Rise of the Superheroes

by David W Tosh

They Could Be Heroes

Rise of the Superheroes--Greatest Silver Age Comic Books and Characters is a visual and entertaining adventure exploring one of the most popular and significant eras of comic book history. From 1956 to 1970, the era gave us Spider-Man, The Avengers, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and a flurry of other unforgettable and formidable characters.

The Silver Age redefined and immortalized superheroes as the massive pop culture titans they are today.

Lavishly illustrated with comic book covers and original art, the book

   • The new frontier of DC Comics, with a revamped Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and new characters including Hawkman
   • Marvel's new comics featuring Thor and The Fantastic Four
   • The pop art years that saw Batman's "new look" and the TV series
   • Independent characters, including Fat Fury and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
   • Spotlights new and re-imagined superheroes, like Wonder Woman, who have become central to modern pop culture
   • Includes values of these comics, which are popular with collectors
Thanks to the Silver Age, superheroes are bigger and badder than ever.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels, Comics

839 pages, ebook

Published May 8, 2018

Reviews

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and all of our patrons who are graphic novel enthusiasts LOVE the DC Comics. They are the most popular among our graphic novels and comics. Being a DC Comics fan myself also I was able to appreciate the vintage drawings and the original work displayed in this book and David Tosh does a wonderful job compiling all together and creating a flow. It is also great to see more books coming out about the history of the comics and the original inspirations and how they came to be the most legendary bunch known to man. Our patrons are going to love this book and we will be definitely adding this book to our collection. 5 stars!

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 1 out of 5]

A kind of soulless book in which the author is only interested in reminiscing about his childhood and full of meaningless numbers (like how much did superhero franchises make or how much did original comics in pristine condition make in an auction). There is very less about the artwork or the backstory narrative or even the history of the superheroes comics. A golden opportunity wasted. Only redeeming quality are the full page covers the author has gathered. Otherwise nothing to see here, move along. One star only for the beautiful comic book covers.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief history of superheroes from the Silver Age of comics. These were the superheroes I grew up with, reading comics with the Justice League members and the Avengers was a pleasant diversion from reality. This book provides colorful art from the actual comics, as well and information about the main superheroes from DC and Marvel, as well as a brief glimpse into ones I had never heard of. I say brief because, being a detail-oriented individual, I found this book lacking. It would make a nice coffee table book, but not an authoritative edition. I am unsure of the intention of this book, other than give readers an introduction to a few superheroes, the comics and movies they inspired, and what happened with them during the 60's.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever wanted a nice introduction to some of the most popular comic books heroes this is the book for you! The graphics are amazing, and it's nice that they reference where they are from if you want more information. Coming from someone that's only has seen the Marvel and DC movies, and never read the comics, I loved the information.
The author did quite a lot of research and seems to love what he is talking about which shows. If you are looking for a great Christmas or birthday present for someone who loves comics, this will be a great edition.
I can't wait to start looking up the comics that they reference to learn more about my favorite superheroes. Whether you are a beginner or collector, this is a very interesting read!

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated Rise of the Superheroes as an informative and detailed history of these popular characters. The images and visual examples that were included helped to make the text more appealing, and I further enjoyed this book as a comic book reader and graphic novel enthusiast.

I would gladly add a physical copy of this book to my personal or classroom library.

[Stephanie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun this book is! Readers new to comics can learn the basic history of the Silver Age (between 1958-1970), while more seasoned readers can gawk at the full-color photos of classic covers. There's a great Batman cover with aliens that have pink/white/black stripes on their bodies, green heads, and antenna! That one made me chuckle!
Along with the photos are pretty recent prices that these particular comics fetched. Some sold for a few hundred but some went for tens of thousands! Don't you wish you still had those issues from your childhood?!
I found the book to be a little heavy on the DC side, but had so much enjoyment looking through all of the pages that it didn't really annoy me.
I recommend Rise Of The Superheroes to all comics fans!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on silver age heroes and silver age books - so I really enjoyed this walk down memory lane. The Silver Age was slightly before my time, but those were the comics that could be found cheap at garage sales when I was a kid - so that’s what was in my collection. That’s where I got my first addiction to JLA - which lent well to watching the Superfriends. I guess this was why I’ve always been a DC guy. That’s what everyone was selling second hand - late 60’s Batman, Superman, Flash, JLA. That, coupled with being introduced in college to Arkham Asylum, Batman: Year One, and the Dark Knight Returns, is why Batman is still my favorite.

Plus there’s some great art - photos of silver age comics!!

I didn’t realize how important The Flash #123 was - it introduced the idea of parallel earths, when Barry Allen meets Jay Garrick. (Funny how we’ve come full circle with that first happening in 1961, but new fans being introduced to the idea in the The Flash TV show.)

I’m glad the author discussed the importance of the art of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko - too often, these artists’ contributions to the growth of Marvel Comics is downplayed. The creation of some of Marvel’s most iconic characters owe their origins to Kirby and Ditko just as much - or more - as Stan Lee. While Lee came up with some of the ideas and was the writer responsible for the dialogue, Ditko and Kirby contributed in important ways that you might not expect because of how the artist/writer relationship was back then. The artist made huge contributions to character design, plot, and story flow. Often artists would draw the entire story and the writer would fill in dialogue. So these artists made heavy, heavy contributions to these important Marvel characters, but their contributions are overlooked, partially because Lee has marketed himself so well.

And - wow! This I did not know! I thought the campiness of the 60s Batman came from the TV show. But apparently, Batman comics were already trying out a “New Look” and it was this shiny new look that attracted the attention of execs and helped the show be campy in the first place. After that I’m sure it was a vicious cycle. But I thought it started with the show; I didn’t know it started with the comic!

I liked the way the author put these comics in context by showing what was going on in the world at the time. But how do I know about Francis Gary Powers who was shot down in a U-2 Spy Plane in Russia in 1960? I’ve read about him before - but why? This is driving me crazy.

And during this time, in a single month - August 1966 - The Beatles played their last concert, and The Doors released their first single. Just one year later in August 1967, Pink Floyd released their first album. (Not in the book, but one of my favorite pieces of trivia - the title of the album is “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”, which is taken from the title of a chapter of the book The Wind in the Willows published in 1908.)

Out of so many crazy ideas, I really want to check out Superman #198 from July 1967 - where “the real” Clark Kent exposes Superman as having kidnapped and imprisoned him and impersonating him. Now that’s creative!

This would make a great coffee table book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Krause Publications for a copy in return for an honest review.

[Gordon Mcghie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that Superheroes are cool again. Marvel comics have set a high bar in our cinemas over the last 10 years as they build up a cinematic universe beyond the wildest dreams of the more mature comic book fan.

DC Comics may not have fared quite so well in the cinema (though Wonder Woman was a notable exception), however, they are ruling the small screen. From Smallville to The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl they are showing the way forward at producing hours of fan pleasing content which keeps the comic book readers hooked.

But before the heroes had their rise to fame on our homes and in movie theatres they first had to Rise from anonymity in the original comic books. Why should Spider-Man, The Flash and Thor have been the successful stories while Luke Cage, Cloak and Dagger or Hawkman maybe just didn’t capture the public imagination in the same way?

In the gorgeously illustrated Rise of the Superheroes David Tosh looks at the Silver Age of comic books and charts how the action heroes of their day became the megastar crowd pullers that they are today. By focusing on the events of the time, the stories which became character defining and by drawing on his own observations a story is built around the names we know so well.

I have been reading comic books since I was about 8 or 9 years old – that is over 30 years of being a Spidey fan (long before it was cool to be a comic nerd). I love a book which will tell the back stories, look at pivotal moments in the evolution of characters and (one day) I may even understand why there are so many different X-men groups and factions! This book is very much aimed at readers like me – fans who want to read more about their favourite characters and possibly even learn about the heroes which feature in comics I don’t read.

Let’s face it – there are just too many comics out there to try to read them all. Some just don’t get an opportunity to shine and some titles just don’t get picked up by readers for reasons which will seem ridiculous to other readers. For example I have never read a Green Lantern comic, nor have I ever been a fan of Iron Man. Hulk is great (but not when he is in space) and the X-Men are just too complicated to know where to start. But I still claim to love comic books and I use books like Rise of the Superheroes to try to make me WANT to read Iron Man or Green Lantern.

David Tosh has done a good job of making his book very accessible. I was surprised that it was not 100% factual and that some of her personal opinions and observations creep in – unusual for this type of reference book. But his writing style is easy to pick up and put down (we are in coffee-table book country here) and I loved the time I spent pouring over the pages.

If you are discovering comics through the recent influx of film and tv shows then books like Rise of the Superheroes are a great way to understand better where the characters first found their feet. Seasoned readers may find this one a little light on new information, but that does not stop it being a fun read.

[Alicia Herrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's my Librarian vs. Reader Review:

This book is a really hard topic for me to be professional about, because it's directly tied up in my academic background. One of my major areas of study in grad school was the history of comic books, and I wrote a lot on the impact of comics on American readership and culture. As a result I own a lot of books on this subject, and will likely continue to acquire more. So I judge this kind of coffee table-esque guide a little harsher than I do others of it's kind, because I've read so many of them. Still I'll try to put that aside.

Librarian: I'll probably suggest ordering this for the reference section of the elementary/middle school library. While this is certainly not the most rigorous, or detailed book of this type, it's got a good amount of information for younger readers. Plus it's thin enough that it's not to heavy to hold, something which can't be said for everything in this genre.

Reader: As mentioned, I own many books on this subject, and am always acquiring more. The books I have range from academic treatises, to coffee table books, and everything in between. Still I was excited to receive a copy of this one at ALA this summer, and I eagerly read it in hopes of some new insight into one of my favorite subjects. There really wasn't a ton there. But then I didn't really expect there to be. With a subject as well documented as the Silver age of comics, most of the information has already been discussed to death. I did appreciate the emphasis placed on DC. Many books on the Silver Age tend to focus on Marvel, because for all the developments that occurred in DC (beginning of the Justice League, the modern Green Lantern & Flash, introduction of Green Arrow, etc.) Marvel had the far more important and ultimately influential impact on this era of comics (there's a reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Marvel Age"). As a result much of DC's history from this time can be overlooked. So it's nice to see that being covered.

[Kamisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rise of the Superheroes: Greatest Silver Age Comic Books and Characters was a really fun and informative read. I'm not a comic book collector myself, but I love reading the stories and learning the histories of how these expansive universes have been developed and this book was perfect for that!

This book primarily covers the "Silver Age" of comics, which is the period in comic book history that spans the late 1950s up to 1970. It features mostly DC and Marvel Comics universes, but also dedicates a chapter to other superheroes from other universes. The author does a good job of covering some of the important details of each era and what they contributed to the superhero genre, but not throwing too many words at the reader because where this book shines is in the images. Every page has something interesting for readers to look at whether it's original cover designs and art panels, snippets about pop culture, or how the superhero each portrayed today, it keeps readers attention!

One of the details that I found most interesting about this book were the captions under art panels and covers and how much each one sold for. Some of this art work is incredibly valuable! I liked finding out some of the details behind these covers and their artists.

Overall, this book was fun to look at and offered some really cool tidbits of information that I never knew. A great page-through for comic book collectors, people into superhero art or readers who want a little history with their images!

I won a copy of this book through BookishFirst. Thanks to BookishFirst for the opportunity to read this book!

[KellI Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to recieve this book in the mail. Totally worth the time to peruse through it...............many times. You will want to look at it several times just to look at the beautiful artwork, copies of old comics. You will go back through it to read the history of the comics and the superheroes that appears to be well researched, or maybe Mr Tosh just knew it all already since he has been a big fan since he was eight. (Either way it was informative and I learned a lot.) And then you will keep going back to look at the illustrations again and again.

Growing up I knew about comic books, read some of these, but if I'm being truthful I mostly just read Archie, Betty, and Veronica. (Until this book I was unaware the my first ginger crush spent some time as a superhero) My first real introduction to superheroes was Christopher Reeves Superman. Next was Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman. And then my sister and I spent hours and hours watching reruns of Adam West as Batman during the summers. And finally as an adult I became obsessed, like much of America, with the Marvel Movies, and now FINALLY the Wonder Woman movie.

So to have a concise history of my favorite superheroes in a beautiful book was fun and worth my time. I'm sure there is a lot more detail to know but this is a good start!

And now my 5 year old little boy has fallen in love with the book and looks through it every day insisting I read new parts of the history to him.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.

[Gerard Rinaldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Great covers. I gave it a three star for a few reasons. One I hated that the Marvel and DC movies were included. As far as I’m concerned that is a bastardized history of the true comic book characters to please the popcorn munchers. The shallow beings that never read a comic book and never will. If you are going to focus on media then include the 1966-67 Marvel animation and the 1967 DC filmation. Those were a big part of my childhood and I have them all on DVD. It’s nice to see what some of the comic books are worth and sold for but I can do that on my own. Most people don’t understand the grading system so it can skew a persons perception of what the character(s) are worth.

What I did like is your childhood storIes about collecting comic books. I used to get mine at a drug store as well until it burned down. Very fond memories of my mother taking me there to get those treasured comic books. I have collected over 5,000 comic books. My daughters will inherit my collection. Those comic books got me through a rough childhood and I still read and buy them Weekly to this day. One of the most important and biggest passions in my life. I also liked how you included some of the other companies heroes other than the big two.

One other thing. Where was the green and white Captain Marvel? The Doom Patrol? I loved those guys in the 60’s. Also you spelled Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones first name wrong. That one slipped by your editors. But it was cool that you included current events at the time. The 60’s had just about everything. What a decade!

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Rise of the Superheroes from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rise of the Superheroes is one of many books trying to help sum up the history of superhero comics into an easy to understand novel. Unlike other novels I’ve read though, David Tosh decided to add a more personal touch to his writing; expresses which comics were his favorite, parts he remembered in particular, and even adding context to the publishing time of comics by including larger known pop culture events. That made this a really fun read for me, as well as informative.
Tosh doesn’t delve as deeply into the history of comics or their printing, but instead does more of a surface and pop culture view. It’s a fantastic place to start for new readers or for somebody that was unfortunately not alive during the time to personally experience the growth of the comic book industry. I love this different perspective, and that alone makes this a worthwhile read, in my opinion.
This novel also includes a ton of favorite and popular images from comics, showing their evolution through time as well as just being fun to see (for some of us it’s even for the first time). I think it’d be great if Tosh came out with a follow up in a few years, covering the more recent decades of comics. I’d like to see his take on the modern runs.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Ben Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Rise of the Superheroes from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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This book was an excellent read for anyone interested in the history of the Silver age.
It can be seen from the information given that the author has a deep interest in comics, explaining the history in an entertaining yet factual way while at the same time illustrating the other events in history that were occurring around the same time to give context to what the US was like during each part of the silver age.
I also enjoyed the way the author tied the silver age to the present day films, and talked about them briefly (Id like to see the authors take on the whole superhero film genre).
The art work in this book was eclectic and fantastic, taken from many of the great comics from throughout the age, with equal attention to both Marvel and DC.
The only minor gripe I have with the book is that I'd love it to be longer, it could have delved a little more into certain aspects, however this is a minor gripe in comparison to the pro's I feel about it
This was lovingly crafted book that has made me want to dive back into the silver age of comics, in all its quirky and weird charms.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for all the fans of DC Comics, Marvel and other giants of the industry. It gives an indepth and fascinating look at the beginning of comic books and even covers the rise of the current movies featuring comic book characters. I really enjoyed the parts where the author reviewed the years in history so that I could relate to what was happening when certain comics or characters became popular. As a child of the 60’s, this book was totally relatable for me. I remember my brothers having a lot of these comics and looking at the current prices, I wish that they had kept them. I loved all of the illustrations from the comic books and the former cost of twelve cents compared to the current price of thousands of dollars. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite characters and their back-story explained, especially Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of comics, young or old.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

[Michayla (WaitingfortheSecondStar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to BookishFirst and F+W Media for the ARC of this fantastic book.

I admit, I’m a newbie to the world of comic books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this exploration of the comic book “Silver Age,” as I learned a lot about comics, their history, and their value. Tosh does an excellent job showcasing the development of some of our favorite (and perhaps some of our forgotten) superheroes, contextualizing them within a pop culture and national timeline. It’s fascinating to see how each comic book character was created with some purpose, and then to witness that purpose in its original time.

I thought the little vignettes about where Tosh was at that time in history were endearing, if a little at odds with the rest of the book. It’s clear that this collection is a labor of love for the author, as he’s recounting his own experiences with the artform. However, these tidbits conflicted with the objective, historical writing of the rest of the book. So, if I were trying to catalog/categorize this book for a library or bookstore, I would actually have to think about whether to shelve it in History or Memoir.

Visually, this collection is a masterpiece. I love the inclusion of so many comic covers and excerpts. I feel that this is the perfect, nerdy “coffee table book.” It would be a great conversation starter and an easy one to flip through to desired heroes, sections, or topics.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Rise of the Superheroes: Greatest Silver Age Comic Books and Characters' by David Tosh is an overview of one of the greatest eras of comic books.

It's not an especially deep book, but it gives a really good overview to the era from it's beginning in 1956 with the release of Showcase #4 featuring the Flash. It talks about the industry pressures and influences that led to the era. It mentions the key issues and creators and storylines. The best part is the covers and art pages of the era, including recent auction prices. It's fun to see some of these up close.

There are insets about today's modern superhero movie characters and where they got there start. The author includes some commentary about his life during the era, that lends a fun perspective on the times. The book finishes with a post-lude on collecting, auctions, and the names of the different pedigreed collections featured in the book.

Comics have been around a long time, and we are still being influenced by the Silver Age. This might be a fun read for someone new to comics that doesn't know some of the history.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Krause Publications, F+W Media, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has recently started getting into comics, reading a book about the history of them for me felt like a must-read and I was not wrong. Covering superheroes from The Flash to Iron Man and the companies who made them, Rise Of The Superheroes is an excellent place to begin learning about comic books.

‘Secret Origins’ in the beginning of DC, according to Tosh allowed readers to have a primer for the characters that DC created and this book is very much in the same vein. Giving the reader a history of the comics but also the characters themselves and this is all connected to how these comics connected to the writer’s life and the world they were emerging into.

With this history this book highlights the quality of the original artwork of the golden age of comics. Bold lines and bright colours are used in these and this is used as a guide throughout the book too and used effectively as the book keeps your attention throughout, shining a light on where these comics come in the chronology of the creators.

A really good book for the novice who wants to know more, this book charts the evolution of comic books brilliantly.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for review).

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book about this history of superhero comics. It focuses on the art of comics and artists who created them. It is especially good for collectors, because some prices of vintage comics are listed.

I loved that there were many original comic covers in this book. Alongside the photos, the amounts that these original comics sold at auctions were listed. It’s fascinating to see how many thousands of dollars these comics can sell for today, when they originally cost only a few cents!

One funny thing about this book, and it proves that superheroes are still extremely popular, is that even though this book was just released, the movie rankings are already out of date. Avengers: Infinity War has surpassed not only the earnings of other superhero movies, but all other movies as well. Black Panther was also a huge hit, and would be listed high up on the movie rankings. This just proves the lasting effects of these characters that were created decades ago.

This is a great book about the rise of superheroes!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher on NetGalley.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from Bookishfirst.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Being a year younger than the author, I too grew up reading comic books, the Superman franchise being my favorite. I even did a research paper on "The History of the Comic Strip" in high school. During a move many years ago, my comic books and some of the books I used for research disappeared, so was delighted to see this book published. This book will be a pleasure to fellow baby boomers. While not delving deeply into the history of the comic strip, it is filled with nostalgia, sharing what else was happening in the world and lots of comic book covers, many of which I remember reading.

I did find it strange that the origin of the Superman comic was omitted- created by two Jewish young men, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, during the Holocaust, based on Moses. In fact most of the early comic book creators were Jews facing anti-semitism in America, only able to find jobs in the comic book industry. And I found one error: Mon-El was NOT from Krypton. But otherwise, I found this to be a nice addition to my library.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rise of the Superheroes is a comprehensive look at the comics, from the early comic books through their development for television and movies. Definitely a coffee table book for anyone who loves comics, whether it be a collector or simply a fan, this anthology gives readers the opportunity to see original artwork and to learn the origin story.

In full color, from the cover to the back, Rise of the Superheroes is a quality book designed for a niche market. Readers who are just into the superhero movies will be disappointed as to the content, since most of this book is targeted towards the comics themselves. This informative anthology explains the beginnings of this graphic art, transporting readers to the worlds that existed in the imaginations of many talented writers and artists. Although I did like seeing the original covers, the author went a little overboard in this area. There are many pages of artwork with only small captions describing the amount for which they sold, using pages that would have been better served with more information. I would recommend Rise of the Superheroes for readers who are comic book collectors and fans of the art form.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is different from other "history of comic books" books I've read because it's seen thru a lens of the author's personal feelings and experiences with them. There are facts and figures galore so it's not all subjective, yet it was interesting in how this works so well in elucidating why the Silver Age of comics is so important. The anecdotal notes only add to the very well researched and presented facts. My only complaint that is that it at times seems a bit short on information. I guess you could consider this the high-end cliff notes version.
My favorite part is definitely the look you get at some truly classic covers and pages, all arranged in dynamic layouts that keep your eye moving thru the page.
The quality of the paper and printing is impressive. This is a very heavy book considering the page count isn't that high, but the quality and care put into presenting the classic comics and their art shows in how well this is made.
Overall, it's a fun presentation for a fun topic.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other children in the United States, comic books played an integral part of my childhood. Batman, Superman, the Punisher is synonymous to my childhood as ice cream and the beach is to the summer. I was super excited when I saw "Rise of the Superheroes" displayed because I remember spending the days on end reading comic books. The book is part reference and part personal recollection of the author. Tosh speaks about the brief history of comic books during the Silver Age while weaving his personal experience. The book is filled with beautiful photography along with information about sale prices for the comic books. The history is a bit brief so people expecting in depth analysis or history might be disappointed. However, I found this book to be a fun and engaging read. I like reading the early beginnings of Stan Lee and the many transformations of different comic book heroes. It also makes a perfect coffee table book.


**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

[Laura Newsholme · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a newbie to the wonderful world of comics and graphic novels, I found this to be a fascinating look at the evolution of some well known heroes through the silver age of comics during the 1960s. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated with numerous examples of comic book panels and cover art from the time and the book follows chronologically from the beginning of the decade to the end. I particularly liked the inserts detailing what Tosh himself was reading and collecting during that time and thought that he gave a true picture of the cultural melting pot of the time. In truth, I did think that the prose was a little bit clunky at times, but for sheer exuberance and knowledge of his topic, Tosh has to be commended. All in all, I thought this was a great introduction to the comics of yesteryear for someone like me and I would recommend it to anyone with a burgeoning interest in the genre,.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative insight into superhero comics, with their history, most important time in history and the ones that had the highest standing for fans. First is Captain Marvel, noted to have been possibly the biggest selling comic heroes in the forties. Then came heroes like Captain America, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Supergirl.

There was a controversial time where heroes were pushed into odd genres and, instead of fighting criminals - that we are used to, they fought communists, aliens and more.

The return of some highly fan-based heroes, like the Green Lantern and The Flash was a great point for superfans in the 90's and early 2000's. Of course, this was around the time that movie and series adaptations were starting to pick up steam too...

The writing is factual, to the point and well spaced out. All new fans would need this book, to keep up with all of the amazing comic heroes out there.

[Brittany Searfoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful, full color pictures in this book and the interesting tidbits of information about the Silver Age of comics make it a must-have resource for anyone who is a comic book enthusiast or anyone who is looking to learn more about comics in general. The book follows the creation and evolution of DC and Marvel's most popular superheroes, as well as some lesser known comic book characters and their creators. Small sections of the comics are included, as well as covers and some of the prices paid for the rarest comic book sales. One of my favorite features of the book is the timeline included for each time period, which includes inventions and historical happenings throughout the years covered in the book. I highly recommend this beautiful book to anyone who is interested in comic books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Bookish First. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this bool in exchange for an honest review.
An informative book about some of the most beloved comic book characters from both the DC and Marvel universe.
I was impressed how easily this book read, the author held the readers attention throughout the book. I enjoyed how the author not only covered the comic books, but also how they characters have been represented in the television, and movie industry. The writing style was easy to follow, not overly wordy and got to the point. The illustrations were incredible, and it was amazing to see how not only the art story changed but how the stories changed as well to reflect the time period in which they were written.
An incredible book that both new and old comic book lovers will enjoy. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves comics, and enjoys learning about the history behind some of their favorite comic book characters.

[Kaci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other children in the United States, comic books played an integral part of my childhood. Batman, Superman, the Punisher is synonymous to my childhood as ice cream and the beach is to the summer. I was super excited when I saw "Rise of the Superheroes" displayed because I remember spending the days on end reading comic books. The book is part reference and part personal recollection of the author. Tosh speaks about the brief history of comic books during the Silver Age while weaving his personal experience. The book is filled with beautiful photography along with information about sale prices for the comic books. The history is a bit brief so people expecting in depth analysis or history might be disappointed. However, I found this book to be a fun and engaging read. I like reading the early beginnings of Stan Lee and the many transformations of different comic book heroes. It also makes a perfect coffee table book.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very well-written, interesting read. However, if you are a long-time fan of comics/superheroes, this may not be the best book to pick up. I personally didn't learn anything new from the material provided, but I do think it was a nice refresher concerning the history of comics and the rise of the superhero genre in general. Additionally, the writing was easily understandable and relatable in a manner that didn't make anything boring. If you're a new superhero fan, or perhaps a fan whose never really looked into the behind the scenes elements of the comic business, this is definitely a great book to look into. While pictures take up a prominent amount of space in this book, it also covers the history of the two big comic companies, DC and Marvel, and additionally dedicates time to analyze the success and influence of smaller companies as well.

Overall, I believe this was a very interesting book. 3 stars!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rise of the Superheroes" is a great coffee table style book that takes the reader/viewer through the evolution of superhero comics over time. Comics have really changed quite a bit over time with different styles becoming popular in different eras. The book is visually impressive- full of color and pictures of comic book covers and the like. It's a fun book to flip through, and although there aren't many words, you can still learn quite a bit about the history of superheroes. I think this book would be good for many ages and is fun just to take a look through (even if you don't want to read the whole thing). With all the superhero movies hitting the big screen lately, this book is really an interesting way to learn how they have evolved over time. Please note that I received a copy from the publisher through bookish first. All opinions are my own.