The Old Origin Changeth!
The Enhancement and Embroidering of Superhero Origins
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A far-off planet explodes, a shot rings out in a darkened alley, a weakling becomes a he-man, a radioactive spider bites an unsuspecting boy-these are the beginnings of some of the greatest characters in the long history of comic books, set forever in stone for oncoming generations of readers to entertain and inspire them...
...or are they?
Over many decades comic book publishers have felt the crushing weight of passing years and updated and embellished their superheroes' origins to reflect changing appetites and sensibilities on the part of not only the fans who follow them, but the writers, artists, and editors who create their adventures. In other words, when what was good for one generation no longer works for the next, something has to change!
THE OLD ORIGIN CHANGETH! sets out to tell the ongoing saga of the origin stories of six of the most popular comic book concepts of all: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. To this end, six comic book historians tackle these stalwarts of four-color fantasies and dig down into their firmament to examine and illuminate the embroidery on the tapestries.
Featuring informative, engaging, and personable essays by Sam Agro, Michael Bailey, Thomas Deja, Joseph Dilworth Jr., Frank Schildiner, and Dan Wickline.
Created and Edited by Jim Beard
Cover by Jeffrey Hayes
Interior Design and Formatting by Maggie Ryel
Michael Bailey
Michael Bailey is a recipient and ten-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a five-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a three-time recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award. He is the author of the composite novels Hangtown, Psychotropic Dragon, Phoenix Rose, and Palindrome Hannah, fiction and poetry collections such as The Impossible Weight of Life, Oversight, Inkblots and Blood Spots, Scales and Petals, as well as Forever Velveteen, a sequel to The Velveteen Rabbit. His edited anthologies include The Library of the Dead, Prisms, Adam's Ladder, Pellucid Lunacy, Miscreations, Long Division, and the Chiral Mad, Qualia Nous, and You, Human series, most of which are illustrated. He is also a producer and screenwriter for various film projects and lives in the Southern Caribbean.
More by Michael Bailey
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