What do you think?
Rate this book
The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a complete guide to over 50 years of superheroes on screen! This expanded and updated edition of the 2004 award-winning encyclopedia covers important developments in the popular genre; adds new shows such as Heroes and Zoom ; includes the latest films featuring icons like Superman, Spiderman and Batman; and covers even more types of superheroes. Each entry includes a detailed history, cast and credits, episode and film descriptions, critical commentaries, and data on arch-villains, gadgets, comic-book origins and super powers, while placing each production into its historical context. Appendices list common superhero conventions and cliches; incarnations; memorable ad lines; and the best, worst, and most influential productions from 1951 to 2008.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
John Kenneth Muir
58 books50 followersJohn Kenneth Muir (born 1969) is an American literary critic. He has written as of 2023 thirty two books, many in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres. He has been described as one of the horror genre's "most widely read critics", and as an "accomplished film journalist". He is the creator of the 2023 audio drama Enter the House Between, as well as the new novellas based on the series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 11, 2016
Even though this version of The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television is a second edition, it is painfully outdated. It was written prior to the breakout hits based on Marvel properties in the movies and the powerful DC comic books lineup on television. On the other hand, John Kenneth Muir knows his stuff. This isn’t a summary of comic book characters per se but a fascinating look at both successes and failures prior to our more recent decade of superhero triumphs.
At the time of this review, there were two movies based on The Mighty Thor of which Muir could not have written. So, why would one read he entry on said hero? It is because you will find out about guest appearances and failed pilots regarding the property. Although the first Iron Man film was about to be released as Muir finished this volume, Muir could only write about high expectations, but didn’t seem to understand what a true breakthrough it could be. Yet, he could fill readers in on the failed 3D-animation Iron Man that a lot of us are glad we didn’t see. This type of jewel, often toward the end of the encyclopedia’s entries, along with the episode-by-episode summaries of each superhero television series, makes this volume worth reading in spite of some outdated entries. As a fan of old serials, I appreciated his background on those, as well.
One interesting note for me was that, as I suspected, Tony Stark was partially based on Howard Hughes. So, it was very ironic to read that Leonardo DiCaprio was originally supposed to play the role of Iron Man but opted to play Howard Hughes in The Aviator instead. And how could one pass up the snarky summary of Mr. Terrific, a short-lived television series with a hero who, pops power pills in order to have special powers for exactly one hour? Is it just me or doesn’t that sound a lot like Hourman in the Golden Age Justice Society?
Another relatively “super” feature of this compendium of specialized knowledge was learning about series I never saw. Painkiller Jane was created by two talents I very much respect—Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada. Yet, I don’t remember anything about the 22 episode series. This book alerted me to a Birds of Prey television series that I should have known because one of my favorite characters is Black Canary. Unfortunately, I had forgotten Man from Atlantis, a series based on the Submariner that just didn’t get it.
This is also the kind of volume where you don’t want to miss the appendices: superhero clichés, actors who played various comic characters, and even famous ad lines. If you are a comic aficionado and you want to know about the bad media efforts as well as the good, The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television: Second Edition is a fascinating book to read. Right now, it’s the best you’re going to get until Muir completes his third edition.
At the time of this review, there were two movies based on The Mighty Thor of which Muir could not have written. So, why would one read he entry on said hero? It is because you will find out about guest appearances and failed pilots regarding the property. Although the first Iron Man film was about to be released as Muir finished this volume, Muir could only write about high expectations, but didn’t seem to understand what a true breakthrough it could be. Yet, he could fill readers in on the failed 3D-animation Iron Man that a lot of us are glad we didn’t see. This type of jewel, often toward the end of the encyclopedia’s entries, along with the episode-by-episode summaries of each superhero television series, makes this volume worth reading in spite of some outdated entries. As a fan of old serials, I appreciated his background on those, as well.
One interesting note for me was that, as I suspected, Tony Stark was partially based on Howard Hughes. So, it was very ironic to read that Leonardo DiCaprio was originally supposed to play the role of Iron Man but opted to play Howard Hughes in The Aviator instead. And how could one pass up the snarky summary of Mr. Terrific, a short-lived television series with a hero who, pops power pills in order to have special powers for exactly one hour? Is it just me or doesn’t that sound a lot like Hourman in the Golden Age Justice Society?
Another relatively “super” feature of this compendium of specialized knowledge was learning about series I never saw. Painkiller Jane was created by two talents I very much respect—Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada. Yet, I don’t remember anything about the 22 episode series. This book alerted me to a Birds of Prey television series that I should have known because one of my favorite characters is Black Canary. Unfortunately, I had forgotten Man from Atlantis, a series based on the Submariner that just didn’t get it.
This is also the kind of volume where you don’t want to miss the appendices: superhero clichés, actors who played various comic characters, and even famous ad lines. If you are a comic aficionado and you want to know about the bad media efforts as well as the good, The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television: Second Edition is a fascinating book to read. Right now, it’s the best you’re going to get until Muir completes his third edition.
August 9, 2009
I didn't intend to read the whole thing, but I have a weakness for encyclopedias. There are times I regretted reading it, because the author is a Fan and a Snooty Fan at that. He's at his best when he's laying out interesting bits of television and movie history, but his worst moments of "this author is going to express this close-minded fanboy opinion several times in a row" are pretty bad.
What fascinates me about this kind of overview is how much television production and writing have changed over several decades. There is a clear progression from the TV movie pilots and episodic series of the seventies to the serialized dramas of the last decade, and it's fun tracing the evolution of the writers, producers, and directors that made it happen.
What fascinates me about this kind of overview is how much television production and writing have changed over several decades. There is a clear progression from the TV movie pilots and episodic series of the seventies to the serialized dramas of the last decade, and it's fun tracing the evolution of the writers, producers, and directors that made it happen.
December 15, 2008
Ok book. Probably something you can find online.
June 4, 2015
Solid, if a bit dated.
May 1, 2015
nice book of superheroes in film & television
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews