Quick, Name 3 Superheroes! Superman...Spider-Man...Harry Potter?

Recently I reviewed “The Journey of Luke Skywalker” http://www.epinions.com/content_140046798468 which was supposed to be a Jungian analysis of the Star Wars movies. Because I was very lukewarm with that one (LUKEwarm, get it?), I was hesitant to read another pop psychology book. But when I saw “Superman on the Couch,” I couldn’t pass it up.

Author Danny Fingeroth has written and edited for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and currently teaches Comics Writing at New York University—so he’s qualified to take us on a tour of comic books and how they both emerge from our society and influence it. He delivers a readable, entertaining, and insightful look at Comic Books and Superheroes, and does it under 200 pages.

Fingeroth has ten chapters, each devoted to a particular aspect of comics…some not involving actual comic books at all. More on that later. The chapter titles tell more about the content of the book than most chapters do, so I’ll list them here:

1. Why Superheroes?
2. It Started with Gilgamesh: The History of the Superhero
3. The Dual Identity: Of Pimpernels and Immigrants from the Stars
4. Storm of the Orphans: Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man
5. Amazon Grace: Wonder Woman, Xena, and Buffy
6. Thermonuclear Families: The Justice League, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four
7. You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry: The Hulk, Judge Dredd, and Wolverine
8. Changing Voices: From Robin to Spider-Man
9. Values and Villains: What’s at Stake?
10. The Future of the Superhero

Fingeroth masters his subject matter and is able to draw in parallels from history and sociology and ethnography while discussing the sources and influences of comic books. The most understandable example: that the marginalization of Jewish immigrants led to Superman being from another planet…but the desire to blend in with the rest of America led to him being raised in Smallville and having a dual identity. Fingeroth uses Superman as his “go-to guy” for many of his examples, partially because Superman is the ultimate superhero, and partially because everyone knows Superman.

I expected to just scan some of the chapters, especially those involving characters I don’t know or have no interest in, but Fingeroth’s writing is so engaging that I even read about Xena and Judge Dredd and the Fantastic Four…even though I’ve never read or watched any of their stories. Part of what Fingeroth does so well is explain the backgrounds of the characters without getting bogged down in the details—so even if you don’t know the characters, you’re getting the author’s point. This is something that the “The Journey of Luke Skywalker” was horrible at, and it makes “Superheroes on the Couch” much more enjoyable.

Another thing that Fingeroth does is expand our notion of what a “Superhero” is. We all know about the comic books—the X-Men, Superman, Batman, Spidey—those are superheroes. But what about Buffy the Vampire Slayer? What about the classic Universal Monsters? What about Harry Potter? Fingeroth masterfully brings in these characters, illustrating how they fit the definition of Superhero to a T, and shows us that even though many of us consider superheroes to be something for kids—adults love them too. Plus he gives a shout-out to SuperGrover, and you know I can’t pass that up.

Another favorite chapter is the comparison of three different Superhero “families:” Justice League, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. He explains how the Fantastic Four is one of the only Superhero teams that’s actually made up of family members—and how this would attract and affect readers. By comparison, the X-Men would be a dysfunctional family, often at each other’s throats, but ultimately willing to stand up for one another. This dysfunctional family would attract more teenagers, feeling alienated by their families and own lives—feeling like “if I could just be one of the X-Men…I’d be welcome.” The Justice League is like the idealized form of a family—there’s rarely contention in the ranks, everyone defers to the patriarch (Superman), and this order is also something certain people would crave. By delineating the differences and appeals of the three “families” I learned something about my own reading habits that I never realized before.

Too many pop psychology books really stretch to make their point—and I’ve written those essays myself. Danny Fingeroth has written an accessible, logical, fun book that gave me new insight into the world of Superheroes…and the world around me. If you’ve ever been a fan of superheroes (and remember, that includes Harry Potter) you should give this a read.

Up, up, and AWAAAAAAY!!!

It’s a miracle I ever got married.