Required reading for all comic book geeks, Brian Cronin's weekly column Comic Book Legends Revealed educates and enlightens the trivial aspects of comic book history. Was Superman A Spy? collects 65 of Cronin's columns plus an additional 65 pieces written for this book. Dividing the book into three parts (DC, Marvel, and Other Companies), Cronin introduces and demystifies legends involving many of the industry's giants—both creations and creators. Sadly, Was Superman A Spy? lacks an index. Often missing notations, the picture reproductions are of poor quality. Inexcusable for a publishing house the size of Plume, the book is littered with misspellings and typos. Despite these flaws, Was Superman A Spy? stands as a unique book for the comic book fan and will be enjoyed by anyone with an even passing interest in the medium.


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This one is better than his other book, [b:Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent?: And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia!|13543033|Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia!|Brian Cronin|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1331863992s/13543033.jpg|19107327]. It got more in depth with the information presented. Still reads like a bunch of blog entries (which is what it is), but it's an excellent bathroom reader for folks who like comic trivia. ( )

I really enjoyed this book and think it could have been longer, some of the stories mentioned I had heard before but quite a few I hadn't
Great book ( )

The format of the book was different than I expected it to be - in many of the blurbs, it was difficult to tell exactly which "legend" was being addressed - but this book gives a nice overview of comic book history, especially of the "major two" (DC and Marvel). Die-hard comic book fans probably already know most, if not all, of the main points contained in this book, but for relative newcomers to comics, or those who are mostly Marvel or mostly DC, it's a good resource.

It's amazing to read how major comic events, costumes, characters, or plots were often "accidents." Batman's original costume design would have been laughable, for instance. The world of comics is apparently a gigantic soap opera, filled with petty feuds, in-fighting, and subtle stabs and slights to people regarded as competition. Well, I can't say it's not interesting to read about! And, along the way, there's trivia sprinkled throughout - why was the Hulk's color changed from gray to green? Did Peter's Uncle Ben really say the famous quote about great power and great responsibility that is so often attributed to him? Is the word "super-hero" trademarked? You'll find all of those answers here, along with a bunch of others.

The book could have benefited from a better editor - there were several glaring typos, and run-on sentences were common. Still, the book is readable, and the author has an easy conversational style for most of it. I could have done without his editorializing throughout the book, however; let the reader make up his/her mind. And the more current information is a bit dated (the book was published in 2009, but the cutting off point seems to be mid-2008). ( )

interesting book on the history of comics... black ops style! ( )