As boring as the cover. Stops being a history after the chapter on Underground Comics. The book becomes a rant on how Underground Comics are morally and creatively superior to Mainstream Comics. Brief comic book artist bios and relevant controversies and synopsis of works. (Instead of showing pictures) are given. The only criterion for the artists inclusion seems to be sharing Dauber's progressive ideology no other context is provided about why they are included. Dauber even tries to connect the election of Donald Trump to the rise of rapes at comic book conventions. In case you are wondering how ideologically driven this book is.

This book is an impressive feat of research and writing. I fancy myself someone fairly literate about comics and comic history, and there were entire chapters of history that I had never heard about. I give a lot of credit to Jeremy Dauber for writing a historical work that also engages tackles head on the politics, business, and culture associated with comics.

But, an impressive feat of research and writing does not unfortunately make for a great read.

Rather, much of this was a slog. It seems that in Mr. Dauber's ambition to cover ALL of comics history, it was impossible -- in one volume -- to give appropriate attention to anything. As a result, the exhaustive history feels cursory; a 400+ page exercise in proving that one is familiar with seemingly every comic ever written.

The book's final third is particularly plodding, as it seems Mr. Dauber felt compelled to reference every relevant comic written in last 40 years. But, without pictures -- seriously, why are there no licensed illustrations in a book about comics? -- and without detail (beyond often a one sentence description), it becomes meaningless.

I can imagine that I will periodically return to American Comics as a reference book, but it wil be hard for me to recommend it for pleasure reading. ( )