In enter the superheroesamerican values culture and the canon of superhero literature alex s romagnoli and gian s pagnucci argue that superheroes merit serious study both within the academy. Ever since the first appearances of superman and batman in comic books of the late 1930s superheroes have been a staple of the popular culture landscape though initially created for younger audiences superhero characters have evolved over the years becoming complex figures that appeal to more sophisticated readers. While superhero stories have grown ever more popular within broader society however comics and graphic novels have been largely ignored by the world of academiain enter the superheroes american values culture and the canon of superhero literature alex s romagnoli and gian s pagnucci argue that superheroes merit serious study both within the academy and beyond. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books media journals databases government documents and more