Why is it that so many of the great comics superheroes were created by Jews? What’s so Jewish about superheroes anyway?
Fingeroth’s book is an easy, intriguing read, exploring the histories of superheroes and their creators. This is clearly a topic in which Fingeroth is eminently well-versed; the only thing holding him back from documenting the topic satisfactorily is, unfortunately, his thesis. Fingeroth sets out to prove that the themes embodied by his superheroes are a direct reflection of their creators’ Jewish heritage, whether conscious or unconscious. This is an impossible theory to prove, and occasionally distracts the author, causing him to mysteriously allude to events that he never fully tells us about. Fingeroth’s strongest moments are when he forgets about his thesis and gets lost in the art and history of his beloved medium. The read is well worth it for those moments. Index, notes, select bibliography.
Noah Beit-Aharon lives in Waltham, MA, and is a member of Temple Beth Israel in Waltham. The first two installments of his Jewish-inspired epic fantasy series Godserfs, published under the pen name N. S. Dolkart, are available in paperback from Angry Robot Books.
