the great comic book heroes by jules feiffer

– FREDERIC WERTHAM, Seduction of the Innocent (Rinehart, 1954)Įvery time I read this I have to smile at the perfect jab Feiffer takes not only at Wertham, but at the entire group of academics and others who believed that comic books were not art or literature, but some type of abomination posing as one or the other or both. I have never come across any adult or adolescent who had outgrown comic-book reading who would ever dream of keeping any of these “books” for any sentimental or other reason. I have known many adults who have treasured throughout their lives some of the books they read as children. One of my favorite parts of this book is the quote selected by Feiffer to include just prior to his Introduction: Indeed, it likely created many fans of the Golden Age of Comic Books who, after reading this book, went in search of other Golden Age stories. While all of the stories in this book have now been reprinted (some many times) it’s doubtful that in 1965 most of these stories had seen publication since the Golden Age, making this book a treasure trove for the true fan of the Golden Age of Comic Books.

The Spirit (J– The Spirit in the Middle East).

Police Comics #1 (Origin of Plastic Man).

Captain America #1 (Origin of Captain America and Bucky).

Wonder Woman #2 (Wonder Woman fights Mars, God of War).

All-American Comics #16 (Origin of the Golden Age Green Lantern).

Flash Comics #1 (Origin of the Golden Age Flash).

Marvel Mystery Comics #19 (Human Torch and Toro battle “The Hag”).

Batman #1 (Origin recap and first Joker story).Whiz Comics #1 (Single page from the origin of Captain Marvel).The Great Comic Book Heroes - Table of ContentsĪfter the Introduction, the book contains full color reprints of some of the greatest Golden Age stories of all time. It’s thoroughly enjoyable and provides a sometimes serious take on superheroes at a time when they were mostly written off as cheap entertainment, especially in the world of academia.

The introduction is divided into 8 chapters totaling 42 pages. The introduction itself is worth the price of admission for its interesting and revealing look at Feiffer’s views of the “great superheroes”, told in the historical context of the era’s creators and their creations. This book was reprinted by Fantagraphics in a 2003 trade paperback, but without some of the great stories reprinted in the original. It’s clear from his now famous introduction to The Great Comic Book Heroes, that he had a fascination with the Golden Age of Comic Books and the superheroes that it spawned. He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004. As can be seen in his biography, he was a serious journalist and author who went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for his political cartoons that appeared in the Village Voice. Feiffer was not just some comic book fan publishing a book of reprints.

The great comic book heroes by jules feiffer