‘It’s like watching movies with your funniest mate while at the same time listening to a really interesting director’s commentary. The perfect way to enjoy the best and worst films of your childhood’ – Ed Byrne
‘A hilarious and heartfelt tribute to the pre-MCU age of superhero movies, told in that inimitable Smersh Pod voice. John Rain has done it again. You will believe a book can super’ – Chris Hewitt, Empire
‘Glorious geekdom, full of tantalising trivia and devilish details’ – John Thomson
If you mention the word ‘superhero’ these days, the mind is immediately bombarded by visions of the MCU, DCU and all the numerous phases, extended TV series, and animated side-specials that combine to make our eyes bleed with a constant barrage of characters fighting each other.
But before 1997, people would generally only think of a few things: Christopher Reeve smiling as his Superman kept a watchful eye over Earth’s atmosphere, Michael Keaton’s Batman running around Gotham dressed in moulded rubber, Nichoals Hammond’s Spider-Man being hauled up a wall on a rope, Bill Bixby trying not to unleash his inner Hulk and Flash Gordon camply swashbuckling his way around another galaxy.
So, whatever happened to the original heroes? Don your cowl, cape, shredded jeans and lightning bolt t-shirt and join John Rain as he walks through twenty classic superhero films that captured the world’s imagination from 1978 to 1997.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s SUPERBOOK.
Published November 2023
UK orders: