Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life

Thomas Dunne Books

Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life
Liesa Mignongna, ed.
2016

The Summary
"As broad as our growing cultural obsession with caped crusaders is, it runs just as deep.  Liesa Mignongna, the editorial director at Simon Pulse and editor of this anthology, can expound upon the irresistible appeal of Batman (her wedding was even Batman themed), but it's the retelling of her harrowing yet inspiring encounters with the Dark Knight over the years as she struggled to coexist with the supervillains in her own family that birthed this collection.

"Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life gives readers the chance to connect to their favorite authors while those authors connect to their favorite superheroes, and within that feedback loop of respect and admiration lies a stellar, wonderfully accessible anthology full of thrills, chills, and spills.

"Contributors include New York Times best-sellers Christopher Golden, Leigh Bardugo, Brad Meltzer, Neil Gaiman, Carrie Vaughn, Jodi Picoult, and Jamie Ford, as well as award winners and mainstays like Joe R. Lansdale, Austin Grossman, and Ron Currie Jr., among many others.  Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life is sure to follow in the footsteps of Grant Morrison's Supergods as its authors explore--with hilarious and heart-wrenching candor--why superheroes matter, what they tell us about who we are, and what they mean for our future."

The Good
I absolutely loved this book.  A collection of essays by today's most popular authors, journalists, and writers, Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life was a wonderful study on superheroes and the impact they've had on readers and culture.  I know that makes it sound a bit dull, but it's not.  It's heart-wrenching and humorous and introspective and bursting with bright neon spandex colors.

It's a great book that's not beholden to one style or story.  Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life compiles the work from the best of today's creative minds, drawing together exceptional stories and experiences with illustrations to create a work equally poignant and funny.

I loved these stories.  They were deeply personal and incredibly moving, beautiful for their candid commentary on human experience--and how comic book superheroes helped to get them through, helped shape their lives.  I actually had a handful of essays that I adored:

• On the Hulk:  You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry by Delilah S. Dawson
• Dented Hearts:  A Story of Iron Man by Anthony Breznican
• Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Gambit and Rogue by Karina Cooper
• You Never Forget Your First Time by Neil Gaiman
• We Are Not Amazons by Leigh Bardugo
• Superman:  One Rad Dude by Jim Di Bartolo
• Swashbuckle My Heart:  An Ode to Nightcrawler by Jenn Reese

But, if I had to pick just one, it would probably be "Dented Hearts:  A Story of Iron Man" by Anthony Breznican.  It's a tough choice, especially since I loved Leigh Bardugo's essay, "We Are Not Amazons," for her frank discussion on female body image and cultural expectations, and Jim Di Bartolo's illustrated discourse on the importance of Superman; however, I was entirely smitten with Breznican's essay.

"Dented Hearts" was like a kick in the chest.  It took me by surprise, it broke my heart, and yet it's probably one of the most memorable essays I read.  It's an honest depiction of grief and turmoil, love and happiness and sibling relationships; it's a candid account of loss tinted with memory, affection, and a mutual love of superheroes.

I loved it.

Admittedly, I might be a little biased since I'm an avid reader and I've been on a superhero comic kick since May; however, Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life is a brilliant compilation by exceptional authors, about incredible characters that have entertained and shaped readers for decades.  It's an excellent book, regardless if you're a fan of superheroes.

The Bad
No complaints.

The Ugly
Life is not all cherry pies and blue skies.  Even heroes are faced with defeat--even heroes suffer tragedy.