| Look up in the sky! What is it? It's a bird! It's a plane! No... it's Superman! Or Batman! Or Wonder Woman! Or another popular superhero or super heroine! The world of the comic book superhero is one to truly marvel. Gillian Rose claims "cinema is an especially powerful visual medium because a film can create a total world for its audience (Rose 108)." I believe in the exact same thing for the Comic Book universe. Imagine living in a world like that, knowing that at any second, a hero may come out of nowhere and save the day. For those living in the comic universe, it's truly a sight. But for the reader, it's something else entirely. When we view these characters, we see a side of these characters that no one else can. It is a more personal side and viewpoint into their lives. These characters are often tragic, with tragic events having shaped them into who they are. And we view these characters, watching their stories, and how they unfold. Who will they fight? Will they win? Will they lose? Who will live? Who will die? |
| Most readers would claim that they read the comics for their story quality. But what if it were something else that was drawing their eye to the page? It is my belief that only do the readers enjoy the stories, but also the images and symbols the characters create. It is because of this, that my main focus on this article will be how we focus on certain comic characters in their universes, as well as how gender, politics, symbolism and imagery play into how these characters are viewed by the reader, and how we engage in scopophilia and the male gaze, as well as many other forms of the gaze and a deeper look into myth and ideology when we engage with these comics. My focuses will include superheroes (Superman, Spiderman) compared to super heroines (Wonder Woman, Catwoman), and how we look at and engage with comic book characters within a realistic universe, or at least, how realistic humans are portrayed within certain comics (The Walking Dead, Baby Blues). It is my hope throughout this article that the reader will gain a greater sense of the comic book fan community, and what goes into creating a successful comic book character. As an avid comic book fan, I also hope that my research will help readers gain a certain respect for comics and the fan base, and why it appeals to certain demographics. However, I will also criticize the rampant sexism displayed within the comic book universe, and how gender plays such an important role within how comic book characters are portrayed, as well as how politics have been portrayed within the comic book universe, and politics influence on ideology. |
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a class taught by Bob Bednar in the Communication Studies Department at Southwestern University
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