Superhero Blockbusters

Seriality and Politics

Felix Brinker

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English

Edinburgh University Press
21 May 2024

Film, TV & Radio; Film theory & criticism; Film & movie: styles & genres; Film movie production: technical skills

Series: Screen Serialities

This is the first book-length study to examine the enduring popularity of block-buster films based on DC or Marvel superhero comics properties. It argues that the success of superhero movies is rooted in aesthetic practices unavailable to other types of film, and suggests that the multi-dimensional seriality of these movies, combining practices of serialisation, adaptation, and transmedia storytelling, endows them with an unmatched potential to engage audiences over time and to actively intervene in the discourses of online fandom. The book develops a critical theory of digital-era popular seriality, examining the narrative strategies of superhero movies and their evolution, from 1978's Superman to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and beyond. It discusses textual and extra-textual practices of fan mobilisation, and considers the genre's shared political imaginary and its purchase on contemporary political debates.

By: Felix Brinker
Imprint: Edinburgh University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 92,942 ed.
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 336g
ISBN: 9781474485197
ISBN 10: 1474485197
Series: Screen Serialities
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 21 May 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Felix Brinker is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the English Department at Leibniz University Hannover

Reviews for Superhero Blockbusters: Seriality and Politics

An absolutely essential new study of the unprecedented impact the superhero genre has had on culture, ideology, and the entertainment industry. Brinker's sharp, precise, and fiercely critical analysis combines a deep knowledge of the genre and its socio-cultural practices with an impressive theoretical framework. --Dr. Dan Hassler-Forest, Utrecht University Superhero Blockbusters is about more than superhero movies. It is a clear-eyed assessment of the ideological functions of popular seriality and the political economy of digital capitalism more generally. Steering a course between celebratory naiveté and excessive pessimism, Brinker shows that what's at stake in these big-budget spectacles is nothing less than a model for the management of time and of life today. --Shane Denson, Stanford University