The significance of the superhero examined -- The academization of comics: Where are the superheroes? -- The battle between fans and creators -- The comic relaunch -- The iconography of superheroes -- Superhero storytelling -- The role superheroes play in children's learning -- Diversity in superheroes -- Why superheroes never die -- Technology and the superhero -- Reflections on creating a canon -- Appendix: The canon of superhero literature.