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Superheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro
Superheroes! is the ultimate reference book about the men and women in tights who fight for what’s right and the comic book phenomenon that conquered the world.
From their origins in stories created by barely grown men during an era of global war and printed on cheap paper for consumption by children, superheroes have grown into a popular culture whirlwind that has attracted millions of fans and crossed over into every form of media. Encompassing early coming books, indie outliers, and the mammoth fictional universes managed by DC and Marvel, Superheroes! chronicles the rise of a distinctly American invention, the modern-day evolution of the myths and legends of old.
Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Captain America, X-Men, the Justice League and the Avengers—they all represent our greatest hopes, and sometimes our darkest fantasies. Pop culture expert Brian Solomon tells a story that goes from the Golden, Silver and Bronze Ages of comic book history right up to the Modern Age of multimillion-dollar Hollywood movies, and beyond. Perhaps no fictional genre has endured and blossomed over the past eighty years the way superheroes have. Learn all about the creators who have brought them to artists like Jack Kirby and Jim Lee, writers like Stan Lee and Alan Moore, actors like Christopher Reeve and Robert Downey Jr., and directors like Tim Burton and Joss Whedon. They’re all here, in all their high-flying, eye-zapping, goon-punching glory. Up, up and away!
From their origins in stories created by barely grown men during an era of global war and printed on cheap paper for consumption by children, superheroes have grown into a popular culture whirlwind that has attracted millions of fans and crossed over into every form of media. Encompassing early coming books, indie outliers, and the mammoth fictional universes managed by DC and Marvel, Superheroes! chronicles the rise of a distinctly American invention, the modern-day evolution of the myths and legends of old.
Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Captain America, X-Men, the Justice League and the Avengers—they all represent our greatest hopes, and sometimes our darkest fantasies. Pop culture expert Brian Solomon tells a story that goes from the Golden, Silver and Bronze Ages of comic book history right up to the Modern Age of multimillion-dollar Hollywood movies, and beyond. Perhaps no fictional genre has endured and blossomed over the past eighty years the way superheroes have. Learn all about the creators who have brought them to artists like Jack Kirby and Jim Lee, writers like Stan Lee and Alan Moore, actors like Christopher Reeve and Robert Downey Jr., and directors like Tim Burton and Joss Whedon. They’re all here, in all their high-flying, eye-zapping, goon-punching glory. Up, up and away!
- GenresNonfictionComics
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 30, 2023
For a book billing itself as a history of the superhero phenomenon, this books perhaps skews a bit too much in the direction of fannish enthusiasm (not that there is anything wrong with fannish enthusiasm). Certainly, it tends to avoid tackling controversial subjects. For instance, it does not really question the "official" Marvel view of Stan Lee as primary creator of ... well, pretty much everything, it only mentions in passing the Siegel/Shuster struggles over compensation for Superman, it doesn't address work for hire, it ignores Comicsgate, it says nothing about critiques of the fascistic subtexts of superheroes, etc. Again, there is no reason that an enthusiastic book about superheroes should do so--but then, it probably should not have "history" in its title. Solomon's writing style is straightforward, and the book is written in easily-digestible chunks--chronologically-sequenced chapters balanced against 16 "Icons" sections, offering brief accounts of the figures Solomon identifies as the most significant superhero creations, from Superman (1) to Spawn (16). One can easily browse in this book, reading individual chapters or sections--especially toe "Icons" ones--without needing the context of the rest of the book. Oddly, all images appear at the end of the book, rather than within the text. A pleasant enough read for fans of superheroes happy with a celebration of the celebration of such figures.
May 5, 2023
Read my full review in LIBRARY JOURNAL.
September 18, 2025
Brian Solomon has written a pleasant book about the history of a popular cultural phenomenon of superheroes, whose roots can be traced back to antiquity, if not prehistory. The typesetting is good for the eye, thanks to the spacing between the lines. However, there is no bibliography for those who wish to learn more.
I do not agree with everything the author says. For example, Batman Begins pales in comparison to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. More generally, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is not as good as the DC Animated Universe of the 1990s and 2000s. There is one notable exception, namely, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, which compares well with Mark Hamill's as the definitive voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. I also frankly think that Frank Miller and Alan Moore are overrated as comics writers. Miller's Batman: Year One is not that good; I am surprised by its high ratings here on Goodreads. It is a rather feeble entry compared to Mask of the Phantasm, or, for that matter, Batgirl: Year One, a wholesome coming-of-age story. I prefer Batman: The Man Who Laughs to Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke. Miller and Moore seem weirdly obsessed with psychological troubles and mindless violence. I doubt they are that deep. Solomon, as is appropriate, mentions the DC Animated Universe of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, but glosses over X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution. The former now has a sequel, X-Men: '97, which is also quite popular. And while the latter is not well-remembered or known by younger people, it is by no means a bad show,and the ratings on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) proves it. But really, this is just a matter of opinions. Some other things are more serious.
Robin Hood is definitely not a hero. He is a thief, no matter how he justifies his actions or how glamorously he is portrayed. He is in the same category as Catwoman. From a modern point of view, which liberals and progressives like to take, Robin Hood, if he actually existed, was a proto-communist. He had no respect for the private property rights of others. His motto, in effect, was "What's mine is mine; what's yours is also mine." That is how communists operate. Robin Hood, and people like him promote the politics of envy, grievances, and class warfare for their nefarious ends.
On the other hand, Magneto is not exactly a simple villain. At worst, he is an anti-villain. Given how humanity has treated mutants, people like him, he, and his followers, have good reasons to be angry and mistrustful. If so-called Homo sapiens insist on treating mutants as a threat to be imprisoned or exterminated, they have no rights to complain if the "other" group responds in kind. In the battle for survival, anthropocentric notions become laughable. By the same token, Poison Ivy is not really a villain either. She is a plant in human form, and she chooses to prioritize plant life, just like humans do human life. Taking a further step back, Thanos is also not a villain, but rather an embodiment of Nature. Nature is under no obligations to fulfill human expectations. All ecosystems have their own carrying capacities due to the shortage or scarcity of resources. Scarcity is not merely a concept of economics, but rather a fact of life, in the most general sense of the word life. Consequently, Nature has never been shy about culling the herd, should the population exceeds a certain amount. But in practice, She does not need to actively do that, for scarcity requires zero-sum games.
Waves of ideals, hopes, and dreams have the habit of crashing against the rocks of reality. Reality does not care for ideologies. Social change takes time, and history does not follow a particular arc that miraculously supports a particular ideology or point of view. Already, the counterculture of the 1960s has faded away, and, as it did back in the day, still generates indifference, if not public backlash and disgust.
With that in mind, I shall move to the final note. Solomon appears to be a fellow traveler of the woke mob. While woke culture was a dominant factor in the social and cultural zeitgeist of the 2010s and early 2020s, at the time of writing this review, 2025, it is clearly in retreat. The social immune system is actively targeting the tumors of woke culture, which has previously been metastasizing with little push back. Solomon mentions a number of movie releases of the era, a uniquely stupid decade in American history and culture, but neglects how popular they actually are, and how much they resonates with the general public. If the latter criteria is not met, they will likely be forgotten, or only remembered as an embarrassment. Revenues might be high initially, but the continued draining of goodwill will change that. Right now, Hollywood studios are losing tons of money, and not just because of inflation or the high cost of doing business in California.
I do not agree with everything the author says. For example, Batman Begins pales in comparison to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. More generally, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is not as good as the DC Animated Universe of the 1990s and 2000s. There is one notable exception, namely, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, which compares well with Mark Hamill's as the definitive voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. I also frankly think that Frank Miller and Alan Moore are overrated as comics writers. Miller's Batman: Year One is not that good; I am surprised by its high ratings here on Goodreads. It is a rather feeble entry compared to Mask of the Phantasm, or, for that matter, Batgirl: Year One, a wholesome coming-of-age story. I prefer Batman: The Man Who Laughs to Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke. Miller and Moore seem weirdly obsessed with psychological troubles and mindless violence. I doubt they are that deep. Solomon, as is appropriate, mentions the DC Animated Universe of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, but glosses over X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution. The former now has a sequel, X-Men: '97, which is also quite popular. And while the latter is not well-remembered or known by younger people, it is by no means a bad show,and the ratings on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) proves it. But really, this is just a matter of opinions. Some other things are more serious.
Robin Hood is definitely not a hero. He is a thief, no matter how he justifies his actions or how glamorously he is portrayed. He is in the same category as Catwoman. From a modern point of view, which liberals and progressives like to take, Robin Hood, if he actually existed, was a proto-communist. He had no respect for the private property rights of others. His motto, in effect, was "What's mine is mine; what's yours is also mine." That is how communists operate. Robin Hood, and people like him promote the politics of envy, grievances, and class warfare for their nefarious ends.
On the other hand, Magneto is not exactly a simple villain. At worst, he is an anti-villain. Given how humanity has treated mutants, people like him, he, and his followers, have good reasons to be angry and mistrustful. If so-called Homo sapiens insist on treating mutants as a threat to be imprisoned or exterminated, they have no rights to complain if the "other" group responds in kind. In the battle for survival, anthropocentric notions become laughable. By the same token, Poison Ivy is not really a villain either. She is a plant in human form, and she chooses to prioritize plant life, just like humans do human life. Taking a further step back, Thanos is also not a villain, but rather an embodiment of Nature. Nature is under no obligations to fulfill human expectations. All ecosystems have their own carrying capacities due to the shortage or scarcity of resources. Scarcity is not merely a concept of economics, but rather a fact of life, in the most general sense of the word life. Consequently, Nature has never been shy about culling the herd, should the population exceeds a certain amount. But in practice, She does not need to actively do that, for scarcity requires zero-sum games.
Waves of ideals, hopes, and dreams have the habit of crashing against the rocks of reality. Reality does not care for ideologies. Social change takes time, and history does not follow a particular arc that miraculously supports a particular ideology or point of view. Already, the counterculture of the 1960s has faded away, and, as it did back in the day, still generates indifference, if not public backlash and disgust.
With that in mind, I shall move to the final note. Solomon appears to be a fellow traveler of the woke mob. While woke culture was a dominant factor in the social and cultural zeitgeist of the 2010s and early 2020s, at the time of writing this review, 2025, it is clearly in retreat. The social immune system is actively targeting the tumors of woke culture, which has previously been metastasizing with little push back. Solomon mentions a number of movie releases of the era, a uniquely stupid decade in American history and culture, but neglects how popular they actually are, and how much they resonates with the general public. If the latter criteria is not met, they will likely be forgotten, or only remembered as an embarrassment. Revenues might be high initially, but the continued draining of goodwill will change that. Right now, Hollywood studios are losing tons of money, and not just because of inflation or the high cost of doing business in California.
March 29, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield for an advanced copy of this history of comics, its characters and creators, and the influence of comics on pop culture.
Comic books until recently was not a very welcoming place for new people, even with the advent of Marvel movies and all the billions of people who suddenly thought, hey costume guys and CGI are cool. Movies are different than the comics which have a almost hundred year history, which can be both good and bad for new readers, old readers, creators and filmmakers. In the older days buying comics meant sometimes going down few steps physically, and sometimes socially to small stores with lots of boxes of back issues of comics and other paraphernalia. Not only are women new in comic stores, but so are the rise in graphic novels which present the full story of many major comic events. However one can get a Batman that is Silver Age, Batman 1967, Post-Crisis, Pre-New 52, with many characters dead, alive, or dead again. This makes it hard for new fans to just hop in as many cinematic universes are different than long standing comic stories. Brian R. Solomon has a familiarity with explaining the inner world of professional wrestling, another media that has feuds, longstanding history, generational heroes fighting generational villains, and its own special lingo. Solomon brings this skill to comics and in Superheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro has written a primer to understanding the world of comic book characters, from the beginning to the present day.
The book begins with a great introduction from Paul Kupperburg, a comics author I have read for years, who wrote many of my favorite titles. From there readers are introduced to the idea of superheroes and what it means, something that comic writers from Stan Lee to Frank Miller and Grant Morrison have struggled to define. Readers learn of the myths and the feats of gods from ancient times, many of these Gods like Hercules, Ares, and of course Thor have appeared in modern comics. Pulp novels and heroes are described and early funny comics, until we get to the Man of Steel Superman, who really got the whole costume superhero started. From there we learn a little about Timely Comics, the precursor to Marvel, various radio shows, movie serials, and the Superman Fleisher cartoons, cartoons that really amaze even today.
Solomon is very good at gathering a lot of different informtion, from a number of different companies and telling a history of a medium that has ebbed and flowed quite a bit. For a lot of comic readers there might not be a lot new, but since I have been reading comics since my grandmother bought them for me at the corner candy store, I'm old so I know a lot. For people who don't know Golden Age from post-Crisis, or the rich history of Captain Marvel this would be a great place to start. Solomon is a very good writer, one who likes the material and readers can tell this. Events are explained both in the comic and the sometimes mean world of the comic industry, clearly, and in a way that makes sense. The layout of the book is quite good with a lot of sidebars that share information about other aspects that might not fit with the theme of the chapter. A really good guide to the medium.
Brian R. Solomon is a writer I have followed mostly for his biographies and studies on professional wrestling, which I have enjoyed quite a lot. Also Solomon has a podcast, also on wrestling, that is quite good too. I did not know that he enjoyed comics, but it should come as no surprise. This is a really good book for jaded fans like myself and newbies who might have found an interest in the characters from Disney+. A great gift for people who want to know more. I can't wait to see what Solomon has planned next.
Comic books until recently was not a very welcoming place for new people, even with the advent of Marvel movies and all the billions of people who suddenly thought, hey costume guys and CGI are cool. Movies are different than the comics which have a almost hundred year history, which can be both good and bad for new readers, old readers, creators and filmmakers. In the older days buying comics meant sometimes going down few steps physically, and sometimes socially to small stores with lots of boxes of back issues of comics and other paraphernalia. Not only are women new in comic stores, but so are the rise in graphic novels which present the full story of many major comic events. However one can get a Batman that is Silver Age, Batman 1967, Post-Crisis, Pre-New 52, with many characters dead, alive, or dead again. This makes it hard for new fans to just hop in as many cinematic universes are different than long standing comic stories. Brian R. Solomon has a familiarity with explaining the inner world of professional wrestling, another media that has feuds, longstanding history, generational heroes fighting generational villains, and its own special lingo. Solomon brings this skill to comics and in Superheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro has written a primer to understanding the world of comic book characters, from the beginning to the present day.
The book begins with a great introduction from Paul Kupperburg, a comics author I have read for years, who wrote many of my favorite titles. From there readers are introduced to the idea of superheroes and what it means, something that comic writers from Stan Lee to Frank Miller and Grant Morrison have struggled to define. Readers learn of the myths and the feats of gods from ancient times, many of these Gods like Hercules, Ares, and of course Thor have appeared in modern comics. Pulp novels and heroes are described and early funny comics, until we get to the Man of Steel Superman, who really got the whole costume superhero started. From there we learn a little about Timely Comics, the precursor to Marvel, various radio shows, movie serials, and the Superman Fleisher cartoons, cartoons that really amaze even today.
Solomon is very good at gathering a lot of different informtion, from a number of different companies and telling a history of a medium that has ebbed and flowed quite a bit. For a lot of comic readers there might not be a lot new, but since I have been reading comics since my grandmother bought them for me at the corner candy store, I'm old so I know a lot. For people who don't know Golden Age from post-Crisis, or the rich history of Captain Marvel this would be a great place to start. Solomon is a very good writer, one who likes the material and readers can tell this. Events are explained both in the comic and the sometimes mean world of the comic industry, clearly, and in a way that makes sense. The layout of the book is quite good with a lot of sidebars that share information about other aspects that might not fit with the theme of the chapter. A really good guide to the medium.
Brian R. Solomon is a writer I have followed mostly for his biographies and studies on professional wrestling, which I have enjoyed quite a lot. Also Solomon has a podcast, also on wrestling, that is quite good too. I did not know that he enjoyed comics, but it should come as no surprise. This is a really good book for jaded fans like myself and newbies who might have found an interest in the characters from Disney+. A great gift for people who want to know more. I can't wait to see what Solomon has planned next.
May 12, 2023
Starting off with the most important point for folks using ereaders: don't. The digital version is almost unreadable, with sidebars folded into the text, interrupting the flow, and straight-up missing images, even though captions are mysteriously present.
That aside, while I enjoyed this mad dash through superhero history, I was left feeling unfulfilled. Partly it comes across as rather superficial and encyclopedic. I kept thinking it would be better suited as a website. It's also rather ... selective ... about its history. I'm put off by the exclusion of Patty Jenkins and the inclusion of all other directors of superhero films, regardless of how many films each produced and their quality. I'm puzzled by the inclusion of Tank Girl and Ultraman and certain other Japanese superheros and the exclusion of others, especially outside of the English-speaking world and Japan. I suspect the hard copy looks gorgeous and would be a great addition to the coffee table, nice to flip through on occasion. The author is clearly a lover of all things superhero and the writing is excellent but this was not the in-depth read I was hoping for.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Applause for the advance copy.
That aside, while I enjoyed this mad dash through superhero history, I was left feeling unfulfilled. Partly it comes across as rather superficial and encyclopedic. I kept thinking it would be better suited as a website. It's also rather ... selective ... about its history. I'm put off by the exclusion of Patty Jenkins and the inclusion of all other directors of superhero films, regardless of how many films each produced and their quality. I'm puzzled by the inclusion of Tank Girl and Ultraman and certain other Japanese superheros and the exclusion of others, especially outside of the English-speaking world and Japan. I suspect the hard copy looks gorgeous and would be a great addition to the coffee table, nice to flip through on occasion. The author is clearly a lover of all things superhero and the writing is excellent but this was not the in-depth read I was hoping for.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Applause for the advance copy.
April 8, 2025
Pretty good, breaks down DC , marvel, image , TMNT, the artists and the history.
May 26, 2023
Although not as comprehensive as its title would suggest, Brian Solomon's "Superheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro" provides a solid and well researched treatment of the world of capes and secret identities. Starting with antecedents in mythology the book proceeds to chronicle the development of superheroes from nineteenth century adventure novels to twentieth century pulps, though the golden, silver, bronze and finally modern ages.. The book also moves beyond printed media and provides good coverage of developments on both the big and small screens. Not surprisingly, the book focuses primarily on characters owned by DC and Marvel but it does cover some of the better known independent characters. In any case, it does show the deep impact that superheroes have had on modern culture in a way that should be rewarding and interesting for both the uninitiated and seasoned fans of the genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 4, 2023
Review available at TheBatmanUniverse.net.
May 31, 2023
Although not as comprehensive as its title would suggest, Brian Solomon's "Superheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro" provides a solid and well researched treatment of the world of capes and secret identities. Starting with antecedents in mythology the book proceeds to chronicle the development of superheroes from nineteenth century adventure novels to twentieth century pulps, though the golden, silver, bronze and finally modern ages.. The book also moves beyond printed media and provides good coverage of developments on both the big and small screens. Not surprisingly, the book focuses primarily on characters owned by DC and Marvel but it does cover some of the better known independent characters. In any case, the book shows the deep impact that superheroes have had on modern culture in a way that should be rewarding and interesting for both the uninitiated and seasoned fans of the genre.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews