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The Meaning of Superhero Comic Books
"For decades, scholars have been making the connection between the
design of the superhero story and the mythology of the ancient folktale.
Moving beyond simple comparisons and common explanations, this volume
details how the workings of the superhero comics industry and the
conventions of the medium have developed a culture like that of
traditional epic storytelling. It chronicles the continuation of the
oral/traditional culture of the early 20th century superhero industry in
the endless variations on Superman and shows how Frederic Wertham's
anti-comic crusade in the mid-1950s helped make comics the most
countercultural new medium of the 20th century. By revealing how
contemporary superhero comics, like Geoff Johns' Green Lantern and
Warren Ellis's The Authority, connect traditional aesthetics and
postmodern theories, this work explains why the superhero comic book
flourishes in the "new traditional" shape of our acutely self-conscious
digital age."
design of the superhero story and the mythology of the ancient folktale.
Moving beyond simple comparisons and common explanations, this volume
details how the workings of the superhero comics industry and the
conventions of the medium have developed a culture like that of
traditional epic storytelling. It chronicles the continuation of the
oral/traditional culture of the early 20th century superhero industry in
the endless variations on Superman and shows how Frederic Wertham's
anti-comic crusade in the mid-1950s helped make comics the most
countercultural new medium of the 20th century. By revealing how
contemporary superhero comics, like Geoff Johns' Green Lantern and
Warren Ellis's The Authority, connect traditional aesthetics and
postmodern theories, this work explains why the superhero comic book
flourishes in the "new traditional" shape of our acutely self-conscious
digital age."
270 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2012
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 16, 2014
Wandtke's The Meaning of Superhero Comics is an insightful alternative to the "superheroes as modern myths" approach to scholarship. (Not that there's anything wrong with the myth focus.) What makes this book so notable is Wandtke's reliance on studies surrounding orality and media, particularly the works of Walter Ong and Marshall McLuhan. He argues that the superhero genre, the most prominent within comics, can be understood better within the context of the oral tradition, and secondary orality, than within literary cultural assumptions. The communal creation of the narratives, the ongoing open-endedness of the stories, the constant retconning and revisioning, the heavy participation of fandom, and the sheer elusiveness of authoritative versions and firmly fixed origins all suggest that the dynamics surrounding superhero comics can be seen more clearly within a framework of orality. It's certainly an intriguing premise, and Wandtke does a thorough job of making his case. Reading through his arguments, however, I couldn't help but wonder where non-superhero comics and especially manga might fit into his schema.
One final question: Why the unfortunate title and cover? The image of the superhero with a mortarboard doesn't really fit with the book's focus, and the title itself really doesn't tell you much about what's inside.
One final question: Why the unfortunate title and cover? The image of the superhero with a mortarboard doesn't really fit with the book's focus, and the title itself really doesn't tell you much about what's inside.
Displaying 1 of 1 review