The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed.
Limited Hardcover Edition$49.95
In stock
About the Book
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a complete guide to over 50 years of superheroes on screen! This expanded and updated edition of the 2004 award-winning encyclopedia covers important developments in the popular genre; adds new shows such as Heroes and Zoom; includes the latest films featuring icons like Superman, Spiderman and Batman; and covers even more types of superheroes.
Each entry includes a detailed history, cast and credits, episode and film descriptions, critical commentaries, and data on arch-villains, gadgets, comic-book origins and super powers, while placing each production into its historical context. Appendices list common superhero conventions and clichés; incarnations; memorable ad lines; and the best, worst, and most influential productions from 1951 to 2008.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
John Kenneth Muir
Format: hardcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 704
Bibliographic Info: 71 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3755-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9209-1
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Superheroes Re-Booted: A Preface to the Second Edition 1
“Thank God You’re Here!” An Introduction 3
PART I: A HISTORY OF FILM AND TELEVISION SUPERHEROES 9
PART II: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA 33
The Amazing Spider-Man 33
The Ambiguously Gay Duo 47
Angel 48
Aquaman 73
Automan 75
Batman 81
Bibleman 125
The Bionic Woman 126
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio 138
Birds of Prey 139
Black Scorpion 147
Blade 158
Blankman 168
Bluntman and Chronic 171
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 172
Captain America 210
Captain Nice 216
Captain Planet and the Planeteers 219
Catwoman 220
Condorman 223
The Crow 226
Daredevil 238
Dark Angel 242
Darkman 256
Doctor Strange 261
ElectraWoman and DynaGirl 265
Elektra 269
The Fantastic Four 272
The Flash 279
The Gemini Man 287
Generation X 291
Ghost Rider 293
The Greatest American Hero 296
The Green Hornet 307
Green Lantern 314
Hellboy 315
Hero High 318
Heroes 319
The Incredible Hulk 329
The Incredibles 347
The Invincible Iron Man 350
Isis 353
The Justice League of America 355
The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen 361
The Man from Atlantis 363
Manimal 367
M.A.N.T.I.S. 372
Martian Manhunter 378
The Mask 378
The Meteor Man 381
The Mighty Thor 383
Misfits of Science 383
Mr. Terrific 387
Mutant X 388
My Secret Identity 400
My Super Ex-Girlfriend 402
Mystery Men 404
Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. 407
Nightman 409
Now and Again 419
Once a Hero 427
Painkiller Jane 429
The Phantom 433
Plastic Man 437
The Pumaman 437
The Return of Captain Invincible 438
RoboCop 440
The Rocketeer 453
The Shadow 455
Shazam! 458
Sheena 461
Silver Surfer 470
The Six Million Dollar Man 471
Sky High 489
Spawn 491
Steel 494
Superboy 497
Supergirl 535
Superman 539
Swamp Thing 599
Teen Titans 606
The Tick 608
Unbreakable 613
Who Wants to Be a Superhero? 616
Witchblade 617
Wonder Woman 626
X-Men 640
Zoom: Academy for Superheroes 651
PART III: CONCLUSION 653
THE APPENDICES 655
Appendix A: Conventions and Clichés 655
Appendix B: Incarnations 666
Appendix C: Memorable Ad-Lines 669
Appendix D: The Best, Worst and Most Influential 671
Notes 675
Bibliography 681
Index 685
Book Reviews & Awards
First edition awards: New York Public Library Outstanding Reference Book. A Library Journal Starred Review
“valuable…useful…recommended”—Choice; “coverage is extensive…a good addition to the pop-culture collection”—Booklist; “amazing”—The New York Public Library; “over-the-top, first-stop-in-pop-culture reference maven McFarland has unearthed another killer-kryptonite jewel…bounteous reference cornucopia…Muir knows the landscape like Aquaman knows Atlantis. If you can swing it, get two copies…you’ll need them both. Rock on, Muir and McFarland!”—Library Journal; “a delight…recommended”—ARBA; “fascinating and fun…will appeal to both enthusiasts of the superhero genre as well as serious students of popular culture…full of interesting facts and offbeat trivia”—Against the Grain; “riveting…sheer quantity of information, much of it difficult or impossible to find elsewhere…a browser’s delight”—School Library Journal; “unique…commendable…straightforward…well-researched…a good ready reference tool…valuable”—Reference Reviews; “a work of impressive dimensions and enthusiastically recommended”—Midwest Book Review; “entertaining data…must-have”—Animation Magazine; “excellent commentary on the newer breed of super heroes…detail is mind-boggling. Muir is a good researcher and writer”—Classic Images; “detailed”—Communication Booknotes Quarterly; “cool…everything you need to know…all you could possibly wish to have at your fingertips”—Music Revue Magazine; “for years I have been wanting a book on superhero movies, and this 600+ page brick goes one better by including TV shows, too…covers them all. Even the obscure…the book’s introduction is a terrific history of the genre, with Muir demonstrating he knows his stuff”—Hitch; “Muir is well-grounded in the lore…well-chosen b/w photos throughout”—The Zone; “filled with great anecdotal and historical information, the entries are illustrated with a smattering of photographs and add flavor and zest to the text…unique…a good resource…buy this book”—Penguin Comics; “ultimate superheroes reference…highly detailed”—Burlington County Times; “astonishing detail, every fact, story synopsis and concept behind each project…the ultimate lowdown on the film and video appearances”—Collectors’ Corner.
Additional information
Additional information
Format | Limited Hardcover Edition |
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