On December 15, 1978, the dreams of generations of American children finally came true. "You'll believe a man can fly" read the posters and billboards for the blockbuster film Superman. The hugely popular movie cemented the role of the Super Hero as America's most enduring archetype, and the comic book as one of the country's most significant native art forms. That art form, however, was already moving in a new direction. Influenced by the emergence...