While the Marvel Comics universe may currently rule the roost (in cinematic terms at least), the industry was created by their great rivals, DC Comics – both on the page (with Superman in 1938) and on the screen with the Richard Donner film; The Last Son of Krypton being the first entry in the modern superhero era. Certainly, the most iconic characters (including Batman and Wonder Woman) were DC creations, and that impressive cultural history is treated to a variety of fascinating essays in this varied and ambitious collection which examines every aspect of the DC universe from graphic novels and video games to movies and TV shows, with a variety of pop culture experts granting insights into a once despised — and now largely respected — form. It’s a splendid addition to the already compendious McFarland library of popular studies.

The DC Comics Universe, Douglas Brode, editor, is published by McFarland