Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero

Description

The mind-bending history of superheroes by comics legend Grant Morrison. Supergods is your opportunity to join one of the great figures of modern comics on a mind-bending journey into the world of the superheroes. In 1938, the first superhero comic ever published, Action Comics #1, introduced the world to something both unprecedented and profoundly familiar- Superman, a caped god for the modern age. In a matter of years, the skies of the imaginary world were filled with strange mutants, aliens and vigilantes- Batman, Wonder Woman, the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and the X-Men - the list of names is as familiar as our own. In less than a century they've gone from not existing at all to being everywhere we look- on our movie and television screens, in our videogames and dreams. But why? For Grant Morrison, possibly the greatest of contemporary superhero storytellers, these heroes are not simply characters but powerful archetypes whose ongoing, decades-spanning story arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence- through them, we tell the story of ourselves. In this exhilarating book, Morrison draws on history, art, mythology, and his own astonishing journeys through this alternate universe to provide the first true chronicle of the superhero - why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are.

Grant Morrison was born in Glasgow in 1960. As a comics writer, he is renowned for his bold reinventions of existing superheroes and his own authored titles. He has had successful runs on Batman, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four and All Star Superman. His Batman- Arkham Asylum is the best-selling original graphic novel ever published. A documentary on his life and work, Grant Morrison- Talking with Gods, was released in November 2010.

Supergods is a rather astonishing piece of work that leaves you feeling pretty much as those first readers of Superman in 1938 must have felt: slightly more aware of our place in the universe and cautiously optimistic about the future * Independent on Sunday * Magnificently idiosyncratic new history of the genre... Supergods is packed with intriguing nuggets of insight, and it will be fascinating to see how the trends it discerns play out... What was it they said about the geeks inheriting the earth? * Daily Telegraph * Supergods is perhaps the most satisfactory potted history of the American comic book industry I've ever read (and I've read just about all its competitors) while also offering a brilliantly incisive, if very personal, appreciation and analysis of the most important comic books or graphic novels - call 'em what you will - to be published in the past 30 years * Guardian * Part manifesto, part memoir, part idiosyncratic spiritual/philosophical tract... Morrison knows the genre and loves it deeply, and both that knowledge and that love shine through... an often funny and sometimes very moving account of Morrison's life as seen through the lens of his relationship with superheroes, which began in childhood -- Katherine Farmar * Irish Times * The author shows a deft turn of phrase while appraising his fellow creators...Supergods proves an entertaining introduction to newcomers * Metro *