The History of the Superhero

By: Lan Dong, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Lan Dong

Some fly; some web sling. Some wield magic lassos; some throw magic hammers. Some work in the shadows; some operate in broad daylight. But whatever their powers and weapons and methods, there’s one thing comic-book superheroes have in common: They’re everywhere.

Why do characters like Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Batman, Black Panther, and Superman still draw our attention decades after their creation? Why are film and television audiences—not to mention legions of comic-book readers—still enamored with their stories?

In Lan Dong’s Audible Original, The History of the Superhero, examine the roots of the superhero dynamic that’s overtaking popular culture. Encompassing both Marvel Comics’ and DC Comics’ pantheon of extraordinary heroes, these eight lectures explore how superhero comics came to be, how famous characters (and their exploits) evolved in response to social and cultural changes, how superhero cinematic universes have become an integral (and highly lucrative) part of film history, and why superheroes of all types are likely here to stay.

Get ready for an exciting, eye-opening pop culture adventure. No disguise required.

©2022 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC

Fun information, but unique narration.

I enjoyed the lectures, but it took me a while to get used to Ms. Dong's speaking cadence and word pronunciations.

Very good but missed some important points

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I would like to know the references used. I learned more than what I already knew about the history of comic books. However, I was disappointed in the discussion of the X-Men. You did not highlight that Storm a.k.a. Ororo Munroe was the first black female superhero ever. Additionally, the X-Men did introduce other characters of color. Such as Forge, who was Native American. I think it was important to highlight that the X-Men were a group of mutants from around the world that were brought together by Charles Xavier, who was disabled. The X-Men gained popularity because they were one of the first teams that depicted diversity and discrimination during the 70s. And somehow they managed to get along even with arguments and strife, and managed to work as a team.

Interesting Listen

While it was a bit challenging for me to keep up with the back and forth timeline of dates, the overall information presented was very interesting. I certainly learned new facts about the history of comics, their rise to fame over the decades, Marvel vs DC, women characters, influencial people, etc. Although, I would recommend increasing the speed of the audio. Good listen!

Good introductory into the subject!

Very good introduction to the history of American comic heroes. Now I want to read more scholarly works on some specific topics she talked about.
Yes, the audiobook is narrated by the actual author, and she does have an accent, but it isn't so bad like some reviews have claimed.

An informative history

Great fun! I learned a lot of history of Superheroes in American lore. Well done and well presented.