Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels: A History of Graphic Narratives by Petersen, Robert [Hardcover ]

Too often the popularity and subject matter of "comic books" is perceived as a purely modern American phenomenon that only arrived in the 20th century and is virtually nonexistent outside the United States. This is certainly untrue; in fact, the world's first costumed superhero—"The Golden Bat"—appeared in Japan in 1931, seven years before Superman was created.