Zowie!: The TV Superhero Craze in '60s Pop Culture

Holy phenomenon! In the way-out year of 1966, the action comedy “Batman” starring Adam West premiered and triggered a tsunami of super swag, including toys, games, Halloween costumes, puppets, action figures, and lunch boxes. Meanwhile, still more costumed avengers sprang forth on TV (“The Green Hornet,” “Ultraman”), in movies (“The Wild World of Batwoman,” “Rat Pfink and Boo Boo”), and in animation (“Space Ghost,” “The Marvel Super Heroes”). “Zowie!” traces the history of the superhero gen...