The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History [Paperback]

Mike Benton (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Pub (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878338357
• ISBN-13: 978-0878338351
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,711,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Chronological History of Comic Books, January 12, 2008

By 

Zorikh Lequidre "Zorikh" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

This is a good chronological history of America comic books from 1896 to 1993 (the year it was published). It names pretty much every important comci book in the year it first appeared, and does not forget to mention the years that they ceased. Each year from 1932 onward is given its own entry with a title tht characterizes the year (ie: 1936: The Boom Begins, 1954: Seduction of the Innocent, 1984: The Collectors Take Over, etc). It is copiously illustrated with full-color reproduction of comic book covers, pages and panels of various sizes, many of them quite rare.

This all makes it very easy to track trends in comics, as well as find important moments in comic book history.

There are also chapters that lists and gives brief histories of every comic book company encyclopediacally. You can even find out when DC Comics was known as Detective Comics, National Periodical Publications, etc.

Finally, there is a chapter that gives insightful histories of the major comic book genres, such as Crime, Horror, Jungle, and Romance.

No scholar of comics should be without this book. It's clarity, organization, and succinctness make it an invaluable research tool, and the many, many illustrations make it fun to look at, too.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great history, July 7, 2009

By 

The "Nowheremann" (SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

Great history of comics supported by many pics. Almost anyone can enjoy this and it is rich in Americana. A must for any die-hard comic fan that likes to know the history of the genre.