• Description
• Full Record
• Author Notes
• Contents
• Excerpts
• Reviews
• Summary
• A\\V Summary
• Preview
• Searching for more content…

Since his first appearance in Action Comics Number One, published in late spring of 1938, Superman has represented the essence of American heroism. "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound," the Man of Steel has thrilled audiences

… More »

Since his first appearance in Action Comics Number One, published in late spring of 1938, Superman has represented the essence of American heroism. "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound," the Man of Steel has thrilled audiences across the globe, yet as life-long "Superman Guy" Tom De Haven argues in this highly entertaining book, his story is uniquely American. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the midst of the Great Depression, Superman is both a transcendent figure and, when posing as his alter-ego, reporter Clark Kent, a humble working-class citizen. An orphan and an immigrant, he shares a personal history with the many Americans who came to this country in search of a better life, and his amazing feats represent the wildest realization of the American dream. As De Haven reveals through behind-the-scenes vignettes, personal anecdotes, and lively interpretations of more than 70 years of comic books, radio programs, TV shows, and Hollywood films, Superman's legacy seems, like the Man of Steel himself, to be utterly invincible.

« Less

Imprint: New Haven : - Yale University Press

Pages: 224

Series:

• Icons of America

ISBN: 0300118171, 9780300118179

Language: English

Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Statement of responsibility: Tom De Haven

Characteristics: x, 224 p. :,ill. ;,22 cm.

MARC Display»

Community Activity

• Comment
• Age
• Summary
• Notices
• Quotes
• Videos