The Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times
Edited by Joseph J. Darowski
Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-6308-4 = $40.00
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-7864-8964-0
notes, bibliography, index
246pp. softcover (6 x 9) 2012
About the Book
Since Superman first appeared on the cover of Action Comics #1 in 1938, the superhero has changed with the times to remain a relevant icon of American popular culture. This collection explores the evolution of the Superman character and demonstrates how his alterations mirror historical changes in American society. Beginning with the original comic book and ending with the 2011 Grounded storyline, these essays examine Superman’s patriotic heroism during World War II, his increase in power in the early years of the Cold War, his death and resurrection at the end of the Cold War, and his recent dramatic reimagining. By looking at the many changes the Man of Steel has undergone to remain pertinent, this volume reveals as much about America as it does about the champion of Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Table of Contents
Preface
JOSEPH J. DAROWSKI 1
"Superman Says You Can Slap a Jap!": The Man of Steel and Race Hatred in World War II
TODD S. MUNSON 5
Supervillains and Cold War Tensions in the 1950s
LORI MAGUIRE 16
Kryptonite, Radiation, and the Birth of the Atomic Age
PETER LEE 29
Truth, Justice, and the American Way in Franco’s Spain
LOUIE DEAN VALENCIA-GARCIA 45
The Inflexible Girls of Steel: Subverting Second Wave Feminism in the Extended Superman Franchise
THOMAS C. DONALDSON 62
Black Like Lois: Confronting Racism, Configuring African American Presence
CHRISTOPHER B. ZEICHMANN 78
Red, White and Bruised: The Vietnam War and the Weakening of Superman
JASON M. LATOUCHE 91
The Struggle Within: Superman’s Difficult Transition into the Age of Relevance
PAUL R. KOHL 103
"It’s Morning Again in America": John Byrne’s Re-Imaging of the Man of Steel
DANIEL J. O’ROURKE and MORGAN B. O’ROURKE 115
The New "Man of Steel" Is a Quiche-Eating Wimp! Media Reactions to the Reimagining of Superman in the Reagan Era
JACK TEIWES 125
More Human than (Super) Human: Clark Kent’s Smallville and Reagan’s America
MICHAEL SMITH 143
The "Triangle Era" of Superman: Continuity, Marketing and Grand Narratives in the 1990s
MATTHEW J. SMITH 156
Searching for Meaning in "The Death of Superman"
JOSEPH J. DAROWSKI 166
Death, Bereavement, and the Superhero Funeral
JOSE ALANIZ 177
Superman and the Corruption of Power
STEFAN BUCHENBERGER 192
This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s Comic Book Universe: The Return of the Golden Age Superman
JEFFREY K. JOHNSON 199
In a World Without Superman, What Is the American Way?
JOHN DAROWSKI 209
Traveling Hopefully in Search of American National Identity: The "Grounded" Superman as a 21st Century Picaro
RANDY DUNCAN 218
About the Contributors 231
Index 235
About the Author
Joseph J. Darowski, a professor of English at Brigham Young University-Idaho, has published work on comic book superheroes such as the X-Men, Green Lantern, and Superman and is the author or co-editor of several books.
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