The Myth of the Superhero

by Marco Arnaudo, Jamie Richards (Translator)

Overview

How our favorite superheroes reflect the moral, religious, and ethical values of American society.

A refugee from his broken planet who saves earth (more than once), Superman was sent to America as his father’s final act before dying. Does this make him the ultimate immigrant success story? Disillusioned with a crime-filled world, Bruce Wayne seeks guidance from a shaman and transforms himself into the flawlessly moral Batman. Through a series of close readings of DC and Marvel comics, Marco Arnaudo explores the influence of religion and myth on superhero stories as well as their relationship to the classical epic and baroque style.

Superheroes embody the most positive and inclusive aspects of American culture. Arnaudo asserts that, amidst the exciting action, tender love stories, and tales of self-sacrifice, superheroes are role models for tolerance and moral decision making. Translated for the first time into English, The Myth of the Superhero looks beyond the cape, the mask, and the superpowers, presenting a serious study of the genre and its place in a broader cultural context.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421409535
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	05/01/2013
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Marco Arnaudo is an associate professor of Italian and director of graduate studies in Italian at Indiana University. He has published several books in Italian, including Il trionfo di Vertunno: Illusioni ottiche e cultura a letteraria nell’Etàdella Controriforma.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Myth and Religion
2. Ethics and Society
3. Epic and Neobaroque
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Giancarlo Lombardi

A very original and valuable contribution to the field of American pop culture.

From the Publisher

A very original and valuable contribution to the field of American pop culture.
—Giancarlo Lombardi, The College of Staten Island, CUNY

Editorial Reviews

Best suited for students of literary studies looking for cultural and ideological analysis; the general reader will glean useful insight into Superman’s psyche.
—Library Journal

Even though this is a rather thin volume, it refers to a multitude of aspects that place the superhero in the role of a fighter for tolerance, diversity and justice; the blueprints of their actions, however, were designed hundreds of years ago.
—Dr. A. Ebert, PopCultureShelf.com

The Myth of the Superhero is a work that should stand as a touchstone within institutional comics studies, while at the same time being an accessible and highly relevant text for casual and fanboy/girl readers.
—Derek Royal, Comics Alternative

Arnaudo's book is an interesting analysis of some of the commonly overlooked significances of one of the most important media in modern pop culture. The criticism of the superhero comic book in regard to its dialogues with mythology is particularly perceptive, and sets up Arnaudo's discussion of the ways in which it can be used to portray and challenge ethical and cultural ideas.
—Jason Archbold, Media International Australia

From the Publisher

Even though this is a rather thin volume, it refers to a multitude of aspects that place the superhero in the role of a fighter for tolerance, diversity and justice; the blueprints of their actions, however, were designed hundreds of years ago.

PopCultureShelf.com - Dr. A. Ebert

The Myth of the Superhero is a work that should stand as a touchstone within institutional comics studies, while at the same time being an accessible and highly relevant text for casual and fanboy/girl readers.

Comics Alternative - Derek Royal

Arnaudo's book is an interesting analysis of some of the commonly overlooked significances of one of the most important media in modern pop culture. The criticism of the superhero comic book in regard to its dialogues with mythology is particularly perceptive, and sets up Arnaudo's discussion of the ways in which it can be used to portray and challenge ethical and cultural ideas.

Media International Australia - Jason Archbold