The Superman Wars by William Bernhardt

 

Book Name: The Superman Wars: A Battle for Truth, Justice, and an American Icon

Author: William Bernhardt

Comic Series: Superman, The Spectre, Legion of Superheroes, Funny Man

Original Story, Adaptation, or Something Else: Something Else - a biography on Superman creator Jerry Siegel

Published Date: Expected publication April 28, 2026

Official Synopsis: Almost everyone knows about the man from Krypton who, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent working with the fearless Lois Lane, fights for the vulnerable and the oppressed. But few know the truth about this indelible character's creation. From mobster tactics to decades-long courtroom drama, a beloved American myth was born, betrayed, and eventually reclaimed—almost eighty years after the character first appeared. New witnesses, unpublished manuscripts, personal letters, and more reveal the complex and dramatic history of Superman and his creator, Jerry Siegel. This is a David and Goliath clash with twists, turns, and devastating upheavals. An underdog tale of a creator who fought for his rights and finally found redemption in his battle for truth, justice, and the American Way. A story that has never been fully told . . . Until now.

Review: Simply put, I love this book! The Superman Wars is a page-turner that I stayed up late reading and woke up early to continue before I had to start the day. A simple description of the book is that it is a biography of Jerry Siegel, creator and writer of Superman. However, the book is so much more as it focuses on the history of the early days of comic books, the lives of Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century, and most importantly, on the legal struggles of a creator against a large, powerful company. The narrative non-fiction writing style is one that I am not always a fan of; however, I found it beneficial to the storytelling aspects of this work. My only complaint about the book is that at times the legal aspects were difficult for me to follow, and I wish that more explanation had been provided. I highly recommend The Superman Wars to anyone who is interested in comic books, comic book history, the Jewish Experience in America, or in creators versus corporations.

What Works: The Superman Wars is well-written and entertaining, presenting the history of comic books in the Golden and Silver Ages through the perspective of Jerry Siegel.

What Doesn’t: It was sometimes difficult to follow all the legal wranglings with my layman's understanding of the law.

Rating: 4 out of 5 red capes

MISC

Version Read: eReader

How Acquired: Advance copy from NetGalley

    Special Notes: Advance copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author: William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the Daniel Pike legal thriller series (#1 best-selling novel The Last Chance Lawyer). His previous works include the bestselling Ben Kincaid series, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and The Florentine Poet, three books of poetry, and the Red Sneaker books on fiction writing. In addition to his novels and poetry, Bernhardt has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children's stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund.

In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion.

(bio from the author's website)