Book Review: Superheroes! The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro

reviewed by Dominick Grace

Brian R. Solomon. Superheroes! The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro. Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2023. xxii + 322 pp. 26.95, paperback, 978-1493064519. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781493064519/Superheroes!-The-History-of-a-Pop-Culture-Phenomenon-from-Ant-Man-to-Zorro

As the exclamation point in the title of Brian R. Solomon’s Superheroes! The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro indicates, this is a book that is enthusiastic about its subject matter. And while Superheroes! is published by a company that deals primarily in books on film and theatre—Solomon does pay a lot of attention to superhero films but does not reference any stage adaptations—the book also and appropriately focuses mainly on comic books, with some passing attention to comic strips. The A to Z reference in the title, coupled with the publisher’s assertion on its webpage that the book is “the ultimate reference book about” superheroes, suggests an encyclopedic coverage and structure that the book lacks.

The book offers a chronological history of the superhero—that is, characters with exceptional powers, rather than the superhero genre or industry per se—each of the sixteen chapters concluding with an “Icons” section focusing on a specific character. As the list of these figures indicates—Superman, Batman, the Flash, the Fawcett Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Captain America, Wonder Woman, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Spawn—Solomon's focus (unsurprisingly, but somewhat disappointingly) is on American superheroes, and further focused (also unsurprisingly) on the Big Two publishers and white, male figures (only one woman, only two Black superheroes, only three not published by Marvel or DC—one of whom is now in fact part of the DC stable, albeit renamed Shazam). While American superheroes are (at least in North America) the best-known such figures, and while the comic book superhero was created in North America, a book that is promoted as encyclopedic and the “ultimate reference book” should, I think, have offered a bit more diversity. To be fair, there is more diversity in the chapters proper, but the “Icons” selections are, I think, instructive. Superheroes other than those owned by the Big Two also tend to get short shrift (e.g. Charlton characters are only mentioned in passing and primarily in relation to DC’s repurposing of them). Ironically, perhaps, Zorro, referenced in the title, is discussed only briefly and in relation to the original 1919 pulp story, with no mention of any of his comics, film, or TV appearances.

Solomon begins with the question of definition, concluding that superheroes have three defining traits: some sort of exceptional ability (not necessarily superhuman); service to the greater good; and free agency (that is, they are not representatives of any formal system of law or government). He then lists some of the categories of extraordinariness such figures may possess: either exceptional training or some sort of technological augmentation; some sort of inherent or acquired physical/mental power (e.g. mutation, radioactive spider bite); supernatural/magical power; divine or quasi-divine status. This last perhaps most obviously leads to Solomon’s reiteration of the long-held association of superheroes with modern mythology and his tracing of the genesis of superheroes back to figures from myth (some of whom have, in fact, been folded into modern superhero universes—Thor, Hercules, etc.).

Subsequent chapters track the genesis of the superhero in comics and media from the earliest examples through to the explosion of superhero appearances on film and TV (chapters eight to twelve, in fact), followed by a chapter on supervillains, and one on famous superhero creators Chapter fifteen, “The Weird and Wonderful,” focuses on lesser-known and odd examples from comics and other media, including various parodic takes on superheroes, such as Too Much Coffee Man. Sadly, Solomon devotes only 10 pages to this section, entirely ignoring major examples such as the underground figures Trashman and Wonder Warthog, not to mention Kurtzman’s various superlative parodies in Mad and elsewhere, such as the Goodman Beaver stories about Tarzan and Superman. Chapter sixteen devotes a mere nine pages to superheroes from outside the USA, entirely skipping major regions such as India, China, and Africa. As a Canadian, I am perhaps overly irked by the devotion of part of only one sentence to Canada and the absence of any reference to Canadian characters other than Cerebus (admittedly, there are not many). Others may have different quibbles about who is excluded, as well as about occasional errors of fact (e.g. I was happy to see Asterix referenced but note that Solomon is off by over fifteen years in his dating of Asterix’s first appearance—which he gives as 1976 rather than 1959, and 1969 for the first English translation).

Basically, Solomon’s chapters are all short and breezy, skimming over the surface rather than offering deep dives. Even when specific characters do get extended treatment, this rarely runs for more than a page or two. In a relatively short survey trying to cover what is after all a huge number of characters, this is not really a flaw, but it does mean that readers should not expect in-depth discussion of their favorite characters, or new insights.

More troubling, perhaps, is Solomon’s general glossing over of the messy complexities of how superheroes were created and who benefited. For instance, Solomon does not question the Marvel position that Stan Lee basically created everything, with figures such as Kirby and Ditko, the former especially, not given their due. Similarly, Siegel and Shuster’s treatment by DC is barely mentioned and skewed favorably.

Overall, Superheroes! The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro is aimed at a general audience but offers only a minor addition to the array of books on the subject that are available already. It is not the comprehensive reference book it is promoted as being. Readers already well-versed in the history of the superhero are unlikely to find much here that will add to their knowledge. For those looking for a breezy overview of the genesis of the superhero, this book will serve well, especially as Solomon’s prose style is easily digestible, and his enthusiasm for superheroes is evident.