Not All Supermen: Sexism, Toxic Masculinity, and the Complex History of Superheroes

by Tim Hanley

An eye-opening exploration of the toxic masculinity and sexism that pervades the superhero genre.

Superheroes have been exciting and inspirational cultural icons for decades, dating back to the debut of Superman in the 1930s. The earliest tales have been held up as cornerstones of the genre, looked upon with nostalgic reverence. However, enshrining these tales also enshrines many outdated values that have allowed sexist gender dynamics to thrive.

In Not All Sexism, Toxic Masculinity, and the Complex History of Superheroes, Tim Hanley examines how anger, aggression, and violence became the norm in superhero comics, paired with a disdain for women that the industry has yet to fully move beyond. The sporadic addition of new female heroes over the years proved largely ineffective, the characters often underused and objectified. Hanley also reveals how the genre’s sexism has had real-world implications, with many creators being outed as sexual harassers and bigots, while intolerant fan movements are awash with misogynistic hate speech.

Superheroes can be a force for good, representing truth, justice, and courage, but the industry is laden with excessive baggage. The future of the genre depends on what elements of its past are celebrated and what is left behind. Not All Supermen unravels this complex history and shows how superheroes can become more relevant and inspiring for everyone.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gender Studies, Pop Culture

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2022

About the author

Tim Hanley is the author of Wonder Woman Unbound and Investigating Lois Lane. He is also a comic book historian. His blog, Straitened Circumstances, discusses Wonder Woman and women in comics, and his column "Gendercrunching" runs monthly on Bleeding Cool. He has contributed to several comic book sites, including DC Women Kicking Ass and Women Write About Comics.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, this is horrifying. On the other, none of it was anything I hadn't noticed over the years as a comics reader, although I hadn't quite put together that all of it was real and not just my personal experience. The superhero industry has a problem, and it doesn't seem keen on truly fixing it.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando eu li a notícia sobre o lançamento deste livro no site Bleeding Cool, já fui direto colocá-lo na minha lista de desejos da Amazon. Assim que o valor baixou um pouco pude adquirir. Não existem livros que se debrucem em toda sua extensão sobre a questão de gênero nos super-heróis, principalmente através do masculinismo que o permeia. Este livro de Tim Hanley não pensa exatamente as masculinidades e representações delas no universo dos super-heróis, mas tateia essa pretensão. O que não gostei do livro foi essa necessidade de historicizar as HQs de supers como fazem 90% dos livros que tratam do tema. Também a necessidade de descrever histórias não me agradou. Contudo, ao chegar mais ao final do livro, entendi sobre o que o autor queria tratar: os abusos dos privilégios do gênero masculino dentro da indústria de revistas em quadrinhos de super-heróis. Os últimos capítulos do livro, junto com os "sumários/conclusões" dos primeiros capítulos são as melhores partes de Not All Supermen. De toda forma, achei que o livro teria mais insights que me ajudariam mais na minha tese de doutorado. Não foi o caso e o custo benefício de um livro importado de capa dura pela Amazon acabou ficando bastante salgado.

[Jack Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earnest and illuminating, this is Hanley’s most insightfully informative book yet.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of Not All Supermen, Tim Hanley is a comic book historian who has written about such well known and yet under appreciated female icons in this genre such as Wonder Women, Lois Lane and Catwoman. The subtitle of his latest book, “Sexism,Toxic Masculinity and the Complex History of Superheroes “ explores even further into those topics with a broader range than his earlier works did.

From the beginning of the superhero genre where strong female characters were sidelined or meant to be arm candy for the male hero to the rise of the feminist movement that brought about reluctant change, Hanley shows us how even though superhero characters were intend to showcase the best in humanity, they also hold up a powerful mirror to our worst natures as well.

One of my favorite chapters draws comparisons between the classic Dark Phoenix Saga in X-Men to Teen Titans’ The Judas Contract, the latter being a story line that doesn’t get as much coverage in my opinion (plus, I do own a Terra/Tara Markov action figure!).

Racism, gender identity bias and other topics are highlighted as well, with Hanley using his entertaining educational style to lay all the cards properly out on the table there. I highly recommend it to not only comic book/superhero fans but to those interested in seeing how influential our ongoing debates about gender roles and other issues in society are showcased in such a public pop culture forum. Even a standard good guy such as Superman is as vulnerable to these cultural forces as he is to Kryptonite but hopefully, readers will fight for truth and justice for their fictional heroes as well as real life ones.

[madeline jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really appreciated hanley’s notes on female fans, as a woman in film, sports, and a marvel fan, i am constantly ridiculed for my love of those things, the way hanley deals with them is very straight forward and honest about how it feels for female fans in these spaces

thank you to rowman and littlefield for sending me a copy of this title! :)