Laurence Maslon produced “Superheroes,” an eighty-year history of comics for PBS, which spun off into a great coffee table book and this audiobook. Of the three, the audiobook suffers for its lack of art. What's a book about comics without pictures? Still, it's a good overview of the comic book industry for the non-comic reader and a refresher for the comic enthusiast, though this is well-trod soil. Maslon performs his own work, which slightly diminishes its impact. He's an efficient narrator but lacks the skill to achieve a memorable performance. He charts the creation of the first comic superhero, Superman, who fathered generations of spandex-clad adventurers, and touches upon dozens of others, including Captain America, Batman, and Spider-Man, and, from more recent times, Spawn and the Walking Dead.
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780804128544
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Bell narrates this audio adaptation of his graphic memoir with assists from his son (portraying himself) and two professional actors. Between them, Brittany Bradford and William DeMerrit realize dozens of fully individuated characters: Bell's younger self, along with his parents (an interracial couple), childhood friends, teachers, college classmates, professional colleagues, and even cops and schoolyard bullies. Complemented by thoughtful sound design, they deliver tour-de-force performances that bring to life Bell's dialogue and reveal the critical interactions that formed his identity as a biracial Black man in America. Sadly, Bell's own voice--a little nasal, largely without affect, and untrained in vocal arts--makes for a thin accompaniment. Nonetheless, the power of his story will carry listeners along.
Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250381248
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Marvel Comics fans will love this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of many of the company's lesser-known characters, such as Killraven, Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, and others. Todd Menesses delivers a punchy, well-paced work with welcome enthusiasm about the subject matter. Clearly, he gets it. There is a slight problem with his pronunciation of some words like "genre," "analogous," and a few names, but it's a minor distraction. This is an audiobook for the true comics fan, not for the casual reader. The insights into creators like Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber and Don McGregor are worth the price of admission. For those who remember the era, this audiobook is a treasure trove of memories.
Pub Date: May 15, 2023
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798350804546
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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