Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman

"Do Spider-Man's adventures consistently reaffirm a belief in the inherent goodness of humanity?" asks this reference, which highlights icons "worshipped and cursed. Obsessed the world over." The cover art on the set's first volume is of Batman while the second shows Spider-Man, together representing the two largest U.S. comic publishers, DC comics and Marvel Comics, respectively. Editors Duncan (communications, Henderson State Univ., AR) and Smith (communication, Wittenberg Univ., OH; coauthor, with Duncan, The Power of Comics) explore the cultural influence of comics, moving beyond the striking art, fantastic colors, and word balloons to show "far more meaning and significance within the identities of comic book heroes and characters than it would seem." One hundred substantive and entertaining profiles cover creators such Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Chris Ware, and the ubiquitous Stan Lee. Alphabetically arranged entries on famous comic and graphic novel titles such as Watchmen, The Sandman, and Maus and landmark publishers such as Dark Horse Comics, Milestone Comics, and EC Comics are also included. Profiled characters like superhero team X-Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Archie reflect the American culture; the set also includes characters who changed fans' opinions about female gender roles—Batgirl and Wonder Woman, for example, who brought toughness as well as sexuality to the genre. While the work includes some images of people and of comic art, for a set covering such a visual medium it is quite text-heavy.