I’m the author of Is Superman Circumcised? The Complete Jewish History of the World's Greatest Hero, which won the 2021 Diagram Prize, and The Darkness in Lee's Closet and the Others Waiting There. I write about pop culture for The Forward and CNN.com. My writing has appeared in a range of publications, including New York Daily News, Jerusalem Post, and Philosophy Now. I’ve taught English and writing at the City University of New York and am a former writer-in-residence fellow at the New York Public Library.
Superman is the most famous character in the world. He's the first superhero, an American icon—and he's Jewish! Exploring the underlying themes of a beloved modern mythology, Is Superman Circumcised? is a fascinating journey through comic book lore, American history, and Jewish tradition, sure to give readers a newfound appreciation for the Mensch of Steel!
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There are several biographies of comics luminary Stan Lee, official and unofficial, and this one is the best. It’s insightful, evenhanded, and engaging. As a former longtime editor of the Spider-Man titles at Marvel who’s worked with Lee in different capacities and is now a pop culture historian, author Danny Fingeroth combines an industry insider’s knowledge with a wider context. Highly recommended!
Larry Tye brings a lifelong fan’s passion and a renowned journalist’s research skills to the ultimate biography of the Man of Steel. It’s comprehensive and full of amazing stories and facts that weren’t known before, but more impressively it’s entertaining to read, from start to finish. It’s a great book for anyone interested in Americana, pop culture, or Superman.
This novel won the Pulitzer Prize for a reason. It’s a remarkable story about family, friendship, identity, America, and so many other things. Michael Chabon, a bona fide comic book fan, set it in the early days of the industry, weaving in real and fictionalized versions of its history. The book is highly recommended to anyone, but it’s a must-read for anyone who considers themselves a real comic book fan.
Paul Levitz was a writer, editor, editor in chief, publisher, and president of DC Comics for decades. This oversized coffee table book is a treasure trove of his insights, memories, and analysis. It’s the definitive history of DC, which only he could write. And it’s full of fun colorful images, making it interesting to younger readers as well as a perfect gift to any pop culture or comics lover.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be this edition, but do yourself a favor and read the original Stan Lee & Jack Kirby run on Fantastic Four. It’s a comic that revolutionized the industry, established Marvel as we know it, and it’s fun, exciting, inventive, and straightforward in a way that few comics are today. It’s Lee & Kirby’s high-water mark, before or since.
5,716 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about cartoonists, pop culture, and superheros.
We think you will like Sapiens, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Ten-Cent Plague if you like this list.
From Kelly's list on belief and finding meaning from the meaningless.
What sounded like an interesting book on history felt like a field guide to understanding humans, in all our truly senseless but seemingly normal behavior. I love how this book explains the way we got to where we are, for better and for worse, which may point to where we are going. I was captivated throughout, and the second chapter, “The Tree of Knowledge,” set the stage by simultaneously blowing my mind and explaining humankind through our unique capacity for imagination; our fictions. The stories we tell. The ideas and cultures and gods we create. They drive everything, from how we use money to how we approach mountains. We are strange, complex, and fascinating creatures.
From Nancy's list on stories that make you smile.
This is a prime example of a book with a great story that made me smile. This historical novel transports the reader back to Moscow in the turbulent early 1900’s, when Count Rostov is placed under house arrest inside the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Though his situation could be considered dire, his surprisingly upbeat attitude, observations, and wit provide lightness to this inspiring story about making the best of circumstances. The author’s descriptions and use of language make it a joy to read.
From Brett's list on the history of golden age comics.
David’s book came out while I was still searching for the truth about Uncle Lev, and it provided a useful and entertaining overview of the effort to censor comic books—catching Lev directly in its cross-hairs—and the industry code that was implemented as a result. Ultimately, David argues, “the generation of comic-book creators whose work died with the Comics Code helped give birth to the popular culture of the postwar era.”
