He says that comic strips were one of the first forms of truly national culture, by which he means people all over the country read them on the same day, and so had shared experiences, and that this happened on a widespread basis as early as 1908.
"[2] American Journalism said: "a must read for any scholar interested in the question of popular culture."
[3] This book addresses Superman's place in American culture and discusses the way the character was shaped through interactions between writers, artists, editors, publishers, and readers.
Writing in Choice John Lent said "the research for Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon is extraordinarily rich, the analysis is meticulously conceived and implemented, and the writing is clear and interesting, spiced with anecdotes, asides, and quotes.
"[4] On April 26, 2018 this book was nominated for an Eisner Award for best scholarly work on comics.