Existing comment:
Standouts and Wannabes
Superhero Megastars Are Joined by the Lesser Known:
In Mike Benton's The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History, he argues that seven superheroes stand out as most historically important: Superman (for being first), Batman (for being "non-super"), Wonder Woman (for being female), Spider-Man (for being complicated), Captain America (for being most patriotic), Captain Marvel (for being the best selling of all time, not counting speculation sales for a few first-in-the-series issues in the 90s), and Plastic Man (for being the first parody).
This list doesn't include popular characters like Wolverine, The Hulk and Green Lantern, nor does it recognize long-running or consistently re-created characters like The Flash, who had no fewer than five separate personas over the years, and the Green Hornet who morphed from a radio star to a cheesy 60s TV character to a cocktail. Some fizzled long ago or never connected -- not many of us remember the Rocket Man, Adam Strange, Doll Man, Captain 3-D, The Atom or Wonder Man, though undoubtedly they are each someone's favorite. |