Superhero films are one of the most enduring genres of cinema, and their popularity is only increasing in the 21st century. These ten critical essays explore the phenomenon through the lenses of numerous academic disciplines, and cover topics such as the role of globalization in the formation of superhero narratives, the shifting nature of masculinity and femininity in the superhero world and the state of the genre today. Of particular interest is the way these narratives, however fantastic, abstract, futuristic or simplistic, resonate with specific events in the world and function as starting points for discussion of contemporary sociopolitical conflicts.

About the Author
Richard J. Gray II is an assistant professor of French at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. His fields of study include interdisciplinary approaches to French literary studies, language, cultural studies, and women's studies. He is the author of numerous articles. Betty Kaklamanidou is a lecturer in film history and theory in the film studies department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Her fields of study include film and politics, adaptation theory, genre and gender, and contemporary Greek cinema. She has also authored numerous articles.

Reviews
a stimulating companion to the genre which now rules the cinema." - Barry Forshaw, CrimeTime and DVD Choices websites, October 2015



Book Information
ISBN 9780786463459
Author Richard J.Gray II
Format Paperback
Page Count 212
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 295g