It's been a super summer in theaters..."Green Hornet," "Thor," "X-Men: First Class," "Green Lantern" and soon, "Captain America." It's great to see so many classic characters on the big screen. Waaaay back in the day, however, comic movies were hard to come by. That's where TV came in. Comic characters have usually had an easier time getting on the small screen.
"The Age of TV Super Heroes" by Jason Hofius and George Khoury does a pretty good job of documenting small screen super series. Of course, the biggest shows are given expert treatment: "The Adventures of Superman," "Batman," "The Incredible Hulk." Short-lived shows and pilots also are given plenty of attention: "Shazam!," "Doctor Strange," "Captain America." Non-comic shows like "The Greatest American Hero" also are covered with excellent detail. I did notice, however, that FOX's "MANTIS" was MIA from this book.
The authors do a very good job of getting the backstories behind these shows, even ill-fated ones like 1978's excellent "Dr. Strange" (which didn't have a chance as it aired opposite blockbuster miniseries "Roots"). They also provide answers to questions that have haunted old school fanboys: "Why was the first season Captain Marvel replaced by an older, dumpier actor?" "Why was the setting of 'Wonder Woman' changed from WWII to the 1970s?"
This book is especially awesome for TV geezers like me, who grew up in the 1970s. For a brief period, all kinds of comic-based shows were popping up: "Wonder Woman," "The Incredible Hulk," "Spider-Man," "Captain America," "Dr. Strange." Sadly, even good ratings didn't save many of these shows/pilots. Hofius and Khoury revisit the super 70s and explore the rise and demise of these series.
Best of all, everything is packaged in a beautiful hardcover package...with an AWESOME Alex Ross cover.
Like super heroes? You'll dig this book.
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