Rhoades (former publisher of Marvel Comics) divides the history of mainstream comic books into ten "ages," including the Golden, which saw the introduction of Superman around 1938, and the most recent Postmodern Age in which we see an explosion in the graphic novel genre and comics of diverse sources and often ironic themes. Accompanying the chronological overview are some b&w illustrations, profiles of well- and lesser-known comics industry figures, a glossary of terms, and a comic book quiz. In the afterword, Steve Geppi breifly considers the emerging role of comics in education. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)