The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid

Mar 15, 2011

Kathleen rated it

Shelves: comics, history, non-fiction, read-in-2011

A good, hard look at female superheroes over the history of comics, I actually found this book uplifting. It's true that women have traditionally been presented as less powerful, less heroic, and more interested in romance than their male counterparts. However, as someone who goes to her LCS and feels guilty that only three of my ten favorite titles "star" women, it's nice to realize how much better the industry has to have gotten that I can like any of them. Zatanna Zatara may stil...more

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Aug 24, 2010

Katie rated it

Sandra Knight leads the idyllic debutante life as a Senator’s daughter. She spends her time going to parties and playing tennis with her fiancé, Don. Then one night in 1941 she stops an assassination attempt on her father, beating away the would-be assassins with rolled-up newspaper.

The experience of danger and adventure excites Sandra, offering a break from her humdrum life as a socialite. She seeks the thrill of more crime-fighting action, so she creates a costume, borrows a bl...moreSandra Knight leads the idyllic debutante life as a Senator’s daughter. She spends her time going to parties and playing tennis with her fiancé, Don. Then one night in 1941 she stops an assassination attempt on her father, beating away the would-be assassins with rolled-up newspaper.

The experience of danger and adventure excites Sandra, offering a break from her humdrum life as a socialite. She seeks the thrill of more crime-fighting action, so she creates a costume, borrows a black light ray from her father’s scientist friend, and calls herself Phantom Lady, “the mysterious woman of wonders,” one of comic’s first female superheroines.

Sandra Knight by day and Phantom Lady by night, no one suspects Sandra’s secret identity as a superhero. Even her fiancé dismisses the idea thinking, “It couldn’t be…Sandra isn’t that clever.”

Mike Madrid’s “The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines” offers a captivating look at female comic book superheroes through the decades. Madrid explores how real-life societal changes are reflected in the pages of comic books and how superheroines have transformed through the times.

As history and gender roles evolved, so did the comic book superheroine. Madrid discusses how war time influenced the pinup-type heroine written for soldiers. In the 1950’s Supergirl was introduced as a wholesome role model for young girls. The rise of feminism in the 1970’s liberated the superheroine (and triggered a complete makeover of the character Wonder Woman, to which Madrid devotes an entire chapter). The 1990’s brought the “babe factor” to heroines who evolved into lethal bad girls. And most recently, female characters have reflected modern-day challenges such as juggling careers and families while still protecting the world from evil.

Throughout the book, Madrid includes examples of the real world influencing comic books. One of the most interesting is the story of how Batwoman was first introduced in response to the Comic Code Authority, an organization created in 1954 to regulate subject matter in comic books and to protect young readers from “inappropriate” themes. At this time some questioned Batman’s sexuality. In response, writers introduced Batwoman as a love interest for the superhero. However, Batman sees Batwoman more as a pest than anything else, and she tries to prove she is worthy of Batman’s affections by battling evil – with her purse full of weapons disguised as cosmetics.

The late 1990’s and 2000’s ushered in new female superheroes who are feminine, strong, independent, and also nurturing and maternal. In 1996, DC Comics introduced a novel idea of comic book characters- the female buddy crime fighting duo of Birds of Prey. Characters Oracle and Black Canary are superheroines who fight injustice while forging a strong female friendship. And the character Manhunter is Kate Spencer, prosecutor /mother in real life, was introduced in 2004 was one of the few superheroines who balances motherhood with crime fighting.

Madrid briefly discusses the future of the female superhero at the end of his book. He explains that publishers look at the numbers when it comes to series, and even after 70 years, female superheroines don’t sell as well as their male counterparts. Despite the low profits, loyal fans are devoted to their superheroines because as Madrid explains, “These women present a different perspective in not only the battle of good and evil, but also the quest to make the world a better place.”

Despite disbelievers, like Phantom Lady/Sandra Knight’s fiancé, comic book superheroines have proven they are clever enough and strong enough to fight evildoers- just as well as the male superheroes. And they’ll continue to fight for years to come.

Mike Madrid mixes history, sociology, feminism, and a lesson in comics in this interesting, enjoyable read. Writing for both diehard fans and those who have never read a comic book, “Supergirls” is accessible to everyone and offers a rare glimpse into the history of the female superhero. Madrid’s book even gets a stamp of approval from legendary comic book creator Stan Lee who hails “Supergirls” as “a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics.” (less)

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Dec 02, 2009

michelle marked it as to-read

on NPR as one of the 5 best books to share with your friends...

"A thoughtful, comprehensive history of women in comics is long overdue, and if Mike Madrid's Supergirls offered only this and nothing more, it'd still make a welcome addition to the growing canon of works exploring the cultural relevance of that singularly American creation, the superhero. Decade by decade, Madrid offers an encyclopedic overview of the origins and exploits of the few female crime fighters that have ...more

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Oct 20, 2009

Michael rated it

When I found out about The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid, I thought to myself, "Why didn't I write this book?" After reading it, I thought, "I could have written this book." But you know what? I didn't, and I think Mike Madrid for doing so. This is a remarkably comprehensive look at superheroines throughout history, and I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.

Being a superhero comic reader for a...more

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Dec 16, 2010

WORN Fashion Journal added it

Shelves: fashion-and-pop-culture

There comes a time in every comic book geek slash fashionista’s life when she must ask herself, “What do costumes and couture have in common?” The Supergirls sets out to answer that question, and explores the slight of the superheroine since the early 40s. While the book is centred on feminist and cultural interpretations of women in comic books, fashion still plays an important part, similar to the role regular clothing holds in our own society. The book looks at how costumes have evolved with ...more

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Jun 20, 2011

Kirby rated it

The material in the Supergirls is great: dozens of superheroines, broken down by decade, including spotlights on the evolutions of a few recognizable stars (like Wonder Woman, with her countless "makeovers") and also some of the characters with the most bizarre stories (in the 60s, Ms. Marvel gets raped by a demon, gives birth to his reincarnation, then chooses to willingly marry it down in the underworld of Limbo). It's a pretty straightforward pop culture history book that shows the...moreThe material in the Supergirls is great: dozens of superheroines, broken down by decade, including spotlights on the evolutions of a few recognizable stars (like Wonder Woman, with her countless "makeovers") and also some of the characters with the most bizarre stories (in the 60s, Ms. Marvel gets raped by a demon, gives birth to his reincarnation, then chooses to willingly marry it down in the underworld of Limbo). It's a pretty straightforward pop culture history book that shows the author's encyclopedic knowledge of comic books and the most prominent trends in the industry, broken down by decade.

The most obvious complaint is that there are no pictures. In a book so heavily based on visuals, there is one lonely picture of an actual female superhero on the title page (even the woman on a cover is not an actual character). But I guess that's what you get when you release your book on a tiny indie press with only two other books on its roster.

Also, it's very clear that Mike Madrid is a super dedicated fan of comic books, but it's also clear that he's not really the best writer. He's certainly not bad-- it's just that a lot of the main analytical concepts are sort of hammered into you. (ie. In every decade, the female characters' costumes are extra sexy because the target audience are HETEROSEXUAL MALES. I GET IT.) Also, there were lots of grammatical errors, and I'm really snooty about that sort of thing, sorry.

But overall, the book is really fun and enjoyable to read, and you definitely see a lot of patterns in these supergirls' history, usually based on current social and cultural trends in the time period. In 2002, Power Girl tells novice heroines Stargirl and Hawkgirl:

"I've got a rep for being stubborn, headstrong and brash. I'm called a lot of things behind my back by other heroes. Main one rhymes with witch. And I'll be honest. It's not an act. Not completely. I do have confidence. I am smarter than a lot of the other costumed cops out there... and maybe I could learn a thing or two about mutual respect. But you have to understand something, girls. If I was Power-Man. If I was stubborn and headstrong and brash. If I didn't take to authority well. No one would think anything of it."(less)

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Apr 07, 2010

Rosalia rated it

Shelves: nonfiction, superheroes, 2010

I really loved this book. It gave a great overview of the place that women have held in comics over the last 70 years. The author writes in a very personable style that makes the book easy to read and fun to enjoy. For each decade since comics have been popular, the author addresses the changes occurring for women in the decade and how these changes were reflected or not reflected in comic books. There are also chapters devoted to specific characters or even arch-types within the comic book ...more

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Jan 25, 2010

Colleen rated it

Shelves: comics

One of my new favorite books!

If it gets to the point where I'm like oh, this sentence is amazing! I have to remember this and this and this, and I whip out a pen and underline stuff and makes notes in margins or post-it-notes to mark a place--that's a sign of a very, very good book (not just me being crazy).

For example: "Superman's persona was noble, Batman's was grim. Wonder Woman was just a crown, some wristbands, and starry panties; it didn't seem to matter who ...more

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Oct 09, 2009

Eric rated it

Shelves: nonfiction, 2009

Finally, here's one for the ladies. A history of super women--from The Woman in Red to Birds of Prey. The author includes Lois Lane in his social science report (because she's "Superman's Girlfriend," I guess), but he doesn't mention Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson, two (web) swinging characters who helped boost girl power during the Silver Age. That's a major oversight, in my opinion.

But otherwise, The Supergirls is right on the money. Most interesting to me is the comparis...more

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Dec 27, 2011

Penelope rated it

Shelves: winter-12, non-fiction, feminism-gender-studies

I'm not quite done with this book yet but I feel like I have to write something about it lest everything dribbles out of my head before I'm able to get it down.

The Supergirls is an interesting read. Madrid sometimes handles the "feminism" aspect of the book awkwardly, but generally I think this is an excellent feminist history of comic book super heroines. The book definitely suffers from a lack of illustrations, however. As someone who has basically never read a superhero...moreI'm not quite done with this book yet but I feel like I have to write something about it lest everything dribbles out of my head before I'm able to get it down.

The Supergirls is an interesting read. Madrid sometimes handles the "feminism" aspect of the book awkwardly, but generally I think this is an excellent feminist history of comic book super heroines. The book definitely suffers from a lack of illustrations, however. As someone who has basically never read a superhero comic in my life (despite being a comic nerd), I found myself hard-pressed to conjure up an image of most of these characters while reading, and had to hastily resort to google image searches to clarify what/who was being discussed. I imagine this book would make an awesome full color oversize book...but I guess that was beyond the means of this project (revised deluxe edition in the future...?)

I've got about two chapters left to read, and one thing that has really struck me is that Madrid seems to brush aside issues of race in comics. He's mentioned it maybe two or three times--but only in passing while describing a character (for example, he mentions Storm's race but after the initial description of her back-story it is completely left out of all analyses of her character). The book essentially presents "white-washed" feminism at the core of its analysis, which I'm finding increasingly annoying as I continue reading (class is also generally ignored--"career women" seem to be the dominant archetype). Maybe Madrid felt that covering both race and gender in one book was just too much, but that clearly is a naive view of feminism and ignores a significant part of what feminism is.

Although Madrid's analysis isn't without fault, some interesting trends emerge throughout the history traced in this book. One point that was particularly interesting to me is how the female body and fertility are more often than not cast as weaknesses. This isn't particularly surprising, but I didn't even realize how such "female problems" were woven into the superhero universe. Madrid discusses how superhero comics became infused with "real life" problems--interestingly, the women suffer from myriad issues directly linked to their sex (either biologically or socially), including rape, infertility, pregnancy, abuse, etc. I find it interesting that female superheroes are left to deal with issues of rape, infertility, and pregnancy, while their male counterparts seem to live in a world of perfect virility and healthy sex. The virgin/whore double standard is also brought up throughout the book, and it's interesting how female sexuality was (is?) always cast as evil (Catwoman), bestial (Sheena), or simply embarrassing or silly (She-Hulk).

I know this book is more of a pop-culture thing and less of a critical analysis thing, but I would have appreciated some reference to specific feminist theory throughout the book. Also, Madrid mentions the elusive female comics-reader multiple times, but there aren't any statistics about how many female readers there were. To me, this would have been a really interesting piece of information in order to better understand the original audience of these comics.

Anyway, I'm off to finish those last two chapters now.

--------

Update after finishing the book:
During the later chapters, race is mentioned a bit more, but still it's not given much attention. Although the book is mostly chronological, there are a few "themed" chapters, and I really think that race would have been a perfect topic for a chapter of its own. The last chapter was definitely the weakest of the entire book. It's poorly written and edited (like it was written in a hurry so the book could be sent to the publisher on time or something...really, it's pretty bad).

Another thing that bugs me about the way this book is written is how the superheroes are almost always referred to as "real" people, as though they are living real lives, have real motivations, and face real problems. I noticed this throughout the book, but for some reason it became more apparent toward the end. To me, that way of writing about the characters minimizes the fact that they are fictional creations of artists, writers, and publishers. Obviously the fact that they are fabricated (and, therefore, that every part of them is quite deliberate) is important. Madrid does refer to artists and writers, but he just as often refers to characters as if they're independent beings with their own free-will. We all know they're not real, but I generally felt that the artifice of the whole enterprise was played down quite a bit.

Anyway, I still thought this was a very interesting read. It made me want to pick up some superhero comics and maybe give them a try.(less)

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Dec 17, 2011

Sam Marchello rated it

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites

This was an intriguing read, and I owe a girlfriend of mine for sending it to me as a Christmas present. This book was clever and deconstructs the super-heroine from the 1940s to now. It's interesting to see the feminist, fashion and culture issues that many of our fave superbabes faced, and the author does a great job at putting this down on the table and admitting to the problem head on.

The writing wasn't always perfect, but I appreciated the way he introduced each era and heroine w...more

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Nov 19, 2010

Adam rated it

This book was quite enjoyable and entertaining. I went on the website for the book to see the images that go with the chapters and that made it more enjoyable since I could put images to the characters that I knew nothing about. I had to wonder while reading it what superheroines would have ended up like had the comic code authority never come about. It seems like a lot more progression in the growth of female characters would have been the outcome considering the women from the thirties and ...moreThis book was quite enjoyable and entertaining. I went on the website for the book to see the images that go with the chapters and that made it more enjoyable since I could put images to the characters that I knew nothing about. I had to wonder while reading it what superheroines would have ended up like had the comic code authority never come about. It seems like a lot more progression in the growth of female characters would have been the outcome considering the women from the thirties and forties.

This also explained something for me about Wonder Woman that I had not understood. I pick it up on occasion but I tend to let it go by the wayside because I am always confused by her backstory. Turns out that the reason is that they make her over constantly so if I am away for a bit and come back, everything is different. Even between when Mike Madrid wrote this and now Wonder Woman has had yet another change. And it is again in the hands of a male creative team. As he says in the book, I think Wonder Woman is one of those things that "Needs a woman's touch."

I also liked that he had a section about She-hulk that emphasized the fact that she can go toe to toe with anyone and maintains a sense of humor as well as intelligence. I am a big fan of the Hulk and I like it a lot when his cousin shows up. She tends to say the smartest things out of the whole Hulk cast and seems to like being who she is. I wish the section on her had been longer.

It also pointed out some things that I probably should have noticed but never really thought much about. For example there are so many female heroes that are things like Super girl, The Invisible Girl and Wonder Girl but very few female characters that are called a woman, even in the instances where they outpower their male peers and are fully adult women. Additionally, the point and pose powers comment he makes in the book helped clear up why so many of the female superheroes have skimpy costumes (to sell comics to men and boys) and why there are not so many females chucking tanks at bad guys (apparently grunting and sweaty women don't sell comics to men and boys). I also really like Superman and while reading this I thought to myself, wow, I never realized how mysoginistic he can be. And not only him but almost all of the male superheroes.

If there was one thing lacking in this book I think it is a follow up book dealing with females in non-superhero comics. I really wondered what his take would be on Y the Last Man, Fables or how the Hernandez brothers deal with their female characters in Love and Rockets.

This really was one of the best books I have read about comic books in general and is absolutely the only one I have read dealing directly with super women. I hope he writes another.(less)

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Mar 02, 2010

Tove rated it

Shelves: fashion-history, graphic-novel

I just can't get into this book, awesome as it's title led me to believe it would be. Mike Madrid is clearly a comic book fan with a particular love of the neglected ladies, but his writing style is chaotic, he babbles, and in ill-advised attempts to bring the reader out of the minute details of dozens of comic women and relate them to the "real world," he mentions Loretta Lynn's career highlights for reasons I could never pinpoint. I heard that the further you get in the book, the bet...more

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Dec 21, 2009

Kathy rated it

I enjoyed the first half of the book. After that it seemed to get repetitive, or maybe you need to be really into comic books to appreciate the minutia. A chapter would follow an idea through several decades, then the next chapter would back up and go through all those years again to illustrate a slightly different point. Some heroines would be reintroduced as though we hadn't already read their origin story 30 pages ago. Still, it was worth reading to see our changing society reflected in t...more

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Apr 27, 2010

Beth rated it

This book sucks. While I realize that it would have been impossible to get all of them, the author should have attempted to get the rights to reproduce the likenesses of some of the characters he describes. I spent half the time reading the book googling the lesser known characters to see what they looked like. When a subject is based so heavily on image, not having them for comparison is really detrimental. I'd have forgiven this if the writing had been good, but it wasn't. It was barely tolera...more

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Jun 09, 2010

Stevi Costa rated it

I found myself wishing that this book was more academic, and handled it's treatments of fashion and feminism more adeptly--as the title lead me to believe they might be.

But for what it was, it was a good history of 60 years of comic book women and the industry's constant mistreatment of female characters.

Most intriguing to me was Madrid's comparison of Supergirl in the 1960s to pop star Lesley Gore. He's not a very good writer, though sometimes funny, but his ability to ident...more

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Jul 29, 2011

Shannon Muir rated it

Overall a very informative book clearly broken out decade by decade. It included some trivia about lesser known women heroes I did not know. However some areas were covered less than I expected (e.g. the Crisis time period, which is rather glossed over - this is evidenced most strongly in that only the second of the two Huntress characters gets mentioned when the first version was groundbreaking and significant for being the child of a hero and reformed villain who became a hero in her own rig...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Sarah Stumpf added it

A thoroughly enjoyable history of women in America through the lens of their super heroine history. For anyone who is a fan of pop culture history, this book is a fan and fabulously informative read. For fans of comic books, you will learn a TON about the behind the scenes negotiations of comic book women during the comics code days as well as current conceptions of your favorite female heros. And for anyone who is a fan of feminist history or analysis of female literary characters this is an...more

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Oct 22, 2011

Joss Arden rated it

Shelves: 2011, history, feministy, popculture

I’ve never been a comic book reader. There’s no single reason I can give for not getting into comics as a kid. Maybe it was something a benign as them simply never capturing my attention. Maybe I bought into the idea that the mainstream comics with the male superheroes weren’t meant to be read by a girl like me. In any case, I wasn’t into comics as a kid. As an adult, however, I’ve become more curious about comic books. This curiosity was influenced both by a friend who’s into comics and my disc...moreI’ve never been a comic book reader. There’s no single reason I can give for not getting into comics as a kid. Maybe it was something a benign as them simply never capturing my attention. Maybe I bought into the idea that the mainstream comics with the male superheroes weren’t meant to be read by a girl like me. In any case, I wasn’t into comics as a kid. As an adult, however, I’ve become more curious about comic books. This curiosity was influenced both by a friend who’s into comics and my discovery of graphic novels. It’s safe to say that I knew very little about comic book heroines before reading Mike Madrid’s The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines. In fact, the only superheroines I could’ve named were Batgirl, Supergirl, Catwoman, and Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman was the most recognizable to me; when I think of Catwoman, I think of Halle Berry in the Catwoman movie I never actually saw; I didn’t really know anything about Batgirl or Supergirl and just assumed they were “girl” versions of Batman and Superman. It turns out I’m not alone in my ignorance. As Madrid points out, those seem to be the superheroines that the average person can name.

So The Supergirls is a good starting place for someone like me, who knows essentially nothing about female comic book characters to learn more. The Supergirls is organized more or less chronologically by decade from the 1940s into the early 2000s. Madrid makes the point that comic book fans have historically been predominately heterosexual males, so comic books were written and drawn with them in mind. The female characters were usually physically weaker, had inferior powers, and were mostly drawn to fulfill an (either real or perceived) adolescent male fantasy about what women and girls were supposed to look like. As a kid, I was right to think that comic books weren’t made for me. Most weren’t. The comic books that did center on female characters have had a difficult time selling copies. I also thought it was interesting how many superheroines were “girls”, even if the character was an adult and even though adult male superheroes were rarely referred to as “boys.”

The Supergirls is essentially perfect if you don’t know much about comic book superheroines, Madrid’s work can be light on the analysis and encyclopedic at times, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By making use of an accessible writing style in The Supergirls, Madrid has written a very good primer for a comic book newbie who wants to know about the medium’s superheroines.(less)

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Jun 28, 2010

Travis McClain rated it

The thesis for The Supergirls is obvious; Mike Madrid explores the depiction of women in the superhero world, and as one might expect, he concludes that more often than not, they have been mistreated. The text is presented in a very accessible fashion that does not pre-suppose much familiarity with the characters and stories he cites throughout, though I do feel he should have done a clearer job explaining a few major industry-wide events. For the most part, the book is structures chronologica...moreThe thesis for The Supergirls is obvious; Mike Madrid explores the depiction of women in the superhero world, and as one might expect, he concludes that more often than not, they have been mistreated. The text is presented in a very accessible fashion that does not pre-suppose much familiarity with the characters and stories he cites throughout, though I do feel he should have done a clearer job explaining a few major industry-wide events. For the most part, the book is structures chronologically, beginning with the late 1930s/early 1940s, and concluding in the 21st Century. Wisely, though, Madrid has constructed each chapter around a theme specific to each era. This means that each chapter is, essentially, its own thesis essay within the frame of the overall book.

I do wish Madrid had been more specific in naming the creators and editors of the stories he referenced. Most citations simply lay the blame for mishandled characters at the feet of their publisher, but more often than not he doesn't even identify which publisher was responsible for a character's woes. Maybe it's just a by-product of earning my degree in history, but I felt this was relevant information that the reader shouldn't have to supplement on his or her own. After all, it was individual men and women who made the choices about the content of the issues that hit the stands; Madrid suggests by omission of their names that some faceless order simply decreed how things would go.

Also conspicuously absent are any insights from anyone within the industry. A spattering of quotes taken from previously published interviews appear, but it seems that either Madrid was uninterested in, or more likely unable to, interview anyone for the purpose of this book. It may not seem to matter, but it gives this the feel of one of those "unauthorized biographies," where the subject is not actively represented to defend against any accusations against it.

Madrid bandies about spoilers for characters's fates throughout. You may never have read a single comic book featuring Ms. Marvel, and while Madrid may rouse your interest, he will likely quash it by the book's end, because there's a sense there's nothing for you to find in the material itself that he hasn't already told you. So, while this is written with the non-enthusiast in mind, it rather perversely lessens the need some readers will feel to explore the subject material for themselves.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that Madrid's scope is largely confined to a few characters from the DC Comics and Marvel Comics rosters; indie characters are largely ignored. And, strangely, Madrid discusses Batman as much as, or more than, any other character throughout. Batwoman, Catwoman, Batgirl and Wonder Woman are all evaluated vis a vis their relationships with the Caped Crusader. Which, really, is ironic given that Madrid argues throughout that women characters have been unfairly defined by the sensibilities of their male creators for their male readership.(less)

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Sep 24, 2010

Steve rated it

This well-written look at superheroines from the Golden Age up is in interesting and informative read for newcomers to comics, and even for some of us who've been raised on the stuff. It basically deals with the female superhero as a reflection of the time in which she was created, and Supergirl is particularly fascinating when approached from that angle of cultural archaeology and analysis. Worth a read, but it's doubtful you'll ever return to it once its information has been absorbed.

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Mar 16, 2010

Brooke rated it

Shelves: books-about-books, non-fiction, usa

Boy did the ladies like Wonder Woman, Ms. Marvel, Storm, Catwoman, Elasti Girl, et al have trouble gaining the traction and celebrity enjoyed by their male counterparts in comic book land. I am completely amazed by how difficult it was/is to sell the idea of powerful superheroines without emasculating both male readers and male superheroes, as well as the critical role played by revealing costumes to overcome this challenge. Madrid's historical look back at comic book superheroines is surprisi...more

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Mar 12, 2011

Jeff Moulton rated it

Shelves: superheroes, nonfiction, 2011-books

I read The Supergirls as part of my research into how 9/11 changed superheroes. The book was interesting and very informative. Mike Madrid obviously did a lot of research and had a passion for the topic.

That being said, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting or hoping for. It spent almost all its time on the history of superheroines. I had been hoping for more analysis. It did some pretty decent analysis in the last couple of chapters, but the rest of the book implied ideas, but didn't...more

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Jul 24, 2011

Christopher added it

A surprisingly academic look at the influences and responses of female superheroes to changing times. The book is well researched and formulated with a look at the changes in society for women and how it influenced some characters for the better and others as more a reaction to placate male readership. The issues presented in the book are thought provoking but topical as it explores female superhero fashion as an expression of what an idealized woman is supposed to emulate.

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Jun 01, 2010

Heather rated it

Follows how heroines mimic the role women play in society from the 1940's on. (It's okay to want to save the world, but do you have a man to take care of you?) Now however it is more acceptable to have stong, independent role models for girls to look up to. Oh yeah, and Wonder Woman still rocks!

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Feb 10, 2010

Andrea rated it

I am so grateful to Lauren for hooking me up with this book. It clarified things for me that I was having trouble bringing together, and it is a fantastic reference. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a bibliography. It would be nice to have sources for some of the things he quotes/talks about.

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Oct 31, 2011

Beth rated it

Shelves: 2011

Well-written, interesting read, I enjoyed it. My only comment is that is didn't delve terribly deeply into the subject matter, it's more like a primer. I half expected there to be a page at the back with note saying "If you liked this, you can read more on the subject here.", with a list of other books. But definitely a worthwhile read.

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Feb 21, 2010

Kaitune rated it

It' a thoughtful and entertaining read, especially for a feminist geek girl like me. However, it would have been even better if there were illustrations since some of the older heroines aren't well known to younger comic fans and it is a bit inconvenient to google them out while reading the book.

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Aug 11, 2011

Althea May Sellars rated it

Shelves: feminism

This book was a great read on a very interesting topic. Mike Madrid really broke down the history of Super Heroines from WWII to the Early 2000s, and how their portrayal and outfits reflect women's roles in society and our nation's sexual norms. I loved the content of this book, but by the way it was structured, it became repetitive at times. Still, I would highly recommend this book to any non-fiction lovers who have an interest in history and pop-culture.

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Sep 15, 2009

Lauren rated it

Humorous, informative, so well-written! All about the female heroines of comic books, from the beginning (Sheena of the Jungle) to the middle (Wonder Woman!) to today (The Black Canary and Manhunter).
By my friend Mike, one of the wittiest people I know.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6519892-the-supergirls?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266740440m/6519892.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6519892-the-supergirls?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid[/url]

The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines

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The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combine Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Mike Madrid

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Supergirls: F...

Groups That Shelved The Supergirls: F...

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combine
Other Editions (2)