Heroes Masked and Mythic

October 15, 2020
For art historian Wood, The legacy of the epic hero survives in various forms of modern culture: comics, film, video games, even technology itself. Here he considers comic-book heroes and the striking parallels that may be drawn between them and the heroes of ancient epics. From Captain America and Achilles to Black Panther and Memnon to Iron Man and Odysseus to Superman, he explores the Marvel and DC Comics (and cinematic) universes alongside such ancient sagas as The liad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid, as well as such narrative artifacts from that era as vases, marble reliefs, and wall panels. An overview defines the concepts of myth, hero, and heroic code, while the rest of the chapters offer detailed discussions of particular characters ancient and modern. Helen of Troy and femme fatales Silver Swan and Black Widow are given their due, as is Wonder Woman and the Amazonian queen Penthesilea. There are detailed notes, a generous bibliography, and a glossary of ancient characters. Comic-book lovers, film fans, and classicists will all enjoy this entertaining and erudite work.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)