Heroes Masked and Mythic: Echoes of Ancient Archetypes in Comic Book Characters

by Christopher Wood

Overview

Epic battles, hideous monsters and a host of petty gods--the world of Classical mythology continues to fascinate and inspire. Heroes like Herakles, Achilles and Perseus have influenced Western art and literature for centuries, and today are reinvented in the modern superhero.

What does Iron Man have to do with the Homeric hero Odysseus? How does the African warrior Memnon compare with Marvel's Black Panther? Do DC's Wonder Woman and Xena the Warrior Princess reflect the tradition of Amazon women such as Penthesileia? How does the modern superhero's journey echo that of the epic warrior?

With fresh insight into ancient Greek texts and historical art, this book examines modern superhero archetypes and iconography in comics and film as the crystallization of the hero's journey in the modern imagination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476641386
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	12/28/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Christopher Wood is an art historian, classical archaeologist and museum professional. An alumnus of the American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, he lectures in art history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Christopher Wood is an art historian, classical archaeologist and museum professional. An alumnus of the American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, he lectures in art history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
delete I. Captain America: An Achilles for the Modern Age
delete II. Wonder Woman: Echoes of the Amazon Warrior
  III. A Mind for War: Odysseus and the Iron Avenger
deleteIV. Unstoppable Rage: The Incredible Hulk and the Greek Berserker
delete V. The Heart of the African Warrior: Memnon and Black Panther
  VI. He Who Commands the Sea: Proteus, Scamander and Denizens of the Deep
 VII. Double Trouble: Divine Twins in the Epic Tradition
VIII. Defending the Epic City: Gotham and Troy
deleteIX. Swift and True: Tales of the Epic Archer
delete X. Gods Among Us: Hero as Man and Superman
  XI. Wind Walkers and Winged Warriors: Hawkman, Falcon and the Sons of Boreas
 XII. Dangerous Beauty: Helen of Troy and the Femme Fatale
XIII. The Hand of Fate: The Infinity Gauntlet and the Moirai
Epilogue: The Legacy of the Epic Hero
Glossary
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Comic-book lovers, film fans, and classicists will all enjoy this entertaining and erudite work.”—Booklist

From the Publisher