented individuals at conventions and in collaboration, but I didn’t know all of them. Still, even if you don’t know the players, I highly recommend that you attend the “play,”

[Carol Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story by Jamie Ford!!

[Kel Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be really honest; the stories written by women interested me greatly. I skipped most of the ones written by men.

[Nazlee Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book until my Book Club teacher introduced it as a new release that had been bought for the library. And me, being the total comic geek that I was, I picked it up. I was pleased to see the variety of superheroes mentioned. I was especially excited about the Xmen. I had thought it would be a funny, pat collection of why writers loved superheroes and their teen experiences with them. While some of the essays were that, it was so much more.

Interestingly, superheroes had come into these writers' lives at the WORST of times: abuse, extreme poverty, depression, etc. But they also had come in some very weird moments in their lives; their teenage years which brought all the normal disasters that commonly ensue during this time in one's life: friendships, crushes, and whatever else you can think of that belongs in this list. These essays made me laugh like a maniac and some made me cry until I had no tears left to cry. There was so much fangirling, I'm so glad I read this at home. It's incredible and crazy at the same time.

I noticed that DC superheroes won most of their hearts: (in order) Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Was Marvel just not that popular doing their time? But, don't worry I was happy. There were quite a few Xmen sprinkled throughout.

If you're a comic geek like me or just a fan of superheroes, this book is for you. Even if you're not sure and are debating whether you should venture down that dark hole the superhero fandom is, I think you could potentially enjoy it too. But if you are a true believer, grab a Kleenex. This book is quite the weep-fest. You will be crying a lot, whether it be from laughter or pure sadness, or both like me. I was happily surprised and I greatly recommend this.

[Esosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

“The most compelling and dangerous villains in life and literature aren’t so terribly obvious—it’s the ones who might try to do good, before fate deals them one too many blows. The ones who continue to believe, even in their darkest moments, that their motives are pure—that any destruction they cause to the ones they genuinely love is unavoidable.”

One of the most unique essay collections I’ve read. I sometimes feel like my love for superheroes and the comic book genre is something I can’t explain so to see a whole collection of essays from numerous writers talking about their favourite superheroes— how these heroes changed, saved, or impacted their lives was something I was really excited to read.

Some stories were more light hearted than others. Some were extremely personal and deep. The book is actually broken into 6 sections:
* Superheroes and Being Human
* Superheroes and Love
* Superheroes and Writing
* Superheroes and Gender
* Superheroes and Childhood
* Superheroes and Trauma

Even with those who wrote about the same super heroes (and as I’m sure you can guess, some heroes show up more than once: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman), each story was different.

My favourites from this collection were:
* Everything I Know About Love, I Learned From Gambit and Rogue by Karina Cooper
* The Hero I Needed by Liesa Mignogna

Overall a very refreshing read & a nice reminder that fictional worlds and stories can indeed change lives.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to balance the people who didn't find this as interesting as I did. :-)

Last Night A Superhero Saved My Life is a series of essays, written almost exclusively by fantasy, horror, and YA authors, about the influence one particular superhero had upon them: whether it be in their life or in their career. Even though I had only heard of 2 of the authors included in the anthology before, I was fascinated by what attracted them to a particular hero, as well as what strength (both personal and professional) they were able to draw from their chosen one.

Some author's lives were horrible, in ways boring everyday people like me can never hope to fully understand. And, when there was no person to whom they could reach, they were able to reach out in their imagination for safety. Some authors related to the trials and tribulations, or in contrast, to the strengths of their chosen hero. And, this made them more comfortable in their world or their work. Not as dramatic, but equally appreciable.

I enjoyed learning of the existence of superheroes I had never heard of before either, such as Grendel or the In-Betweener (I think I got that 2nd one right). I enjoyed learning how the authors discovered comics or movies. And, I enjoyed learning about the power of imagination in a multitude of different circumstances.

Highly recommended, even if no one picked my favorite superhero (Isis).

[Saba · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life' is an anthology which documents why superheroes matter, how they can shape us and what these caped crusaders mean for our future.

My top three thoughts on 'Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life':
1. I grew up watching cartoons on superheroes like Superman, He-Man, TMNT, Spiderman and Batman. I then found out about comics like X-Men very early on because of my sister who is 4 years older than me. I didn't know it at the time, but I picked up quite a few things from all of them. I unintentionally learned about morality, mortality, justice, discipline, grief, and developing a sense of humor. I was also introduced to women being strong, independent and complete badasses.
2. I didn't read the blurb and assumed it'll be about comics and the process of creating them. I couldn't have been more wrong. Each essay in this book is worth reading. Some are hilarious and some are deeply moving. This collection talks about coping, resilience, bravery, mental health, courage, and so much more.
3. The essays that talk about pain, mental health and struggles are the strongest. I was especially moved by Delilah Dawson's piece.

[Janna Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Okay, so this probably deserves more than 3 stars, and the reason I'm giving it less is 100% my own fault. I grabbed this book without looking too closely as I was walking out of the library and my initial impression of it was that it was a series of short stories, perhaps parodying superheroes. It is not.

It's a series of essays about various authors' experiences with superheroes, mostly from comic books. Which was very interesting, really, except that I am extremely unfamiliar with the comic book versions of all the famous superheroes and I hadn't even heard of half of the heroes that were in the essays. Totally my fault, because if I had looked more closely, I would have realized that this was a book of essays, not short stories (I think Neil Gaiman's name on the front cover threw me off).

All that to say, it was interesting, but I didn't really relate to it AT ALL. For many people, it's probably a 5-star book. For me, it was 3-star.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t love every essay but there were so many that resonated with me. It truly speaks to the power these stories and characters have for people and society. These modern mythologies transcend time, reflecting and influencing our hopes, dreams, and ideals.

The essays that stayed with me:

"Me and Batman and You" by Austin Grossman
"On the Hulk: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry" by Delilah S. Dawson
"Dented Hearts: A Story of Ironman" by Anthony Brezican
"Everything I Know About Love, I Learned From Gambit and Rogue" by Karina Cooper
"Spider-Manhattan" by Scott Westerfield
"All the World is Waiting For You" by Carrie Vaughn
"We Are Not Amazons" by Leigh Bardugo
"Wonder Woman" by Jodi Picoult
"Superman: One Rad Dude" by Jim Di Bartolo
"Becoming Bethany: A Life in Seven Deaths" by Alethea Kantis (tbh wayyyy too relevant to what's happening in my life rn)
"Swashbuckle My Heart: an Ode to Nightcrawler" by Jenn Reese
"The Hero I Needed" by Liesa Mignogna

Overall: 4.3/5 stars.

[Tara 🩰 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know very little about comic books and superheroes and I thought it was an engaging read. Some of the essays were misses for me but others were so earnest and moving. Favorites were: The Hulk You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry, Iron Man Dented Hearts, Karina Cooper’s Gambit and Rouge, How I Spent my Summer with the Judas Contract, Grendel The Devil Inside, Leah Bardugo’s We Are Not Amazons, Underdog and Me, Nightcrawler, and lastly, The Hero I Needed. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading many of these essays for years to come.

[Captain Comic Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sure was a mixed bag for me. I picked it up on a whim from my work because I've definitely thought about the subject matter before, but I wasn't expecting to like it. Yet despite my preference for fiction, some of these essays were really meaningful and powerful to read. Granted, some of them sounded like the author was made up of mostly hot air, but others were, if not emotionally investing, then at least amusing. I would actually encourage fans of the superhero genre to give it a try - maybe you'll connect too.

[Natalie Brondolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

These authors became vulnerable and shared why superheroes made an impact on their lives. And despite the reviews where others said “too much Batman”, etc, it’s not about that, it’s about what that character meant to someone. As with any short story collection, some may have more of an impression on you as a reader, but I think all of these stories had a common theme of inspiration, motivation, and relatability to each author at a time when they needed it. You don’t have to agree with each author; it’s the revelation of superheroes giving us hope during those crucial times.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book (full disclosure: I’m friends with the editor, and that’s how I knew to START reading it- but it’s not why I KEPT reading!) and I learned a lot about a new topic for me- the fact that I’m a complete rookie when it comes to superheroes wasn’t a deal breaker at all. I was also glad to be introduced to some new (for me, anyway) writers, some of whom actually moved me to tears. Highly recommend.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Night A Superhero Saved My Life is a series of essays, written almost exclusively by fantasy, horror, and YA authors, about the influence one particular superhero had upon them: whether it be in their life or in their career. I discovered the existence of superheroes I had never heard of before, such as Grendel or the In-Betweener (I think I got that 2nd one right).
Teaching possibilities using this book come to mind. The power of imagination is amazing.