The Encyclopedia Of Superheroes On Film And Television

A typical entry discusses a superhero and the various film and TV incarnations in which he/she has appeared. Muir discusses many types of superhero portrayals: animated and live-action, black-and-white and color, serious and spoof, and adult- and kid-oriented productions, even including direct-to-video features. The book is amazingly comprehensive, including both solo heroes and teams. There are the expected entries on such "big" names as The Amazing Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, etc. But Muir does not neglect the curious, cultish, or off-beat.

Among the many heroes covered are the Ambiguously Gay Duo (from a series of animated shorts on "Saturday Night Live"), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Darkman, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl, Isis, M.A.N.T.I.S., the Six Million Dollar Man, the Tick, and many more. I don't doubt that there are omissions or oversights (I would have liked to have seen an entry on the Bibleman character, portrayed by Willie Aames), but overall it's an impressively broad gathering of heroes. The entries feature cast and crew credits from various productions, as well as episode guides to TV series. Excerpts from critics' reviews add further to the entries. Among the fascinating topics covered along the way are the superhero underpinnings of the film "Unbreakable" and the notorious unreleased Fantastic Four film.

The book includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index, as well as a number of appendices. I found the most interesting appendix to be the one covering the cliches and conventions of superhero media: "The Dogged Reporter," "Gargoyle Pose," "Lost Powers," etc.

This book is well-written and fascinating. Muir takes the genre seriously, and brings insight and intelligence to this project. He is also not afraid to be critical. In his introduction he puts superhero lore into the context of United States culture. He also discusses his rationale for excluding or including certain characters when writing the book. I consider this book an essential reference work for public and academic libraries. But its accessible writing, user-friendly organization, and treasure trove of information also make it a worthy book for any individual with an interest in interest in superheroes.