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posies23's review
5.0
This is an exhaustive history of side-kicks in comics, mixed with an analysis of BRATPACK, covering almost every ancillary topic that comes up along the way. This means that Bissette covers topics ranging from Hollywood's child stars to 1970's exploitation films to the "death" of Superman to contemporary "Boy Bands" to the history of contemporary comic books and beyond.
What makes the book exceptional is how well-written it is. Bissette has done some amazing scholarship here, and manages to keep his "heady" topics genuinely interesting by showcasing how BRATPACK was a response to society's exploitation of children, particularly in the entertainment industry. Some of the topics are uncomfortable, but Bissette (who is a close friend of Veitch) never moves into exploitation himself, instead raising the same questions as BRATPACK, and encouraging the reader to think for themselves.
GREAT stuff. In a perfect world, this would be recognized as a landmark of "pop culture" scholarship.
What makes the book exceptional is how well-written it is. Bissette has done some amazing scholarship here, and manages to keep his "heady" topics genuinely interesting by showcasing how BRATPACK was a response to society's exploitation of children, particularly in the entertainment industry. Some of the topics are uncomfortable, but Bissette (who is a close friend of Veitch) never moves into exploitation himself, instead raising the same questions as BRATPACK, and encouraging the reader to think for themselves.
GREAT stuff. In a perfect world, this would be recognized as a landmark of "pop culture" scholarship.
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