Paul Fleischmann

Bang! Book! Bang! Modern Myths: Exploring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men & Co.

They can climb like a spider, fly like a jet plane or shoot fire like a flamethrower. And they have a noble character, because they fight for the people against the omnipresent evil. Superheroes like Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four or X-Men are now an integral part of our everyday culture. Comics are their original medium, but Superman, Batman & Co. have long since conquered cinema screens and computer games in recent decades. But what is it that makes them so appealing? What is the secret of their success?

For Grant Morrison, the most successful contemporary author of numerous superhero comics, they are powerful archetypes that accompany humanity in its development with their stories that run over decades. Through them, our own history is told, which is marked by crises and cruel conflicts.

Morrison knowledgeably guides us through the four great eras of superheroes, from their first appearance in the 1930s to the present day: 'Golden Age', 'Silver Age', 'Dark Age' and 'Renaissance'. Grant Morrison is one of the world's leading experts on comics. He places this genre in the context of art history, science and mythology to explain what fascinates us so much about these superheroes. The result is a standard work on contemporary pop culture!