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The Behind the Book Series on Comic Book Heroes and Creators

Comic Revelations

Blue Ribbon Comics : Issue 4 Volume Issue 4 (by Mlj/Archie Comics)
Blue Ribbon Comics : Issue 7 Volume Issue 7 (by Mlj/Archie Comics)
Feature Comics : Issue 54 Volume Issue 54 (by Quality Comics)
Feature Comics : Issue 104 Volume Issue 104 (by Quality Comics)
Modern Comics: Issue 102 Volume Issue 102 (by Quality Comics)
Modern Comics: Issue 97 Volume Issue 97 (by Quality Comics)
Ha Ha Comics : Issue 49 Volume Issue 49 (by American Comics Group/Acg)
Feature Comics : Issue 37 Volume Issue 37 (by Quality Comics)
Modern Comics: Issue 47 Volume Issue 47 (by Quality Comics)
Eerie Comics : Issue 5 Volume Issue 5 (by Avon Comics)
Hit Comics : Issue 37 Volume Issue 37 (by Quality Comics)
Thrilling Comics: Issue 71 Volume Issue 71 (by Standard Comics)
Blue Ribbon Comics : Issue 14 Volume Issue 14 (by Mlj/Archie Comics)
Giggle Comics : Issue 84 Volume Issue 84 (by American Comics Group/Acg)
Crack Comics : Issue 58 Volume Issue 58 (by Quality Comics)

From our childhoods to the big screen, comic book heroes have grown up with us. They have assumed a cultural weight today that cements them into the Western lexicon. With such popularity comes the cultural impact, and with the cultural impact come the cultural critiques, questions, and theories. Does Doctor Strange respect the Eastern philosophies from which he was derived? How does Captain America's latest revelation as an undercover Hydra agent comment on the current political state of America? What do the variations of Spider-Man represent of the cultures that birthed them?

These questions deserve discussion. Beginning in January, World Library's Behind the Book video series will tackle these topics through multiple, in-depth features that will focus on the origins and impacts of various comic books and their creators. Media Producer Shivang Mehta and his team will work with renowned professors, comic store owners, and writers in order to create videos that will bring us closer to the essence of our modern heroes.

As noted in previous issues, comic books draw much more gravitas today than their early years suggested. Comic book historian Bradford W. Wright wrote,"To critically examine the history of comic books is to better understand the changing world... as well as the historical forces intersecting to shape it" (Comic Book Nation, XIII). Masked at times by deceptively simple plot lines (and, at other times, grandiose and convoluted plots), comic book heroes often raise big questions of philosophy, theology, and culture, all the while perpetuating mythological tropes that have been at the core of our heroic foundations since ancient times.

"We're going to discuss the creation of superheroes and find their roots in mythological figures," Mehta says. "There are more obvious examples like Thor from Norse mythology, or Wonder Woman from the Amazons. And then there are also lesser known characters like Shazam, formerly known as Captain Marvel, whose name and powers were born from an acronym of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury."

Mehta and the team mean to keep the exploration of these stories as open-ended as comic books are themselves. The series will also take a look at the long-running comics of non-superheroes like Tarzan, Tonto, and The Lone Ranger.

"I'm excited to get to talk to experts on some of my personal favorite superheroes," Mehta went on to say. We are, too! In the meantime, peruse the World Library’s gigantic graphic novels collection, and watch our past Behind the Books series features which include The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Das Kapital by Karl Marx, and the Bhagavad Gita. Year 2018 will also see Behind the Book features on Homer's The Iliad and Confucius, so stay tuned!

By Thad Higa