"Leaping over skyscrapers, running faster than an express train, springing great distances and heights, lifting and smashing tremendous weights, possessing an impenetrable skin — these are the amazing attributes which Superman, savior of the helpless and oppressed, avails himself of as he battles the forces of evil and injustice."
— Action Comics, 1939

Superhuman strength. Virtual invulnerability. Motivated to defend the world from evildoers. A secret identity. And a penchant for looking good in long underwear. These are the traits that define the quintessential superhero whose impossible feats graced the pages of comic books during comics' Golden and Silver Ages. They are Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman, and dozens of others — with names like Ant-Man, Daredevil, Hawkman, the Human Torch, the Spectre, the Spirit, and Sub-Mariner — whose death-defying acts and altruistic motives have come to characterize heroism for generations of fans.

By the end of the twentieth century the real world had become a darker place, necessitating a new kind of hero. Popular heroes of yesteryear were reinvented to meet the demands of a new age. The popular culture witnessed the rise of the anti-hero, the fresh breed of brazen, gritty adventurer that includes the likes of Elektra, the Punisher, and Wolverine. Heroes that aren't typically defined as super — Buffy, Hellboy, Sandman, and Spawn — became associated with the word because they possessed superhuman qualities. But they were often nearly paralyzed with angst, doubt,and disillusionment, identifying with their audience in a way reminiscent of existential sixties superheros like Spider-Man.

With 150 full-color illustrations, including dozens of classic comic covers, The Superhero Book is the ultimate A–Z compendium of everyone's favorite superheroes and their mythology, sidekicks, villains, love interests, superpowers, and modus operandi. Almost 300 entries cover the best-loved and historically significant comic book, movie, television, and novel superheroes — mainstream and counterculture, famous and forgotten, best and worst — including classics like Green Lantern and Plastic Man, cult favorites like the Rocketeer and Madman, and timeless entities like the X-Men. Each significant era of the superhero is explored — the Golden Age (1938–1954), the Silver Age (1956–1969), the Bronze Age (1970–1979), and the Modern Age (1980–present) — providing the reader with a perspective of the hero over the twentieth century and beyond.

With The Superhero Book, you'll be reminded why you love them (Who wouldn?t want to get their hands on Wonder Woman's lasso for just one day?), why they were chosen to save the world ("We shall call you Captain America, son! Because like you — America shall gain the strength and will to safeguard our shores"), what they do for their day jobs (world traveler Oliver Queen...Hollywood star and America's sweetheart Linda Turner...billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne...college student and freelance photographer Peter Parker), and their very human faux pas (As the Flash, he could outrun the wind, but as alter ego Barry Allen he was hard-pressed to show up for a date on time!).

In an uncertain age, what we need is a superhero. Use our book to find the right one.

With 150 full-color illustrations, including dozens of classic comic covers, The Superhero Book is the ultimate A–Z compendium of everyone's favorite superheroes and their mythology, sidekicks, villains, love interests, superpowers, and modus operandi.

The first encyclopedic reference work that profiles superheroes from all companies and in all media, The Superhero Book is the ultimate A–Z compendium. Its 300 full entries provide information on more than 1,000 mythic overachievers, covering the best-loved and historically significant comic book, movie, television, and novel superheroes.

The Superhero Book provides more than 150 full-color illustrations, including dozens of classic comic covers. The encyclopedia comprehensively profiles its heroes, detailing their mythology, sidekicks, protégés, villains, love interests, superpowers, weapons, costumes, vulnerabilities, nicknames, and modus operandi — as well as the many twists and turns they've taken in their careers and their changing status in popular culture. You?ll find tons of trivia, never-before-revealed facts and finds, and loads of insider information, written with enthusiasm and insight by a devoted team of comic-book, film, and pop culture experts.

With The Superhero Book, you'll be reminded why we love and need them, why they were chosen to save the world, what they do for their day jobs, and their very human conflicts and problems.

Modern mythology leaps into the popular culture from the pages of comic books and now propels the astounding growth of the graphic novel. Aimed at the genesis, The Superhero Book is the ultimate A-to-Z compendium of everyone's favorite overachievers in the pitched battle between good and evil. With 300 entries examining more than 1,000 high-powered icons and their place in the popular firmament, The Superhero Book is the first comprehensive profile of superheroes across all media, following their path from comic-book stardom to radio, television, movies, and novels. It's good to be super-great. With more than 150 full-color illustrations (including dozens of classic comic covers), The Superhero Book covers the best-loved and most historically significant superheroes--mainstream and counterculture, famous and forgotten, best and worst. Each significant era of the superhero is explored--the Golden Age (1938-1954), the Silver Age (1956-1969), the Bronze Age (1970-1979), and the Modern Age (1980-present)--providing the reader with unique perspective of the hero over the twentieth century and beyond. Readers will delight in the mountain of trivia, never-before revealed facts and finds, and insider information, written with insight and enthusiasm by a devoted team of comic-book, film, and pop-culture experts.