Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel

Almost immediately after his first appearance in comic books in June 1938, Superman began to be adapted to other media. The subsequent decades have brought even more adaptations of the Man of Steel, his friends, family, and enemies in film, television, comic strip, radio, novels, video games, and even a musical. The rapid adaptation of the Man of Steel occurred before the character and storyworld were fully developed on the comic book page, allowing the adaptations an unprecedented level of freedom and adaptability. The essays in this collection provide specific insight into the practice of adapting Superman from comic books to other media and cultural contexts through a variety of methods, including social, economic, and political contexts. Authors touch on subjects such as the different international receptions to the characters, the evolution of both Clark Kent's character and Superman's powers, the importance of the radio, how the adaptations interact with issues such as racism and Cold War paranoia, and the role of fan fiction in the franchise. By applying a wide range of critical approaches to adaption and Superman, this collection offers new insights into our popular entertainment and our cultural history.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Introduction John Darowski The Dawn of the Man of Tomorrow: How Adapting Superman into Different Media Created America’s Superhero William J. Lorenzo Secret Origins: The Birth of Superman and Tintin as National Icons Alexandre ­Desbiens-Brassard Forging an S into a Myth: Adaptations of Superman Across Media Liam Webb Superman Takes to the Air: The Radio Adaptations of the Man of Steel John Darowski and Joseph J. Darowski Adapting the Clan to the Klan: Modern Confrontations of White Nationalism in Young Adult Superman Comics J. Richard Stevens Adapting American Values: Contextualizing Superman and the ­Mole Men and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns A European Superman Lars Konzack Superman vs. The Soap Opera: The Success of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Nicole Freim Adaptation, Fandom and Gender: What Counts, Who Counts and Why Anna F. Peppard The Man of Steel: A Modern Hero in Crisis Simon Harold Walker No Tights, No Flights: How Smallville Put the “Human” in “Superhuman” Christopher Maverick Through the Lens of Dr. Frankenstein: Luthor as Prometheus Daniel Peretti Lois Lane in Three Acts: Zack Snyder’s Key to a Modern Portrait of The Daily Planet’s Reporter Sandra Eckard Branded a Tyrant: Rescuing Superman Video Games with the Injustice Series Carl Wilson Superman, a Super Freak: Returning the Man of Steel to the Circus in DC Bombshells Christina M. Knopf Forging Kryptonite: Lex Luthor’s Xenophobia as Societal Fracturing, from Batman v Superman to Supergirl Ian Boucher Anxiety Burning Bright: Exploring the Genealogy of the Evil Superman in Brightburn Debaditya Mukhopadhyay Appendix I: Adaptations Starring Superman or the Superman Family Appendix II: Adaptations Featuring Superman or the Superman Family Appendix III: Unproduced Adaptations Starring or Featuring Superman or the Superman Family About the Contributors Index

About the Author :
John Darowski is a PhD candidate in comparative humanities at the University of Louisville. He is the author of several essays on the history of comic book superheroes.

Review :
Whether your interest in Kal-El of Krypton is based on a nostalgic enthusiasm for the character or simply the fashion in which a fertile franchise can be reinterpreted, this is a valuable volume." - Superman Homepage