The Supergirls

Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines

By: Mike Madrid

Narrated by: Colby Elliott

Comic book superheroines bend steel, travel across time and space, and wield the awesome forces of nature. These mighty females do everything that male superheroes do. But they have to work their wonders in skirts and high heels. The Supergirls, a cultural history of comic book heroines, asks whether their world of fantasy is that different from our own. Are the stories of Wonder Woman’s search for an identity, Batwoman and Power Girl’s battle for equality, and Manhunter’s juggling of a crime fighting career and motherhood also an alternative saga of modern American women?

©2009 Mike Madrid (P)2011 Last Word Audio

Critic reviews

“ The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics.” (Stan Lee)

“Even as it delivers its clear-eyed critique of the way mainstream superhero comics have alternately eroticized or deified female characters, The Supergirls gleefully celebrates the medium itself, in all its goofy, glorious excess.” (NPR)

“ The Supergirls, Mike Madrid's book about the evolution of female comic-book characters, is sharp and lively — and just obsessive enough about women who wear capes and boots to be cool but not creepy. The guy clearly loves this stuff. And he's enough of a historian to be able to trace the ways in which the portrayal of sirens and supergirls has echoed society's ever-changing feelings about women and sex. ” ( Entertainment Weekly)

A story I never considered

Good story of a side of comic history I had not considered before. When I started reading comics I mostly read male superheroes as most of the female characters just did not seem interesting. Only in the past few years I have started reading comics again and Madrid's book really shows the sexism that drives these stories.

Some Supergirls to Save the World

Respectful, informative, but often repeating information. Take that into consideration, but all-in-all a great read for a comic book fan.

Learned so much

Eye-opening and frank recounts of female representation in comics and the type of struggles that they had by decade.. couldn't put it down

Informative if occasionally moralistic

Where does The Supergirls rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank it in the middle. It kept me engaged through out the book and I did learn a bit from it. However, there is a certain lack of love in the writing that prevents the book from being truly great. The author for the most part keeps themselves at arm length give a sort sort of cold stating of fact. When the authors voice does bleed through, like the chapters on the 90's, it's a voice of angry disapproval instead of that of a comic fan geeking out.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mike Madrid? Why or why not?

I am not sure. It was not a bad book but it lacked the heart that would make me want to rush out and get another book from the author.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Absolutely not. There was no real love to the book. Informative but cold for the most part.

Any additional comments?

For most of this book Mike give an interesting history of comic book heroines and how they were shaped by the culture at large. There is a slight scolding tone the writing as if the author is waggling his finger at editors of the past for not giving the females their fair due but it doesn't really rise to a level that distracts from the book... Until the 90s. Mike Madrid HATES 90s. He loath the sexualized images for super-heroines from. He detests editors, artists and comic readers from this period and he makes no qualms about saying so. The book basically becomes unlistenable at this point as the author's rage colors everything from this decade and his mission changes from education to proving that everyone involved in comics from this period was wrong. Still it's a 95% useful book. Just skip the last chapter.

Great Overview of Female Super-Heroes

Any additional comments?

Although a bit heavy handed at times, this is a marvelous overview of the history of female super-heroes. Particularly notable is how historically that writers tend to present them to their largely heterosexual male audiences as virginal “nice girls” or overly sexualized fantasy girls (and at times both simultaneously). I enjoyed the approach of the evolution of the various super-heroines over the decades. Well done!

kinda unexpected

Would you listen to The Supergirls again? Why?

So much cool info. and references to writers or books that it gave me more reading material...I'm not into comics at all by the way

What a history

As a fan of comics I found this book fascinating in its detailed history of my favorite heroines. The mention of my personal favorite, Supergirl, drew me to the title but it is the writers wit and research that kept my interest. I would love to hear his opinions of the rise of Marvel, Wonder Woman and the TV versions of our favorite heroines.

[...]Anonymous was a Woman -Virginia Wolfe

This was such a great read. I really appreciate the dedication of the author to showing the history of women in comics in an enlightening and amusing way. If ever someone asks me about female superheroes and their legacy, this is the book I'll recommend.

For fans of super heroines

This is a history of super girls and women in comics & their nemesis bad writing. All comics writers should read this & grow wise. Readers will learn of good bits worth researching further.

Love For the Heroines!

If you could sum up The Supergirls in three words, what would they be?

Much Love Here.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I don't know about laugh or cry, but as one who has always admired the supergirls who often take a backseat to their male counterparts, I couldn't help but be impressed by this book. Mike Madrid has a passion for these heroines. This book is written with all the passion of a fanboy and all the class of someone who respects the audience as much as he respects the material. There's so much lost history here, this book is a must for anyone who claims to be a comic book fan.