One of the constants of the world of superhero comics has been the serial revisions of the costumes, histories, characters, and other aspects of the superheroes and the general acceptance of such revisions by comic book fans. In this work, Wandtke (literature and media, Judson U.) presents ten essays that explore cultural issues implicated in these revisions. Topics include the refashioning of Captain America with the shifting political tides of McCarthyism, the gender politics of Supergirl, the unchanging (Jewish) nature of the Fantastic Four's The Thing, modernism and post-modernism in Frank Miller's Batman comics (The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again), the cultural adaptation of Spider-Man to India as a form of mass-mediated mythology, the shifting political and gender iconography of Wonder Woman, and the Superman television show Smallville as means of moral education. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)