This 19-minute documentary covers a good deal of interesting and illuminating ground on the history and evolution of comic books. Among the topics discussed are how people believe in superheroes because they want to be greater than they are, superheroes are put on this earth to fight evil, comics are basic morality plays on good versus evil, Superman is the story of an immigrant, many writers of the early comics grew up in the slums, comics have a magic realism that offers a funhouse reflection of reality, and how comics got darker in the 1980's by having flawed and/or corrupt heroes with feet of clay. Will Eisner points out that male readers get into comics as a means of getting in touch with their manhood, Alex Ross notes that the superhero genre is a mishmash of all kinds of fiction, and Frank Miller describes himself as an outlaw for strives for emotional reality in his work. Worth a watch for comic book fans.
Review of Comic Books & Superheroes
