THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES

By: Mike Whybark
Review Date: Saturday, August 31, 2002

In the midst of the Silver Age reflorescence of super-hero comics, as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's verve and energy steered Marvel to its great age of glory, media interest in the comics revival took many forms. From the introduction of the beloved campy BATMAN television series to BARBARELLA (the movie), it was the first of the many periodic expressions of interest in and enthusiasm for the comic book from Big Media.

Playing a key element in this wave of coverage was certified New York intellectual Jules Feiffer. Feiffer was well-established as a thoughtful, razor-sharp cartoonist frequently seen in the pages of THE NEW YORKER and other upscale magazines and occasionally contributing equally well-crafted essays to the same market. In 1965, Feiffer published a book (and a magazine piece covering the same ground in PLAYBOY) titled THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES.

The book offers a selection of classic Golden Age [Ed. Note: circa 1938 to 1945] stories featuring the initial appearances of Superman and Batman, and tales of other characters such as Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, Spectre (anticipating Spawn by a mere 50 years or so), Captain America, Plastic Man, the Spirit, and more. Prior to this essential introduction to the pleasures of old-time superheroes, Feiffer writes a thoughtful, funny, and personal memoir of living in New York as a child in the '30s, and growing up as the comics explosion took the city, nation, and world by storm.


His memoir covers the entire Golden Age, from Seigel and Shuster's initial stroke of Super-genius to the sad end of EC Comics at the evil hands of slavering villain Dr. Wertham. If this story rings a bell, it's at least partly because the very strength of Feiffer's incisive, beautifully-crafted writing set the stage and defined the arena and assumptions all comics criticism and history has employed to date.

Indeed, it seems to me that most notably of late at least one remarkable author partly relied upon Feiffer's first-person account of life in the Golden Age trenches as a comics artist. To provide essential background and detail in his eloquent, remarkable novel, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY (coming soon to a multiplex near you), Michael Chabon appears to have transubstantiated some of the fascinating anecdotes found here into scenes within his work. I heartily, even sternly and with stentorian voice, advocate the widespread readership of both THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES and THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY. Luckily, Fantagraphics has a new edition of HEROES in the works and it's slated to ship in January 2003.