Superhero comics

Superhero comics is one of the most common genres of American comic books. The genre rose to prominence in the 1930s and became extremely popular in the 1940s and has remained the dominant form of comic book in North America since the 1960s. Superhero comics feature stories about superheroes and the universes these characters inhabit.

Beginning with the introduction of Superman in 1938 in Action Comics #1 (an anthology of adventure features) comic books devoted to superheroes (heroic people with extraordinary or superhuman abilities and skills, or god-like powers and attributes) ballooned into a widespread genre, coincident with the beginnings of World War II and the end of the Great Depression.

Precursors

In comics format, superpowered and costumed heroes like

History

The Golden Age (c. 1938 – c. 1950)

In the Great Depression and World War II era, the first superhero comics appeared, the most popular being Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and Captain America.

Decline

After World War II superhero comic books gradually declined in popularity, their sales hindered in part by the publication of Seduction of the Innocent and the investigations of The Senate Subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency. By 1954 only three superheroes still had their own titles; Superman and Batman, who also costarred in World's Finest Comics, and Wonder Woman.^[1]

The Silver Age (c. 1956 – c. 1970)

Beginning in the 1950s,

Superhero comics became much more political and dealt with social issues as in the short-lived run of Green Lantern/

.

The Modern Age (c. 1985 – present)

Main article: Modern Age of Comic Books

Superhero Comics became darker with the release of landmark deconstructive works such as

creator owned as opposed to Marvel and DC's which were corporate owned. The comic book mini series Kingdom Come

brought an end to the popularity of the anti-hero and encouraged instead a reconstruction of the genre with superhero characters that endeavored to combine artistic and literary sophistication with idealism.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Superhero comics.

• Superhero film

Notes

1. ^ Tim Hanley, Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine, Chicago Review Press, 2014, p. 91.

References

• Benton, Mike (1991). Superhero Comics of the Silver Age: The Illustrated History. Taylor History of Comics. Taylor Publishing. p. 226.
  ISBN 0-87833-746-6
  .
• Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Taylor History of Comics. Taylor Publishing. p. 202.
  ISBN 0-87833-808-X
  .
• ISBN 978-0-664-23191-0
  .
• Howe, Sean 2012). Marvel Comics: the Untold Story. First ed. New York: Harper. 485 p.
  ISBN 978-0-06-199210-0
• Jacobs, Will and Gerard Jones (1985). The Comic Book Superheroes, from the Silver Age to the Present. New York: Crown Publishers. xi, 292 p.
  ISBN 0-517-55440-2
• Klock, Geoff (2002). How to Read Superhero Comics and Why.
  ISBN 0-8264-1418-4
  .
• ISBN 978-1-57863-406-4
  .
• LoCicero, Don (2007). Superheroes and Gods: A Comparative Study from Babylonia to Batman.
  ISBN 978-0-7864-3184-7
  .