On the cover of The Psychology of Superheroes a Rorschach-type bat-signal lights up the night of a comic-book sky. It’s an apt image for a book that calls on a wide array of superheroes and psychological theories to forge a link between the two separate domains. In her introduction, editor Robin Rosenberg, wastes no time arguing for the validity of this link. She states that the “sagas of superheroes bring us out of ourselves and connect us with something larger than ourselves, something more universal”, and that as a psychologist, she has noticed “the ways in which their stories reflect psychological theories and research findings”. After reading her intro you will know that Rosenberg, like many of the book’s contributors, is equally an enthusiast of psychology and comics. (Yes, your “nerd-er” senses are tingling…but so what? You are reading this review aren’t you?)

Certainly there are limits to this enthusiasm, and for the most part the essays in this volume gush less about cool heroes and awesome villains and focus mainly on the respective theories being applied. One of my favorite essays was Robert Biswas-Diener’s, “Positive Psychology of Peter Parker”. In it, he applies his knowledge both of Spiderman and positive psychology to put forward some surprisingly helpful examples of humour, skills and well-grounded hope in the face of adversities. He also tells readers about the work of researchers like Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman and provides the web address for their Values in Action (VIA) assessment of character strengths.

Another essay I enjoyed was “Coming to Terms with Bizarro” by Siamak Tundra Naficy, not the least because he takes umbrage with one, Quentin Tarantino, no slouch himself in the “let’s find deep meaning in schlock”-department. The disagreement is over the mighty Q’s view (albeit expressed through the voice of Bill in Kill Bill) that Clark Kent is Superman’s critique of humanity. Naficy makes the case that, contra-Tarantino and maybe most people, Clark Kent, while being Superman’s secret identity, is not his true alter ego. Instead, Naficy points to the character of Bizarro Superman as the more accurate version of an alter-ego and he explores this relationship in the light of some work on schismogenesis by Gregory Bateson. He also discusses double consciousness and situationism, conveying throughout an almost superhuman ability to elicit much relevance and insight. 

All in all, despite some essays that failed to click with me, I would recommend The Psychology of Superheroes as an interesting read for comic fans and psychology buffs alike.

© 2009 Bruce MacDonald

Bruce MacDonald is a mental health case manager and co-facilitator of a concurrent disorders group working in Toronto, Ontario.