In this exhilarating book, Morrison draws on history, art, mythology, and his own astonishing journeys through this alternate universe to provide the first true chronicle of the superhero - why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are. But why? For Grant Morrison, possibly the greatest of contemporary superhero storytellers, these heroes are not simply characters but powerful archetypes whose ongoing, decades-spanning story arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence: through them, we tell the story of ourselves. In less than a century they've gone from not existing at all to being everywhere we look: on our movie and television screens, in our videogames and dreams. In a matter of years, the skies of the imaginary world were filled with strange mutants, aliens and vigilantes: Batman, Wonder Woman, the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and the X-Men - the list of names is as familiar as our own. In 1938, the first superhero comic ever published, Action Comics #1, introduced the world to something both unprecedented and profoundly familiar: Superman, a caped god for the modern age.

Supergods is your opportunity to join one of the great figures of modern comics on a mind-bending journey into the world of the superheroes. and what we may yet become.Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index. In this exhilarating work of a lifetime, Morrison draws on art, science, mythology, and his own astonishing journeys through this shadow universe to provide the first true history of the superhero?why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are.

But what are they trying to tell us?įor Grant Morrison, arguably the greatest of contemporary chroniclers of the ?superworld,? these heroes are powerful archetypes whose ongoing, decades-spanning story arcs reflect and predict the course of human existence: Through them we tell the story of ourselves, our troubled history, and our starry aspirations. In less than a century, they?ve gone from not existing at all to being everywhere we look: on our movie and television screens, in our videogames and dreams. In a matter of years, the skies of the imaginary world were filled with strange mutants, aliens, and vigilantes: Batman, Wonder Woman, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the X-Men?the list of names as familiar as our own.

1 in 1938, introduced the world to something both unprecedented and timeless: Superman, a caped god for the modern age. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. The first superhero comic ever published, Action Comics no. Supergods Subtitle What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human Author Grant Morrison. From one of the most acclaimed and profound writers in the world of comics comes a thrilling and provocative exploration of humankind?s great modern myth: the superhero.