In the same way that Stallone and Schwarzenegger played film heroes who
came to embody the values of Ronald Reagans aggressive conservative
agenda in the 1980s, the 21st-century film narratives of Batman,
Spider-Man and Superman reflect the policies of the Bush Doctrine after
9/11. This book offers a groundbreaking study of the relationship that
exists between post-9/11 American politics and the contemporary
superhero movie phenomenon. No other Hollywood subgenre was as
consistently popular during the George W. Bush presidency, as films such
as Spider-Man, Superman Returns, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight embodied
the key contradictions that inform the cultural and political life of
the post-9/11 years. By combining in-depth analyses of numerous major
superhero films from this era with astute readings of contemporary
critical theory, this book offers accessible and academically potent
insight into the complex interplay between politics, ideology, and
entertainment in the 21st century.