Winner, 2021 international Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year
The Bookseller

“I’m so glad someone wrote this history.”
Frank Miller, comic book creator of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, 300, and Sin City

“A really interesting and thought-provoking book.”
Scott Silver, screenwriter of 8 Mile, The Fighter, and Joker

“An amazing book!”
Tony Kaye, director of American History X and Lake of Fire

“I am floored by this deep and beautiful examination of history, liturgy, and culture. If you believe in comics as the holders of miracle, myth, and mystery, this is the book for you.”
Mayim Bialik, actress, author, neuroscientist

“A deep dive into the history, mythology and cultural folklore of America’s super-heroes…scholarly yet broadly entertaining.”
Michael Uslan, originator & executive producer of the Batman movie franchise (1989-date), comic book historian 

“A wonderful book, which does not allow scholarship to deaden the narrative or preempt the strong emotional underpinning.”

“[It] reawakened the enormous thrill my kid brother and I had seeing Superman for the first time.”
Ron Friedman, writer-producer of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Transformers, and The Marvel Action Hour

“Many have argued whether Superman embodies a Moses or Jesus figure. In Is Superman Circumcised? Roy Schwartz deftly gives a comprehensive tour through the Man of Steel’s life and times…and allows us to come to our own conclusions. No rock is left unsmitten as Schwartz skillfully presents the arguments for all sides of the great debate.”
Danny Fingeroth, former group editor of Spider-Man publications at Marvel Comics, author of A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee

“I devoured it from cover to cover. It is a tremendous work of scholarship, while being entertaining and extremely well written.”
Eddy Zeno, author of Curt Swan: A Life in Comics and Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing

“A great book; I learned much from it!”
Thomas Andrae, co-founder & editor of Discourse: Journal for Theoretical Studies in Media and Culture, author of Creators of the Superheroes and Siegel and Shuster's Funnyman

“It’s a masterpiece.”
Dr. Jonathan Straight, director of Milim Leeds Literary Festival, UK

“I loved the book. It’s so much broader and deeper than I was expecting.”
Rabbi Jeremy Gordon, New London Synagogue

“A fascinating book.”
Fox 2 Detroit Morning News

“A must-have for any fan of superheroes, comic books and Jewish history and literature.”
The Jerusalem Post

“Fascinating, illuminating and highly accomplished...you will never look at Superman in quite the same way.”

“A lively and often funny book.”
Jewish Journal

“Over the years there have been quite a few different books written about the history of Superman, and Schwartz’s book certainly ranks at the top of the list.”

“Schwartz has crafted together a profound read… [a] beautifully written and comprehensive portrait of Superman’s ties to the history of the Jewish faith and culture.”
Superman Super Site

“This work contains some of the best analysis, history, and sociology pertaining to comics I have ever read.”

“Especially impressive is Schwartz’s incredible textual depth…[it] not only offers a wide view of Superman and his impact within our culture but provides a blueprint for scholars to examine such longstanding characters.”

“As a work of academic research and popular engagement, this book succeeds on multiple levels. With nearly forty pages of notes and a wealth of sources, this book achieves monumental status as a scholarly endeavor. Yet this work is not stuffy, pedantic, or banal. Its prose is exciting and engaging, which makes it hard to put down….this monograph animates Superman as a character that jumps off its pages and comes to life in every discussion about him.”
The Popular Culture Studies Journal

“Schwartz approaches the subject with an academic lens and a fan’s passion, with text-parsing that would have impressed the rabbis of the Talmud.”
The Forward

“This book is amazing.”
New Books Network

“I’ve read quite a few books on the history of Superman…Schwartz’s book is right up there…all Superman fans should add [it] to their collection.”

“Really digs deep into those early days of the comic book industry and brings [them] to life.”
Superman Homepage

“An impressive work that is meant for hard-core, real-deal fans as well as the general public.”

“The whole book is well-written and engaging. What a delight.”
Pop Culture Squad

“Schwartz demonstrates extraordinary insight in his overview of the intersection of comics, the history of heroes and heroines, theological knowledge, and pop culture...[and] imparts the information with humor, focus...and an uncanny ability to join the concepts in an accessible, entertaining, and enlightening way.”
Times Beacon Record

“An extraordinary perspective that will be of particular interest to fans of the Superman character and his universe and is a highly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community/academic library [lists].”
Midwest Book Review

“Utilize[s] Superman as a jumping off point for numerous interesting discussions...the kind of book that will be adored by fans of Comic-Con.”

“Plunge[s] deeply into Torah and Talmudic learning while never leaving popular culture too far behind.”
San Diego Jewish World

“A magnificent book.”
First Comics News

“One of the best volumes that devote serious thought to [comics].”

“While this is entirely readable and entertaining, this is…a substantial work of literary criticism.”

“A remarkable book…thorough and meaningful.”
The Times of Israel

“Schwartz’s book is the latest in a myriad of books dissecting the ethnic nature of superheroes and comic books, and yet, throughout, Schwartz manages to find new insights into the Jewish nature of comic books.”

“Despite the impressive academic rigor...the book’s greatest value is in its accessibility. The book’s target audience is not the academic but the lay reader. The discussions of literary theory and methodology…have been replaced with vibrant illustrations and full-page inclusions of comic book panels that offer the reader the ability to see the evidence of his central thesis first-hand. It is this accessibility that has, rightfully, garnered Schwartz acclaim from Jewish celebrities and torchbearers of nerd culture.”

“Overall, this book offers a great deal to modern scholarship on popular culture, as a whole, and comics and graphic novels, in particular. His analysis broadens scholarly conceptions of the importance of comic books to American culture and offers other scholars a blueprint on how to successfully apply scholarly analysis to a medium too often misconceived as antithetical to such review. Beyond this, Schwartz’s book is a great contribution to the fields of ethnic and Jewish studies. Through the lens of Superman, Schwartz offers a glimpse into the immigrant and ethnic experience of American Jews that many readers will not have found elsewhere, making it an unmissable contribution to the field.”
The Journal of Popular Culture 

“Is Superman Circumcised? is quite readable…and offers just enough well-chosen illustrations to make its points.”

“Schwartz shows a good grasp not only of the religious and cultural aspects but also of the history of comics in general and superhero comics in particular.”
Forces of Geek

“One of the best scholarly works on comic book history and Superman’s status as a cultural icon ever written.”

“Goes into far greater detail than many books about the Golden Age of Comics. I consider myself well read on the subject, yet I found myself learning things I never knew while reading this book.”

“Miraculously, Schwartz makes all of this easily accessible, despite some fairly heavy concepts.”

“A must-read for any fan of Superman and anyone who considers themselves a scholar of comic book history. I highly recommend it for all academics and their libraries.”

5/5.”
Kabooooom!  

“Schwartz artfully explains the philosophical value of Superman as a product of the Jewish experience in America.”

“This book far exceeded my expectations…It is a great book for anyone interested in the intersection of history and folklore and wants to revisit Superman with new eyes and a fresh appreciation.”

“10/10.”
Geek’d Out  

“Meticulously researched, with an engaging style of prose.”

“Interesting and thought-provoking.”

“Schwartz shows that...the character’s morals, ethics, and quest for justice are closely linked to the creators’ social and culture contexts.”
The Journal of Popular Culture 

“Roy Schwartz’s new book…shines.”
Jewish Telegraph (UK)

“A pleasure to read.”
Reel Sources podcast (UK)

“A highly readable volume…we are off and flying with both Superman and his able biographer Roy Schwartz.”
Reform Judaism Magazine

“A must read for every Superman fan as well as every superhero fan out there.”
Son of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

“Impressive in its breadth of material...Schwartz follows through on his promise to explore the entirety of...comics history as well as the Jewish presence in the comic book industry.”
Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society

“Schwartz meticulously covers the history of Jewish comic book writers and illustrators...He  makes a strong argument  that  Superman’s Jewish writers gave the character a subtext tying him to Judaism and Jewish history...Schwartz  presents a readable yet well-researched chronicle of an overlooked side of American speculative fiction and its Jewish roots”
Mythlore

“Unexpectedly enjoyable...Each chapter is like a thesis statement, heavily annotated and well-written.”
​Learning Strategies