Riot Headline Book Riot’s 2025 Read Harder Challenge
Comics/Graphic Novels

Weekend Giveaway: On the Origin of Superheroes

We're giving away 10 copies of ON THE ORIGIN OF SUPERHEROES by Chris Gavaler.

Swapna Krishna

Staff Writer

Swapna is the Comics Editor at Book Riot. She's a Space Columnist for Paste Magazine and writes for Syfy Wire—Fangrrls, Tor.com, Bustle, and other sites. She co-hosts a podcast called Desi Geek Girls. You can find her incessant ramblings on Twitter at @skrishna. She lives outside Philadelphia.

View All posts by Swapna Krishna

This weekend giveaway is sponsored by On the Origin of Superheroes by Chris Gavaler

on-the-origin-of-superheroes

On the Origin of Superheroes is a quirky, personal tour of the mythology, literature, philosophy, history, and grand swirl of ideas that have permeated western culture in the centuries leading up to the first appearance of superheroes as we know them today. 

On the Origin of Superheroes takes readers through the creation of the universe, to mythological heroes and gods, to folklore, ancient philosophy, revolutionary manifestos, discarded scientific theories, and even gothic monsters. You’ll meet mad scientists, Napoleonic dictators, costumed murderers, diabolical madmen, blackmailers, pirates, Wild West outlaws, eugenicists, the KKK, Victorian do-gooders, detectives, aliens, vampires, and pulp vigilantes (just to name a few). On the Origin of Superheroes is a fascinating, often funny, and always surprising prehistory of the most popular figure in pop culture today. It is available now wherever books are sold.

We have 10 copies of On the Origin of Superheroes by Chris Gavaler to give away to 10 lucky winners. This giveaway is limited to U.S. mailing addresses. To enter, fill out the form below by Friday, November 20, 11:50 PM ET. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. After that, we will move onto another winner.

Good luck!