12/31/2007

Our Gods Wear Spandex by Christopher Knowles



I honestly didn't know what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I thought it was going to be a compendium on the origins of various superheroes as portrayed out in the comic books. Actually what it is turns out to be even more interesting.

It turns out that much of the comic book history is rooted in the old occult religions of bygone eras. What the author does here is delve into those mysteries and point out how the writers and artists blended those beliefs in the creation of the comic book superheroes and supervillains.

This is not near as boring as it might sound. Entertaining style of writing lends a lot to the appeal of reading Knowles' book. Plus, he delves into the specific inspirations for various cult heroes of the comic book world, names which are instantly familiar to even the most passing interest fans of the genre; Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Alan Moore, and yes even Superman creators Siegel and Schuster had interests in those old occult beliefs.

The illustrations by Joseph Michael Linser add added dimension to the reading, hearkening back to the Silver Age art of the comics history. All in all, I recommend this one with an unabashed 9½ stars.

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