Superheroes and Contemporary Cultures: Cross-Medial Explorations and Societal Perspectives

Presents a diverse range of perspectives on contemporary superhero scholarship. It links in-depth close readings of central texts of the superhero discourse from a variety of media (comics, TV, film) with larger societal and cultural discourses such as cross-medial, meta-textual and more general intersections and negotiations between the figure of the superhero and culture. The book explores various functionalizations of superheroes such as Batman, Iron Man or Watchmen within society, analysing how superheroes reflect and problematise ideology, the military industrial complex, public and private responsibility. Processes of identity construction are analysed by looking at the superheroes’ secret identity and the notion of masking. Furthermore, cultural and personal grief and trauma in relation to such discourses as race and politics are investigated.

About the Author

Torsten Caeners works as a senior lecturer at the University of Duisburg-Essen and is the Vice-President of the International Society for Superhero Studies. His research focuses on Anglophone Literature and Popular Culture, here especially Superheroes.

Danny Graydon works as an associate professor at Richmond University London and is the President of the International Society for Superhero Studies. His research focuses on Popular Culture and, especially, Superheroes.