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Superhero comic books
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I
reviews
& recommendations
N E W S S T A N D MAGAZINES I
I I I
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Superhero Comic Books Emily Alward F o r forty:five years comic books have decorated newsstands all across America. While rudimentary comics can be traced back much further, the m o d e m comic book as a serial publication and commercial success dates from the latter 1930s. ( T h e P h a n t o m 1936- ; Detective Comics 1937- ; A c t i o n Comics 1938-- .) The success of these early comics inspired a great burst of creativity and imitation, so that b y 1950 some 300 different titles were being published. The total circulation, number of titles, and mix of publishers have fluctuated over the subsequent years. But comic books have become a firmly established segment of the mass circulation market, as well as an almost universally recognized part of our culture. However much elite critics might deplore it, most Americans would find something decidedly strange about a fellow-citizen who could not identify Donald Duck or Batman. The 1981 Memorial Day ascent of the Sears Tower in Chicago by stuntman Daniel Goodwin in the guise o f Spiderman was greeted with delight by some 200-odd onlookers and uncounted thousands of other fans who heard about it through the news media. The juxtaposition o f pictorial and narrative elements, and the endless array o f possible themes and stories that could be explored through this combination, suggest that comic books might have flourished in any era once the artistic and printing technology was developed. The 1940s, though, were a particularly opportune time for their growth. War time shortages gave preference to pulp-paper use over the better quality stock heretofore used for regular b o o k printing. Efforts to provide entertainment in all media for "our boys" in uniform, and the gathering in the armed forces o f men from all social and educational backgrounds, meant that comics could provide one common denominator o f cultural discourse. In civilian society there were now children who (in contrast to most children o f the Great Depression) had at least some discretionary money and the opportunity to spend it free o f adult supervision. The comic b o o k industry suffered an eclipse in the 1950s, and many titles fell by the wayside. Since 1960, however, comics have risen to a new level of success and maturity. There are many genres o f comic book. Most of these appear on newsstands with new issues on a monthly basis, although some more esoteric types, such as religious comics and underground comics, have their own alternative distribution channels. Whole genres have been known to disappear from the newsstands within a relatively short time. The demise of the gory crime comics during the mid-fifties was a direct result o f public and congressional pressure, leading to reform within the comic book industry. More puzzling is the complete disappearance o f love comics within the past five years. One might attribute it to the lessened appeal o f their "true love is everything" theme in the wake of the women's movement, except that Harlequin and other paperback romance series, with a similar message, are at an all-time peak of popularity. Emily Alward is Consumer and Family Sciences Librarian at the Purdue University Libraries.
Of the comic b o o k types that seem to be here to stay, the superhero titles are pre-eminent. They have the largest circulation and the largest numbers of fans and collectors. While funny animals or western heroes may flourish as strongly in other media, comics seem to be the natural habitat o f the superheroes. Some reasons for their popularity are obvious. Humanity has always been fascinated by beings with supernatural powers. If people are no longer able to believe wholeheartedly in their existence as part of a religious world-view, the longing and fascination does not vanish but seeks other avenues for realization. It may even be that superheroes are especially needed b y our age. The nineteenth century's science and rationalism brought the demise of literal belief in religious supernaturalism. Events o f the twentieth century have further aided us to end our belief in human perfectibility. It is somehow heartening to suspend one's doubts, if only for the short period of time it takes to read a comic book, and to believe in powerful individuals who defeat evil through their own strength and benevolence. All superheroes have extraordinary abilities, whether obtained through extraterrestrial origin (Superman), freak accidents (The Hulk, Spiderman), or sheer determination and training (Barman, The Warlord). Just as importantly, they always use their powers for good. A character in these books who employs unusual powers only for personal gain does not just remain an exceptionally successful citizen; he or she is fated to become a supervillain because of such misuse. "With great power goes great responsibility" as Spiderman's motto reminds us. It is a truism that popular culture media reflect accepted social values. On one level this is glaringly apparent in the superhero comics. Superheroes virtually always fight criminals or enemies of the nation or world. As a sideline they counter the effects of natural disasters and accidents. Their vocation is hardly conducive to a serene domestic life-style, yet they are as susceptible to falling in love as ordinary mortals, and at least as likely to remain loyal through a barrage of temptations. Yet the values projected by superhero tales range from relentless chauvinism (Captain America ca. 1955) through ecological concern (Superman 1975-1977) to enlightened but frustrated liberalism (Spiderman 1967--1973). Some considerable departures from the conventional wisdom have also appeared in superhero comics. Since the 1940s Wonder Woman has been demonstrating female strength and courage, even as well as women's groups do. Her activities evoke as much bonding and effective action as any group o f males. During the Vietnam War the Silver Surfer emerged as a dedicated pacifist. The superhero field is dominated b y two publishers, DC (DC Comics Group, presently a division of Warner Communications, Inc., 355 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10017) and Marvel (Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022). DC - so called from one of its earliest and longest running serials, Detective Comics - has been in the industry since the 1930s, and the basic concepts and formulas used by its comics have not changed greatly over the years. SERIALS REVIEW
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Marvel in its present form was the creation o f Start Lee during the early 1960s. At that time he effectively brought the comic book industry out o f the slump o f the 50s with the introduction of new superhero characters who were more personalized and fallible. The differences between the two pubfishers are usually summarized by saying that Marvel publishes for an adult (i.e., post-puberty) audience, while DC comics still appeal to children. The actual situation is a little more complicated than this. Marvel superheroes show more complexities in their characters and in human interaction. The DC superheroes are by and large still stuck with cardboard personalities and simple relationships, though in the past few years DC has made valiant efforts to show a fuller picture o f human motivation in its periodicals. On the other hand, DC has shown a richer and more imaginative use o f myth. This includes both pre-existing and created myth such as the K r y p t o n chronicles. Marvel stories hint at sexual motivation and behavior, while DC superheroes usually appear as chaste as the Comics Code could wish. Each publisher's concepts, however, have had considerable indirect influence on the other. A n y new approach which is commercially successful is likely to be taken up, massaged and altered, ultimately finding its way into a series far removed from its original source. Comic book covers are colorful and boldly drawn. They aim for immediate attention from those readers who are not inextricably dedicated to one series. Scenes o f physical conflict or threats from monsters and villains predominate. Marvel comic covers sometimes use a trace o f geometric or surreal design. DC covers often feature incredible events as teasers ("Supergirl! Have you gone mad? You've just killed 7 million people ! "). Within the covers , a few pages carry material other than the featured stories. There are advertisement/announcements o f forthcoming issues o f the publisher's other comic series, paid ads for products with particular appeal to kids (sea monkeys, bubble gum), and some public-service type ads ("Care for the disabled!"). Most superhero comics also have a page for readers' letters and editorial replies. Besides praising and panning, readers regularly offer suggestions for new plot developments or team-ups which they would like to see. The typical superhero comic book features one or two stories. Sometimes the adventure is related completely in a single issue. Other times a single story line is continued for several consecutive issues. In either case, there are frequent references to events occurring in previous issues of the same series, or in other related titles. Superheroes often make "guest appearances" in one another's magazines and help with especially challenging cases. There are also comic series featuring a group o f superheroes who work together on a permanent basis. The more popular superheroes appear regularly in several different titles. F o r instance Batman is seen in Barman, Batman Family, The Brave and the BoM, Detective Comics and Justice League of America. Publishers frequently use an established series as a trial run for a new superhero character who, if successful, is later given his o r her own magazine. Some superheroes with a faithful following but insufficient commercial "draw" are repeatedly switched from one series to another, bringing on anguished complaints from their fans. Either a title or a character may appear to have died, only to be resurrected months or years later. Notable examples are Captain America, who was frozen in an Arctic ice floe for twenty years, and Steve Trevor, who has twice been brought back to life from a seemingly incontrovertible death. Indexing of comic books is still in its infancy. Anyone hoping to identify all the appearances or deeds o f a major superhero faces a staggering task of bibliographic detection!
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Superheroes have given rise to a phenomenal range o f spin-offs in contemporary life. The earlier superhero-based movies and television shows were largely disappointing to adult fans (even though the gimmicky Batman series probably sustained public interest enough to save the magazine from doldrums and death). Later visual productions have been more satisfying. The current Hulk and Wonder Woman shows are remarkably faithful to the original characterizations. The Superman I a n d / / m o v i e s were, quite simply, spectacular. Superheroes also decorate dishes, curtains, gift wrap, and even children's underwear. What is next? Perhaps our first satellite colony in space will be named the Bottle City of Kandor. What kind of person buys and reads the superhero comics? Much written commentary in the 1940s and 1950s held that comics were perused only by illiterates and b y hoodwinked children (who were thereby endangering their intellectual and moral development!). This was not true then and is not true today. Surveys portray the most typical reader as a 13-year-old boy. Cognizant of this, the publishers slate many features of the superhero stories to appeal to just this audience - the emphasis on action, physical prowess, secret identities and an inviolable hero's retreat (or "clubhouse"?). Still, other statistics show that half o f the entire U.S. population reads comics books at least occasionally. Of all these comic b o o k readers, both sporadic and consistent, superheroes probably attract a wider spectrum than do other genres. (Such types as westerns, teen-age, and religious comics tend to draw a sharply delineated group o f readers.) There is no evidence that superhero stories are followed disproportionately by the person of limited educational attainment who reads nothing else. A n y beliefs to this effect are soon dispelled by a look through The Buyer's Guide, a weekly newspaper for comic fandom, where ads such as the following abound: " F o r sale: Extensive collection o f Marvel comics; must sell for cash: entering law school." Superhero fans are predominantly, though certainly not exclusively, male. (Superheroes also outnumber superheroines approximately 4 to 1.) The black superheroes introduced in the 1970s have not had conspicuous success, possibly because they were hastily put on the market with less-than-fully-developed characters. Nevertheless readership of superhero comics among blacks seems proportional to that among whites. Superhero comics, like popsicles and swimming pools, draw children to them almost by a law o f nature. Still, their aggregate readership probably contains more adults, or at least more individuals past the age of puberty, than children. This situation may become even more pronounced as the price of comic books (ontinues to rise. The regular comic book which sold for 12 cents in 1969 now costs 60 cents on the newsstand, a rise double that o f the Consumer Price Index during t h a t period. It is easy to see that fewer and fewer children can afford regular multiple purchases of comics. There is a sizeable overlap between the readership of superhero comics and that of science fiction. The superhero sagas could almost be regarded as a specialized subcategory o f science fiction. Comic displays and features are often included in science fiction conventions. Both genres have such subsidiary phenomena as amateur fanzines and enthusaistic devotees o f a specific series. Besides the obvious differences in the proportion of words to pictures, the superhero comics pay much less attention to the plausibility of their unusual happenings. And because o f their inherent limitations of format, length, and presumed reader attention-span, comics do not explore the social and philosophical implications of their milieus as fully as does much m o d e m science fiction. The only category o f persons really unlikely to ever read these comic books are people over sixty, who did not grow up
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with the superheroes as universal cultural artifacts, and indeed were exposed to many pronouncements labelling comics as "trash" during their young adulthood. What do comic books have to do with librarians? The connections thus far are limited but interesting. A small number o f librarians are dedicated comic book readers and collectors. I f comic books hold any scholarly value for documentation o f 20th century archetypes and social trends, or simply as a unique form o f printed narrative, these librarian-collectors are ideally placed to provide the foundation work on them. Comic books present difficult problems o f preservation, literary and functional analysis, and bibliographic control. We can hope for some groundbreaking work in the coming years now that comic books have become semi-respectable. A few academic libraries, notably Michigan State University and Bowling Green University, have extensive comic book holdings as part o f their collections o f popular culture material. Their collections are a treasure trove for the intrepid researcher or comic b o o k enthusiast. The public library may want to subscribe to some current comic books for other reasons. The comic format has a more widespread appeal than almost any other print medium. Rather than being just a gimmick to lure the reluctant reader inside, a judicious selection o f comics shows that there are as many links as gaps between mass and elite culture. There are good, mediocre and awful comics just as there are good, mediocre and awful novels. Sorting out the good comics can b e challenging because visual art and social values must be considered along with story quality, developed within a set o f conventions unique to the genre. With family resources ever more pinched by inflation and economic dislocations, the current generation o f children may not be able to buy their own comic books regularly, as the more fortunate children o f the '40s and '60s could. The lack will be most acute in impoverished urban and rural neighborhoods. Their children need the views of other realms and o f social responsibility which superheroes provide, and some o f these children may not be programmed to get these things from conventional children's books. Why not a small collection of comic books to start them on their way? Librarians may be interested to know that Batgirl, in her secret identity o f Barbara Gordon, was a member of our profession for a number o f years prior to her election to Congress. The following is a selection from the many superhero comic books available on newsstands today. All the titles listed are noteworthy either for their longevity and fame, or because they are among the leading titles in public interest today. The Amazing Spiderman. 1963- . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Tom DeFalco. ISSN 0274-5232. Spiderman epitomizes many of the elements o f the Silver Age o f comics (1955 on). In contrast to the superheroes appearing before his time, this one is beset with ambiguity. He finds that sometimes the pillars o f society are not what they seem to be. He makes mistakes, and he is often in the role o f the put-upon little guy. His spider-sense and strength descended upon him by accident - from the bite o f a radioactive arachnid - and they have served mainly to complicate his life. Spiderman has many troubles. As Peter Parker, the science student, he worries about money problems, rejection b y girls and the gang, and the fretting o f his elderly Aunt May. Spidey was a big hit on college campuses in the 1960s, and he continues to attract a large following. Many of the features o f The Amazing Spiderman are standard for superhero comics. There are permanent enemies with their own colorful costumes and bizarre powers. Like all superheroes, Spiderman keeps up a persistent patter as he goes
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about his work. But who else would have to agonize over appearing in a wet faded costume because he goofed in doing his laundry? What other character would'muse while swinging over the roof-tops, "Wonder if I'll ever get the hang o f this superhero racket?" Peter Parker's very real humanity remains when he puts on his suit and webbing, giving this series a warmth and gentle humor unique to the superhero scene. Daredevil. 1 9 6 4 - . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Denny O'Neil. ISSN 0279-8271. Several traits o f Daredevil set him aside from the usual superhero. F o r one thing, he is blind. This might seem a major obstacle to superhero work, but since his other senses are heightened to an uncanny degree, he manages quite well, even exploiting his advantages by luring foes into fights in the darkness. In his ordinary life as Matt Murdock, he is a leading attorney. Hence some poignant inner conflicts arise for the hero. As the Daredevil, he often has to deal summarily with crooks and evidence, in contradiction to his belief that the law should take its more ponderous course with them. Daredevil is given to frequent black moods of doubting the worth of his accomplishments. Such doubts a r e understandable. His diabolic enemies are seldom vanquished, just temporarily put out of commission, while there is a high mortality rate among his associates' families. Daredevil has a complicated personal life. His long-term love affair with the Black Widow, a superheroine, broke up some time ago (perhaps an object lesson in the problems of a dual-career couple?). F o r a while he dated a normal woman, Heather Glenn, but events surrounding her father's death caused this romance to cool. Now the scene is set for the mysterious Elektra, a college girlfriend since turned to evildoing, to reappear in his life. A more steady influence is Foggy Nelson, Matt's friend and law partner, who provides moments o f comic relief with his loud suits and hunger for pizza. Mood and graphics in the Daredevil stories have grown more somber in recent months. The effect seems to bid for an older market more attracted to suspense than physical pyrotechnics. Comic book dealers are predicting that Daredevil will be the next series to show a sharp jump in popularity. It will be interesting to see what happens. The New Teen Titans. 1 9 8 0 - . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Len Wein. This series has been the "sleeper" on the comic book scene during the past year. Unforeseen public response to this group of superheroes has sent prices for the first (November 1980) issue soaring to an unprecedented $10.00-$15.00 per copy within months of its appearance on newsstands, a rare phenomenon in comic fandom. How does The New Teen Titans captivate such interest? These stories bring together seven very energetic collegeage individuals. Each has unique abilities and equally unique inner conflicts which are revealed intermittently as the adventures unfold. The action is fast-paced and on a major scale. So far the Teen Titans have ranged across galaxies, into the gloom of hell, and to the very gateways of the gods on their protective missions. In periods between these major operations - and the Titans do have some lulls - we see them going about their everyday lives with careers, romances, and identity crises. Even then, since they are superheroes, one or two o f the group is sure to handle some minor crime-fighting or accident reversal as part o f the day's work. With seven major characters, and a bona fide effort to develop each one in depth (plus guest appearances by such luminaries as Batman and Flash, trailing their own mystiques) Teen Titans' stories are quite complex. The over-all effect is
threats to human well-being are never far away, and he always rises immediately to meet them. The universe is filled with powerful malevolent beings, many of them Superman's sworn enemies. What else can he do but continue the struggle? The Superman saga has been so popular that his intimates have followings and (sporadically) comic series of their own: Lois Lane (his girlfriend); Jimmy Olsen (his junior buddy); Supergirl (his cousin, the only other Kryptonian in evidence on earth). There is even K r y p t o the Superdog. The continuing villains also have their own stories, like Lex Luthor, who has known Superman since his boyhood (Superboy) days. Superman has a few flaws. His tremendous intelligence can solve any technical or tactical problem, but his social perceptions are a little simplistic. During the 70s he became aware o f industrial pollutants and giant oil tankers as threats to the earth. Superman's impulsive solution was to simply destroy the offending factories and ships. Superman is also dense about women. His gallant, but erratic and forgetful approach have k e p t him from making any serious commitment for over 40 years. Undoubtedly this corresponds to the fantasies o f his younger readers. Nevertheless this is a small price to pay for having a figure like Superman in our world defending truth, justice, and the American way.
The Uncanny X-Men. 1963- . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Louise Jones. ISSN 0274-5372. Take a group of mutants, misfits in the normal world. Bring them together in a school where they learn to handle their strange talents. Get them to work together as a team and substitute family. What is the result? A smash hit! The early X-Men did not create an inordinate splash, but since the restructuring of the series into the New X-Men in 1975, popular dizzying. The original Teen Titans (1966-1978) were teenaged proteges o f the major DC superheroes. Their deeds were mainly earthbound and their non-combat activities centered on things with appeal to pre-teens such as disco dancing or competitive wisecracking. The New Teen Titans draws from the original membership Robin, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, and has added four new members whose powers reflect current interest in the occult, genetic mutation and bioengineering. Not only have the characters matured and their field of action expanded, but the new stories touch on such mysteries as the mind-body connection and the persistence o f evil. Whether this treatment strikes the reader as pretentious or exciting depends very much on taste. Evidently the package appeals to a large and diverse group.
Superman. 1939- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Julius Schwartz. Superman is the quintessential superhero. Where other heroes have one or two unique abilities, Superman has them all. His origin - arriving as a baby in the American heartland, a refugee from the doomed planet Krypton - is reminiscent of the epiphanies of the great mythic heroes. The parallels between Superman and figures such as Hercules and Samson are considerable. His strength and skill are equivalent to theirs, and his motivations and intellect far superior (at least to twentieth-century eyes). While past heroes fought for their own glory or that of their nation, Superman patrols the entire cosmos in endless vigilance against evildoers. Of all superheroes, Superman has probably been the most impervious to inner doubts or change. The years have brought some surface change. F o r example Clark Kent has moved from reporter to TV news anchorman (albeit still mild-mannered). Superman has occasional moments of anomie or despair when he reflects on his fate as a perpetual outsider. But
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interest in this series has soared. Presently The Uncanny X-Men is the one comic book least likely to be found on newsstands a few days after its appearance. New issues are promptly bought up by fans and speculators. The X-Men have a core of around six superheroes. The group is in almost constant flux as members frequently die, go on leaves of absence, or undertake special missions. New mutants are then inducted. The members have been drawn from all over the world - Germany, Russia, Egypt, and Canada, in addition to the U.S. They display an imaginative variety of special powers. These range from telekinesis to weather control to molecular disembodiment, as well as more traditional talents like that o f Colossus, the man with an invulnerable steel body. The X-Men have very little time for routine superhero patrols; their energies are constantly engaged in tremendous battles with leagues o f cosmic malefactors. Nor do romantic or familial attachments rise very far above the surface. Instead, a strong mutual affection and sense o f comradeship pervades the group. This emotional overlay has probably been a factor in X-Men's recent success, rescuing them from being just a conglomeration o f weird characters. One does doubt if all the cast changes come from dramatic necessity. More likely there is an effort to put together a group with optimum commercial appeal. However, such happenings are not unique with X-Men but occur to a lesser degree all across the spectrum of superheroes. X-Men seems to have found a formula for captivating a mostly adult, serious audience.
The Warlord. 1976- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Laurie Sutton. Can you visualize a U.S. Air Force officer, his plane wrecked by Russian missiles, parachuting through a hole at the North Pole into another world? Prehistoric monsters abound here, but even more deadly are most o f the human inhabitants, whose societies incorporate grotesqueries and culture traits from almost every known historic and primitive setting. Danger is ever-present; the only way to survive is to "always expect the unexpected." With no inherent supernatural powers, Col. Travis Morgan must attain powers through training, determination and necessity. Swords clash constantly and bodies litter the earth. Surprisingly, this hokey mixture works. The Warlord is one o f the most interesting superhero comics started in the past few years. The relentless succession o f cliff-hangers leaves little opportunity to explore the characters in full. One could wish for greater detailing of some o f the Skitaran scenes, rather than the rapid shift from one culture to another. But Mike Grell's art work is really superior, and the personal interaction is credible. The Warlord is buffeted between his formidable wife Princess Tara and his unpredictable traveling companion Shakira, who changes from a beautiful woman into a cat when in danger or piqued. Other intimates, including a daughter from his past life and his black friend Machiste, are flung around through time and space as the laws o f this unusual world operate. The Warlord departs from superhero convention by killing malefactors rather than capturing them. Since there are no police in Skitaris he has little choice! In occasional reflective moments the hero does brood about his growing love for battle. This series treads the very edge o f Comics Code acceptability in its treatment of both sex and violence, but it is a better comic for it. No barbarian epic can be believable with a skittish approach to these forces. Wonder Woman. 1942-- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Len Wein. Wonder Woman is the only female superhero to maintain her own magazine continuously from the Golden Age down to
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the present. Over the years she has starred in a wide variety o f adventures. Her opponents include with almost equal frequency international terrorists (from Nazis during World War II to Khadafy's agents today), eccentric criminal gangs, and elemental entities seeking to disrupt the world. Through all these adventures runs a common thread - Wonder Woman's perception that this men's world is filled with violence and the imminence o f war, and that she must do what she can to counteract such evils. Occasionally the horror becomes more than she can stand, and she returns to her Paradise Island homeland to recharge in a more serene atmosphere. The quality o f Wonder Woman stories is uneven. Often a superb issue is followed by one best forgotten. Yet the series has never completely strayed from the vision o f its original creator, Dr. W.M. Marston. Contemporary mainstream fiction has yet to find a female role model as complete as Wonder Woman. Her strength and intelligence are effortlessly balanced with equal amounts o f beauty and compassion. In spite o f this, character development has not been one of this series' strong points. Perhaps Wonder Woman, like Superman and the heroes o f old, is just too perfect to go through significant inner changes. Nor do her stories tell us anything unusual about human emotions or relationships. The heroine's unshakable love for the bland Steve Trevor is particularly baffling. Ostensibly a competent Air Force officer, he is forever blundering into jams from which the loyal Amazon must rescue him. The real strengths o f this series lie in its positive picture of female accomplishment, and in its rich mythological backdrop to stories o f the contemporary world.
I
reviews
& recommendations
N E W S S T A N D MAGAZINES I
I I I
I
Superhero Comic Books Emily Alward F o r forty:five years comic books have decorated newsstands all across America. While rudimentary comics can be traced back much further, the m o d e m comic book as a serial publication and commercial success dates from the latter 1930s. ( T h e P h a n t o m 1936- ; Detective Comics 1937- ; A c t i o n Comics 1938-- .) The success of these early comics inspired a great burst of creativity and imitation, so that b y 1950 some 300 different titles were being published. The total circulation, number of titles, and mix of publishers have fluctuated over the subsequent years. But comic books have become a firmly established segment of the mass circulation market, as well as an almost universally recognized part of our culture. However much elite critics might deplore it, most Americans would find something decidedly strange about a fellow-citizen who could not identify Donald Duck or Batman. The 1981 Memorial Day ascent of the Sears Tower in Chicago by stuntman Daniel Goodwin in the guise o f Spiderman was greeted with delight by some 200-odd onlookers and uncounted thousands of other fans who heard about it through the news media. The juxtaposition o f pictorial and narrative elements, and the endless array o f possible themes and stories that could be explored through this combination, suggest that comic books might have flourished in any era once the artistic and printing technology was developed. The 1940s, though, were a particularly opportune time for their growth. War time shortages gave preference to pulp-paper use over the better quality stock heretofore used for regular b o o k printing. Efforts to provide entertainment in all media for "our boys" in uniform, and the gathering in the armed forces o f men from all social and educational backgrounds, meant that comics could provide one common denominator o f cultural discourse. In civilian society there were now children who (in contrast to most children o f the Great Depression) had at least some discretionary money and the opportunity to spend it free o f adult supervision. The comic b o o k industry suffered an eclipse in the 1950s, and many titles fell by the wayside. Since 1960, however, comics have risen to a new level of success and maturity. There are many genres o f comic book. Most of these appear on newsstands with new issues on a monthly basis, although some more esoteric types, such as religious comics and underground comics, have their own alternative distribution channels. Whole genres have been known to disappear from the newsstands within a relatively short time. The demise of the gory crime comics during the mid-fifties was a direct result o f public and congressional pressure, leading to reform within the comic book industry. More puzzling is the complete disappearance o f love comics within the past five years. One might attribute it to the lessened appeal o f their "true love is everything" theme in the wake of the women's movement, except that Harlequin and other paperback romance series, with a similar message, are at an all-time peak of popularity. Emily Alward is Consumer and Family Sciences Librarian at the Purdue University Libraries.
Of the comic b o o k types that seem to be here to stay, the superhero titles are pre-eminent. They have the largest circulation and the largest numbers of fans and collectors. While funny animals or western heroes may flourish as strongly in other media, comics seem to be the natural habitat o f the superheroes. Some reasons for their popularity are obvious. Humanity has always been fascinated by beings with supernatural powers. If people are no longer able to believe wholeheartedly in their existence as part of a religious world-view, the longing and fascination does not vanish but seeks other avenues for realization. It may even be that superheroes are especially needed b y our age. The nineteenth century's science and rationalism brought the demise of literal belief in religious supernaturalism. Events o f the twentieth century have further aided us to end our belief in human perfectibility. It is somehow heartening to suspend one's doubts, if only for the short period of time it takes to read a comic book, and to believe in powerful individuals who defeat evil through their own strength and benevolence. All superheroes have extraordinary abilities, whether obtained through extraterrestrial origin (Superman), freak accidents (The Hulk, Spiderman), or sheer determination and training (Barman, The Warlord). Just as importantly, they always use their powers for good. A character in these books who employs unusual powers only for personal gain does not just remain an exceptionally successful citizen; he or she is fated to become a supervillain because of such misuse. "With great power goes great responsibility" as Spiderman's motto reminds us. It is a truism that popular culture media reflect accepted social values. On one level this is glaringly apparent in the superhero comics. Superheroes virtually always fight criminals or enemies of the nation or world. As a sideline they counter the effects of natural disasters and accidents. Their vocation is hardly conducive to a serene domestic life-style, yet they are as susceptible to falling in love as ordinary mortals, and at least as likely to remain loyal through a barrage of temptations. Yet the values projected by superhero tales range from relentless chauvinism (Captain America ca. 1955) through ecological concern (Superman 1975-1977) to enlightened but frustrated liberalism (Spiderman 1967--1973). Some considerable departures from the conventional wisdom have also appeared in superhero comics. Since the 1940s Wonder Woman has been demonstrating female strength and courage, even as well as women's groups do. Her activities evoke as much bonding and effective action as any group o f males. During the Vietnam War the Silver Surfer emerged as a dedicated pacifist. The superhero field is dominated b y two publishers, DC (DC Comics Group, presently a division of Warner Communications, Inc., 355 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10017) and Marvel (Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022). DC - so called from one of its earliest and longest running serials, Detective Comics - has been in the industry since the 1930s, and the basic concepts and formulas used by its comics have not changed greatly over the years. SERIALS REVIEW
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Marvel in its present form was the creation o f Start Lee during the early 1960s. At that time he effectively brought the comic book industry out o f the slump o f the 50s with the introduction of new superhero characters who were more personalized and fallible. The differences between the two pubfishers are usually summarized by saying that Marvel publishes for an adult (i.e., post-puberty) audience, while DC comics still appeal to children. The actual situation is a little more complicated than this. Marvel superheroes show more complexities in their characters and in human interaction. The DC superheroes are by and large still stuck with cardboard personalities and simple relationships, though in the past few years DC has made valiant efforts to show a fuller picture o f human motivation in its periodicals. On the other hand, DC has shown a richer and more imaginative use o f myth. This includes both pre-existing and created myth such as the K r y p t o n chronicles. Marvel stories hint at sexual motivation and behavior, while DC superheroes usually appear as chaste as the Comics Code could wish. Each publisher's concepts, however, have had considerable indirect influence on the other. A n y new approach which is commercially successful is likely to be taken up, massaged and altered, ultimately finding its way into a series far removed from its original source. Comic book covers are colorful and boldly drawn. They aim for immediate attention from those readers who are not inextricably dedicated to one series. Scenes o f physical conflict or threats from monsters and villains predominate. Marvel comic covers sometimes use a trace o f geometric or surreal design. DC covers often feature incredible events as teasers ("Supergirl! Have you gone mad? You've just killed 7 million people ! "). Within the covers , a few pages carry material other than the featured stories. There are advertisement/announcements o f forthcoming issues o f the publisher's other comic series, paid ads for products with particular appeal to kids (sea monkeys, bubble gum), and some public-service type ads ("Care for the disabled!"). Most superhero comics also have a page for readers' letters and editorial replies. Besides praising and panning, readers regularly offer suggestions for new plot developments or team-ups which they would like to see. The typical superhero comic book features one or two stories. Sometimes the adventure is related completely in a single issue. Other times a single story line is continued for several consecutive issues. In either case, there are frequent references to events occurring in previous issues of the same series, or in other related titles. Superheroes often make "guest appearances" in one another's magazines and help with especially challenging cases. There are also comic series featuring a group o f superheroes who work together on a permanent basis. The more popular superheroes appear regularly in several different titles. F o r instance Batman is seen in Barman, Batman Family, The Brave and the BoM, Detective Comics and Justice League of America. Publishers frequently use an established series as a trial run for a new superhero character who, if successful, is later given his o r her own magazine. Some superheroes with a faithful following but insufficient commercial "draw" are repeatedly switched from one series to another, bringing on anguished complaints from their fans. Either a title or a character may appear to have died, only to be resurrected months or years later. Notable examples are Captain America, who was frozen in an Arctic ice floe for twenty years, and Steve Trevor, who has twice been brought back to life from a seemingly incontrovertible death. Indexing of comic books is still in its infancy. Anyone hoping to identify all the appearances or deeds o f a major superhero faces a staggering task of bibliographic detection!
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Superheroes have given rise to a phenomenal range o f spin-offs in contemporary life. The earlier superhero-based movies and television shows were largely disappointing to adult fans (even though the gimmicky Batman series probably sustained public interest enough to save the magazine from doldrums and death). Later visual productions have been more satisfying. The current Hulk and Wonder Woman shows are remarkably faithful to the original characterizations. The Superman I a n d / / m o v i e s were, quite simply, spectacular. Superheroes also decorate dishes, curtains, gift wrap, and even children's underwear. What is next? Perhaps our first satellite colony in space will be named the Bottle City of Kandor. What kind of person buys and reads the superhero comics? Much written commentary in the 1940s and 1950s held that comics were perused only by illiterates and b y hoodwinked children (who were thereby endangering their intellectual and moral development!). This was not true then and is not true today. Surveys portray the most typical reader as a 13-year-old boy. Cognizant of this, the publishers slate many features of the superhero stories to appeal to just this audience - the emphasis on action, physical prowess, secret identities and an inviolable hero's retreat (or "clubhouse"?). Still, other statistics show that half o f the entire U.S. population reads comics books at least occasionally. Of all these comic b o o k readers, both sporadic and consistent, superheroes probably attract a wider spectrum than do other genres. (Such types as westerns, teen-age, and religious comics tend to draw a sharply delineated group o f readers.) There is no evidence that superhero stories are followed disproportionately by the person of limited educational attainment who reads nothing else. A n y beliefs to this effect are soon dispelled by a look through The Buyer's Guide, a weekly newspaper for comic fandom, where ads such as the following abound: " F o r sale: Extensive collection o f Marvel comics; must sell for cash: entering law school." Superhero fans are predominantly, though certainly not exclusively, male. (Superheroes also outnumber superheroines approximately 4 to 1.) The black superheroes introduced in the 1970s have not had conspicuous success, possibly because they were hastily put on the market with less-than-fully-developed characters. Nevertheless readership of superhero comics among blacks seems proportional to that among whites. Superhero comics, like popsicles and swimming pools, draw children to them almost by a law o f nature. Still, their aggregate readership probably contains more adults, or at least more individuals past the age of puberty, than children. This situation may become even more pronounced as the price of comic books (ontinues to rise. The regular comic book which sold for 12 cents in 1969 now costs 60 cents on the newsstand, a rise double that o f the Consumer Price Index during t h a t period. It is easy to see that fewer and fewer children can afford regular multiple purchases of comics. There is a sizeable overlap between the readership of superhero comics and that of science fiction. The superhero sagas could almost be regarded as a specialized subcategory o f science fiction. Comic displays and features are often included in science fiction conventions. Both genres have such subsidiary phenomena as amateur fanzines and enthusaistic devotees o f a specific series. Besides the obvious differences in the proportion of words to pictures, the superhero comics pay much less attention to the plausibility of their unusual happenings. And because o f their inherent limitations of format, length, and presumed reader attention-span, comics do not explore the social and philosophical implications of their milieus as fully as does much m o d e m science fiction. The only category o f persons really unlikely to ever read these comic books are people over sixty, who did not grow up
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with the superheroes as universal cultural artifacts, and indeed were exposed to many pronouncements labelling comics as "trash" during their young adulthood. What do comic books have to do with librarians? The connections thus far are limited but interesting. A small number o f librarians are dedicated comic book readers and collectors. I f comic books hold any scholarly value for documentation o f 20th century archetypes and social trends, or simply as a unique form o f printed narrative, these librarian-collectors are ideally placed to provide the foundation work on them. Comic books present difficult problems o f preservation, literary and functional analysis, and bibliographic control. We can hope for some groundbreaking work in the coming years now that comic books have become semi-respectable. A few academic libraries, notably Michigan State University and Bowling Green University, have extensive comic book holdings as part o f their collections o f popular culture material. Their collections are a treasure trove for the intrepid researcher or comic b o o k enthusiast. The public library may want to subscribe to some current comic books for other reasons. The comic format has a more widespread appeal than almost any other print medium. Rather than being just a gimmick to lure the reluctant reader inside, a judicious selection o f comics shows that there are as many links as gaps between mass and elite culture. There are good, mediocre and awful comics just as there are good, mediocre and awful novels. Sorting out the good comics can b e challenging because visual art and social values must be considered along with story quality, developed within a set o f conventions unique to the genre. With family resources ever more pinched by inflation and economic dislocations, the current generation o f children may not be able to buy their own comic books regularly, as the more fortunate children o f the '40s and '60s could. The lack will be most acute in impoverished urban and rural neighborhoods. Their children need the views of other realms and o f social responsibility which superheroes provide, and some o f these children may not be programmed to get these things from conventional children's books. Why not a small collection of comic books to start them on their way? Librarians may be interested to know that Batgirl, in her secret identity o f Barbara Gordon, was a member of our profession for a number o f years prior to her election to Congress. The following is a selection from the many superhero comic books available on newsstands today. All the titles listed are noteworthy either for their longevity and fame, or because they are among the leading titles in public interest today. The Amazing Spiderman. 1963- . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Tom DeFalco. ISSN 0274-5232. Spiderman epitomizes many of the elements o f the Silver Age o f comics (1955 on). In contrast to the superheroes appearing before his time, this one is beset with ambiguity. He finds that sometimes the pillars o f society are not what they seem to be. He makes mistakes, and he is often in the role o f the put-upon little guy. His spider-sense and strength descended upon him by accident - from the bite o f a radioactive arachnid - and they have served mainly to complicate his life. Spiderman has many troubles. As Peter Parker, the science student, he worries about money problems, rejection b y girls and the gang, and the fretting o f his elderly Aunt May. Spidey was a big hit on college campuses in the 1960s, and he continues to attract a large following. Many of the features o f The Amazing Spiderman are standard for superhero comics. There are permanent enemies with their own colorful costumes and bizarre powers. Like all superheroes, Spiderman keeps up a persistent patter as he goes
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about his work. But who else would have to agonize over appearing in a wet faded costume because he goofed in doing his laundry? What other character would'muse while swinging over the roof-tops, "Wonder if I'll ever get the hang o f this superhero racket?" Peter Parker's very real humanity remains when he puts on his suit and webbing, giving this series a warmth and gentle humor unique to the superhero scene. Daredevil. 1 9 6 4 - . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Denny O'Neil. ISSN 0279-8271. Several traits o f Daredevil set him aside from the usual superhero. F o r one thing, he is blind. This might seem a major obstacle to superhero work, but since his other senses are heightened to an uncanny degree, he manages quite well, even exploiting his advantages by luring foes into fights in the darkness. In his ordinary life as Matt Murdock, he is a leading attorney. Hence some poignant inner conflicts arise for the hero. As the Daredevil, he often has to deal summarily with crooks and evidence, in contradiction to his belief that the law should take its more ponderous course with them. Daredevil is given to frequent black moods of doubting the worth of his accomplishments. Such doubts a r e understandable. His diabolic enemies are seldom vanquished, just temporarily put out of commission, while there is a high mortality rate among his associates' families. Daredevil has a complicated personal life. His long-term love affair with the Black Widow, a superheroine, broke up some time ago (perhaps an object lesson in the problems of a dual-career couple?). F o r a while he dated a normal woman, Heather Glenn, but events surrounding her father's death caused this romance to cool. Now the scene is set for the mysterious Elektra, a college girlfriend since turned to evildoing, to reappear in his life. A more steady influence is Foggy Nelson, Matt's friend and law partner, who provides moments o f comic relief with his loud suits and hunger for pizza. Mood and graphics in the Daredevil stories have grown more somber in recent months. The effect seems to bid for an older market more attracted to suspense than physical pyrotechnics. Comic book dealers are predicting that Daredevil will be the next series to show a sharp jump in popularity. It will be interesting to see what happens. The New Teen Titans. 1 9 8 0 - . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Len Wein. This series has been the "sleeper" on the comic book scene during the past year. Unforeseen public response to this group of superheroes has sent prices for the first (November 1980) issue soaring to an unprecedented $10.00-$15.00 per copy within months of its appearance on newsstands, a rare phenomenon in comic fandom. How does The New Teen Titans captivate such interest? These stories bring together seven very energetic collegeage individuals. Each has unique abilities and equally unique inner conflicts which are revealed intermittently as the adventures unfold. The action is fast-paced and on a major scale. So far the Teen Titans have ranged across galaxies, into the gloom of hell, and to the very gateways of the gods on their protective missions. In periods between these major operations - and the Titans do have some lulls - we see them going about their everyday lives with careers, romances, and identity crises. Even then, since they are superheroes, one or two o f the group is sure to handle some minor crime-fighting or accident reversal as part o f the day's work. With seven major characters, and a bona fide effort to develop each one in depth (plus guest appearances by such luminaries as Batman and Flash, trailing their own mystiques) Teen Titans' stories are quite complex. The over-all effect is
threats to human well-being are never far away, and he always rises immediately to meet them. The universe is filled with powerful malevolent beings, many of them Superman's sworn enemies. What else can he do but continue the struggle? The Superman saga has been so popular that his intimates have followings and (sporadically) comic series of their own: Lois Lane (his girlfriend); Jimmy Olsen (his junior buddy); Supergirl (his cousin, the only other Kryptonian in evidence on earth). There is even K r y p t o the Superdog. The continuing villains also have their own stories, like Lex Luthor, who has known Superman since his boyhood (Superboy) days. Superman has a few flaws. His tremendous intelligence can solve any technical or tactical problem, but his social perceptions are a little simplistic. During the 70s he became aware o f industrial pollutants and giant oil tankers as threats to the earth. Superman's impulsive solution was to simply destroy the offending factories and ships. Superman is also dense about women. His gallant, but erratic and forgetful approach have k e p t him from making any serious commitment for over 40 years. Undoubtedly this corresponds to the fantasies o f his younger readers. Nevertheless this is a small price to pay for having a figure like Superman in our world defending truth, justice, and the American way.
The Uncanny X-Men. 1963- . M. $7.20. Marvel Comics Group, 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Ed.: Louise Jones. ISSN 0274-5372. Take a group of mutants, misfits in the normal world. Bring them together in a school where they learn to handle their strange talents. Get them to work together as a team and substitute family. What is the result? A smash hit! The early X-Men did not create an inordinate splash, but since the restructuring of the series into the New X-Men in 1975, popular dizzying. The original Teen Titans (1966-1978) were teenaged proteges o f the major DC superheroes. Their deeds were mainly earthbound and their non-combat activities centered on things with appeal to pre-teens such as disco dancing or competitive wisecracking. The New Teen Titans draws from the original membership Robin, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, and has added four new members whose powers reflect current interest in the occult, genetic mutation and bioengineering. Not only have the characters matured and their field of action expanded, but the new stories touch on such mysteries as the mind-body connection and the persistence o f evil. Whether this treatment strikes the reader as pretentious or exciting depends very much on taste. Evidently the package appeals to a large and diverse group.
Superman. 1939- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Julius Schwartz. Superman is the quintessential superhero. Where other heroes have one or two unique abilities, Superman has them all. His origin - arriving as a baby in the American heartland, a refugee from the doomed planet Krypton - is reminiscent of the epiphanies of the great mythic heroes. The parallels between Superman and figures such as Hercules and Samson are considerable. His strength and skill are equivalent to theirs, and his motivations and intellect far superior (at least to twentieth-century eyes). While past heroes fought for their own glory or that of their nation, Superman patrols the entire cosmos in endless vigilance against evildoers. Of all superheroes, Superman has probably been the most impervious to inner doubts or change. The years have brought some surface change. F o r example Clark Kent has moved from reporter to TV news anchorman (albeit still mild-mannered). Superman has occasional moments of anomie or despair when he reflects on his fate as a perpetual outsider. But
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interest in this series has soared. Presently The Uncanny X-Men is the one comic book least likely to be found on newsstands a few days after its appearance. New issues are promptly bought up by fans and speculators. The X-Men have a core of around six superheroes. The group is in almost constant flux as members frequently die, go on leaves of absence, or undertake special missions. New mutants are then inducted. The members have been drawn from all over the world - Germany, Russia, Egypt, and Canada, in addition to the U.S. They display an imaginative variety of special powers. These range from telekinesis to weather control to molecular disembodiment, as well as more traditional talents like that o f Colossus, the man with an invulnerable steel body. The X-Men have very little time for routine superhero patrols; their energies are constantly engaged in tremendous battles with leagues o f cosmic malefactors. Nor do romantic or familial attachments rise very far above the surface. Instead, a strong mutual affection and sense o f comradeship pervades the group. This emotional overlay has probably been a factor in X-Men's recent success, rescuing them from being just a conglomeration o f weird characters. One does doubt if all the cast changes come from dramatic necessity. More likely there is an effort to put together a group with optimum commercial appeal. However, such happenings are not unique with X-Men but occur to a lesser degree all across the spectrum of superheroes. X-Men seems to have found a formula for captivating a mostly adult, serious audience.
The Warlord. 1976- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Laurie Sutton. Can you visualize a U.S. Air Force officer, his plane wrecked by Russian missiles, parachuting through a hole at the North Pole into another world? Prehistoric monsters abound here, but even more deadly are most o f the human inhabitants, whose societies incorporate grotesqueries and culture traits from almost every known historic and primitive setting. Danger is ever-present; the only way to survive is to "always expect the unexpected." With no inherent supernatural powers, Col. Travis Morgan must attain powers through training, determination and necessity. Swords clash constantly and bodies litter the earth. Surprisingly, this hokey mixture works. The Warlord is one o f the most interesting superhero comics started in the past few years. The relentless succession o f cliff-hangers leaves little opportunity to explore the characters in full. One could wish for greater detailing of some o f the Skitaran scenes, rather than the rapid shift from one culture to another. But Mike Grell's art work is really superior, and the personal interaction is credible. The Warlord is buffeted between his formidable wife Princess Tara and his unpredictable traveling companion Shakira, who changes from a beautiful woman into a cat when in danger or piqued. Other intimates, including a daughter from his past life and his black friend Machiste, are flung around through time and space as the laws o f this unusual world operate. The Warlord departs from superhero convention by killing malefactors rather than capturing them. Since there are no police in Skitaris he has little choice! In occasional reflective moments the hero does brood about his growing love for battle. This series treads the very edge o f Comics Code acceptability in its treatment of both sex and violence, but it is a better comic for it. No barbarian epic can be believable with a skittish approach to these forces. Wonder Woman. 1942-- . M. $7.20. DC Comics Inc., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019. Ed.: Len Wein. Wonder Woman is the only female superhero to maintain her own magazine continuously from the Golden Age down to
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the present. Over the years she has starred in a wide variety o f adventures. Her opponents include with almost equal frequency international terrorists (from Nazis during World War II to Khadafy's agents today), eccentric criminal gangs, and elemental entities seeking to disrupt the world. Through all these adventures runs a common thread - Wonder Woman's perception that this men's world is filled with violence and the imminence o f war, and that she must do what she can to counteract such evils. Occasionally the horror becomes more than she can stand, and she returns to her Paradise Island homeland to recharge in a more serene atmosphere. The quality o f Wonder Woman stories is uneven. Often a superb issue is followed by one best forgotten. Yet the series has never completely strayed from the vision o f its original creator, Dr. W.M. Marston. Contemporary mainstream fiction has yet to find a female role model as complete as Wonder Woman. Her strength and intelligence are effortlessly balanced with equal amounts o f beauty and compassion. In spite o f this, character development has not been one of this series' strong points. Perhaps Wonder Woman, like Superman and the heroes o f old, is just too perfect to go through significant inner changes. Nor do her stories tell us anything unusual about human emotions or relationships. The heroine's unshakable love for the bland Steve Trevor is particularly baffling. Ostensibly a competent Air Force officer, he is forever blundering into jams from which the loyal Amazon must rescue him. The real strengths o f this series lie in its positive picture of female accomplishment, and in its rich mythological backdrop to stories o f the contemporary world.