The Psychology of Superheroes
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"Many of the authors [preeminent practicing psychologists] take their subject matter and have fun with it." --"Honolulu Weekly"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This rather interesting collection of essays concerns the general psychology of superheroes and the traditional ideas that go with them.
Some of the insights revealed in the essays are truly fascinating. Particularly the book's final essay by Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban called 'Cracking the Superheroes Moral Code', which reveals some of the properties unique to superhero myths.
Michael Spivey and Steven Knowlton's essay on Anti-heroes, a form of hero abundant in this genre, is another highlight. This essay tries to define what exactly an anti-hero is, and goes on to psychologically analyze some of the most popular anti-heroes, like Wolverine, Judge Dredd, Batman, The Punisher, and Sin City's Marv.
All the essays here are well written, and many provide interesting points to their prospective topics. Many are even enjoyable to read. However the collection has one vital flaw. I'm not sure who would really be interested in this book, as some of the essays are obviously pitched at comic enthusiasts while others seem to be for psychology students.
I'm on the comic book side of things and don't really know a lot about psychology, but I think I know enough to know that superheroes maybe aren't the best subjects to analyze, generally their psychologies are pretty flimsy. Batman a case in point, would any 8 year old boy upon seeing his parent's murder, decide to fight crime dressed as a bat? No. Maybe he would try and get the guy who did it, and then become a hopeless drunk.
Comic book fans will pick up a few ideas here and there, but most will seem pretty obvious if you've been reading comics for a while with adult eyes.
In short, by trying to please both audiences for this book it hasn't really fully pleased either. Both camps will have fun reading it for sure, but not a lot more than that.
Some of the insights revealed in the essays are truly fascinating. Particularly the book's final essay by Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban called 'Cracking the Superheroes Moral Code', which reveals some of the properties unique to superhero myths.
Michael Spivey and Steven Knowlton's essay on Anti-heroes, a form of hero abundant in this genre, is another highlight. This essay tries to define what exactly an anti-hero is, and goes on to psychologically analyze some of the most popular anti-heroes, like Wolverine, Judge Dredd, Batman, The Punisher, and Sin City's Marv.
All the essays here are well written, and many provide interesting points to their prospective topics. Many are even enjoyable to read. However the collection has one vital flaw. I'm not sure who would really be interested in this book, as some of the essays are obviously pitched at comic enthusiasts while others seem to be for psychology students.
I'm on the comic book side of things and don't really know a lot about psychology, but I think I know enough to know that superheroes maybe aren't the best subjects to analyze, generally their psychologies are pretty flimsy. Batman a case in point, would any 8 year old boy upon seeing his parent's murder, decide to fight crime dressed as a bat? No. Maybe he would try and get the guy who did it, and then become a hopeless drunk.
Comic book fans will pick up a few ideas here and there, but most will seem pretty obvious if you've been reading comics for a while with adult eyes.
In short, by trying to please both audiences for this book it hasn't really fully pleased either. Both camps will have fun reading it for sure, but not a lot more than that.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Clever, witty and intriguing
24 Feb 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Psychology of Superheroes" by Robin S. Rosenberg (editor) is an outstanding collection of eighteen essays about the insights we can gain in human psychology by studying the behavior of comic book superheroes. Almost all of the authors are college professors or doctoral candidates in psychology who expertly blend their professional knowledge with their love of comics. The result is a clever, witty and intriguing book that should appeal to anyone interested in psychology or pop culture.
Several authors dedicate their essays to studing how individual superheroes fit or deviate from standard psychological models and practices. For example, Christopher Patrick and Sarah Patrick contend that the Incredible Hulk suffers from a textbook example of reactive aggression triggered by the extreme physical and emotional maltreatment he suffered as a youth. Robert Biswas-Diener finds that the Spider-Man alter ego allows Peter Parker to gain encouragement through performance and an increase in personal happiness in general accordance with positive psychology theory. On the other hand, Bradley Daniels informs us that the insanity plea seems to be used far more frequently in the comics than in real life; and thankfully, no realworld mental institution exists that is as easily escapable as Gotham's notorious Arkham Asylum.
The moral behavior of superheroes is discussed in several pieces. Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban compare and contrast the absolutist ethics of Superman with the more complex utilitarian ethics of Batman, who nonetheless retains a consistent sense of purpose to ensure socially just outcomes. Andrew Getzfeld suggests that The Punisher's moral outrage over the murder of his family compels him to engage in an extreme form of vigilantism that, unfortunately, would probably remain intractable even if he was afforded the benefit of intensive clinical treatment.
Other articles shed light on the psychology of groups, institutions and society. Mikhail Lyubansky shows how the X-Men embody the ideology of tolerance and diversity within the walls of the Xavier Institute but are unfairly scapegoated for their enviable talents by human society. Chuck Tate studies the history of Wonder Woman to discuss how changing societal attitudes towards women has made the struggle to depict a strong, independent woman to remain a highly problematic task.
These are just a few of the many remarkable essays contained in this fun, intelligent book. It is highly recommended to everyone.
Several authors dedicate their essays to studing how individual superheroes fit or deviate from standard psychological models and practices. For example, Christopher Patrick and Sarah Patrick contend that the Incredible Hulk suffers from a textbook example of reactive aggression triggered by the extreme physical and emotional maltreatment he suffered as a youth. Robert Biswas-Diener finds that the Spider-Man alter ego allows Peter Parker to gain encouragement through performance and an increase in personal happiness in general accordance with positive psychology theory. On the other hand, Bradley Daniels informs us that the insanity plea seems to be used far more frequently in the comics than in real life; and thankfully, no realworld mental institution exists that is as easily escapable as Gotham's notorious Arkham Asylum.
The moral behavior of superheroes is discussed in several pieces. Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban compare and contrast the absolutist ethics of Superman with the more complex utilitarian ethics of Batman, who nonetheless retains a consistent sense of purpose to ensure socially just outcomes. Andrew Getzfeld suggests that The Punisher's moral outrage over the murder of his family compels him to engage in an extreme form of vigilantism that, unfortunately, would probably remain intractable even if he was afforded the benefit of intensive clinical treatment.
Other articles shed light on the psychology of groups, institutions and society. Mikhail Lyubansky shows how the X-Men embody the ideology of tolerance and diversity within the walls of the Xavier Institute but are unfairly scapegoated for their enviable talents by human society. Chuck Tate studies the history of Wonder Woman to discuss how changing societal attitudes towards women has made the struggle to depict a strong, independent woman to remain a highly problematic task.
These are just a few of the many remarkable essays contained in this fun, intelligent book. It is highly recommended to everyone.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Awesome application of Psychology
25 Oct 2008
Format:Paperback
This is a great book. It has interesting ways of applying theories of Psychology from multiple subfields in a novel and interesting ways. It opens the doors to new ideas on how to apply Psychological theory to comic books which adds to greater understanding of the theories and our world in general.
4 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Superheroes under psychological atack
9 April 2008
Format:Paperback
"The Psychology of Superheroes" gave me the possibility of updating my general knowledge about state of the art Psychology while watching great characters like Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the Justice League, the X-Men or lots of others make astonishing psychological deads while flying around, defeating powerful enemies, even saving the Earth. All of this through the eyes and minds of quite competent fellow psychologist writers. We learn a lot about what makes us appreciate superheroes and the way they contribute to our life and mirror our quest for happiness. A powerful book indeed, even capable of saving the souls of Comic books! So thank you Robin Rosenberg for making this happen.
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