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

A global, interdisciplinary dive into superheroes and their cultural power across media.

Offering a global and interdisciplinary perspective on the superhero genre across comics, television, and film, this book presents a diverse range of contemporary superhero scholarship. It combines close readings of iconic characters like Batman, Iron Man, and The Watchmen with critical analysis of broader cultural and societal discourses.

The volume explores how superheroes reflect and problematize ideology, the military-industrial complex, and notions of public and private responsibility. Key themes include identity construction through secret identities and masking, as well as cultural and personal grief and trauma in relation to race and politics. Designed for students, scholars, and fans alike, this work reveals the enduring mainstream appeal of superheroes and their complex intersections with global popular culture.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1835952534
• ISBN13: 9781835952535
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Intellect (UK)
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.1" x 9.9"