Comic Books : Characters In Society

"Of all the comics I used to read, nobody looked like me or anybody in my family or my neighborhood. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized that was a harsh thing to live with." (Ivan Velez)." I have also never seen a graphic novel character that looked like anyone in the real world or acted like anyone in the real world. Nobody lives in a cave if they have money, there are no aliens on earth, and there aren't any kind of spiders that give people super powers. When we are young, we are always told that anything is possible if you try your hardest, but what if someone wants to start fighting crime like comic book superheroes, or wants to swing from spider webs around a city. Kids need comics that they can relate to, something that will inspire them to do their best to become like the character in the book. Why can't we have a Martin Luther King comic book. That would teach children to fight for their rights, and children who want to fight for their freedom will be inspired from that comic book. They won't be inspired to fight for their freedom after reading a superman comic. Superman doesn’t have to face any issues because he is born with powers. That does not encourage anyone to be the best person they could be. Instead, it will make kids feel helpless. They will be thinking that they can't do things that Superman could do because they

Superheroes can be defined in many ways by many experts. Clare Pitkethly’s academic background consists of comparative literature, culture and communication as she also speaks and writes comic books and superhero, defines a superhero to be different. In Pitkethly’s article “Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference,” talks about

In old times, humankind has looked to utilize stories to clarify the world in which it lives. Similarly, as old man utilized stories of divine beings and creatures to clarify the world; superior person utilizes stories of exceptional legends and colossal scoundrels to do likewise (Stuller). Comic books are modern mythology, in that they are superior man 's strategy for clarifying their general surroundings through the fantastical. The characters frequently handle such major, philosophical, (Ahrens, Jörn, and Meeting) social and story ideas as the nature of sound and malevolence, man 's inward battle, the wannabe, the women 's activist, and the rescuer.

More than 70 years ago, the very first superheroes debuted in the dire times of the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. Their names became legend Superman and Batman or as he was then known, the Bat-Man), Wonder Woman, Captain America and they 're still with us today. A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles celebrates these icons from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Through a collection of rare original artwork and comics, the exhibit explores how a group of mostly Jewish artists created the costumed heroes who came to symbolize the hopes of a beleaguered nation."ln the 1930s, the American Dream had become a nightmare, and I think comic books and superheroes in particular provided an escapist form of entertainment that allowed the American public to go into a fantasy world where all the ills of the world were righted by these larger­ than-life heroes," says Erin Clancy, a curator at the Skirball. Guest curator Jerry Robinson not only organized the exhibit, he 's a part of it. The comic book pioneer created Batman 's arch-enemy, The Joker, and named the caped crusader 's sidekick Robin.

I love comics, especially superhero comics. I have been in love with them since I was seven, when my uncle introduced me to Superman and Batman. I was just so mesmerized by the plot, even if it was repetitive, I was so intrigued that I couldn’t stop. You know the plot, the one where a victim or victims are distressed and the hero swoops in at the right time to save them from any danger. Growing up though, as life got more complicated, so did comics. It wasn’t the same old plot anymore. More casualties occurred in the stories, heroes developed more weaknesses. It was as if the comic book creators were trying to make the readers realize that superheroes and an regular person are not so far apart. I will never be able to see it that way though. Why you ask? It’s because unlike a regular person, superheroes will never be a reality. No one will swoop in to save you in your time of need. The only person that can protect you, is yourself. If you are able to do that, maybe the next step is to protect people that can’t protect themselves.

The concept of a hero has been around for many generations, and the meaning of a hero is defined in ways people grasp its idea. A hero can be a person who has a superpower and is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others or can be an ordinary everyday person who just wants to help people out of his or her own heart. Linda Seger’s article, “Creating the Myth,” tackles the idea of a “Hero 's Myth,” and shows the ten steps of how heroes are transformed from an ordinary person to the Savior. On the other hand, Robert B. Ray piece titled, “The Thematic Paradigm,” emphasizes that in modern films, it is either having an “Outlaw Hero or an Official Hero,” which he uses three stages to demonstrates how they are different each other in the way they perform in the society. Further, the article, “Out of Character: Wonder Woman’s Strength Is Her Compassion - What Happened?” by Stevie St. John, explains how Wonder Woman was viewed as a compassionate woman in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the 2000s she changes into a more violent person. In this essay, I argue that a hero is subjective, and is defined by the villain or event that they had to adapt to suddenly.

Is this modern concept much different than other stories we have grown up watching from an early age? I believe there are many similarities in stories of superheroes and comic many of us grew up reading and watching on Saturday mornings. Batman, a well-known super hero, fought crime in Gotham and was the “Dark Knight” that restored peace in his community. While Batman did not kill the criminals he was chasing after he did bring them to justice!

The representation of diverse people and experiences in comics is important to expand the thoughts and minds of readers. Yang and Wilson, the minds behind American Born Chinese and Ms. Marvel, use the medium of comic books and graphic novels to help bring a new sense of belonging and acceptance to marginalized people. They do this by applying a “millennial mindset” to their respective stories. What this means is that the characters they have created, whether they are based off real people or are fiction, address the problems of race, religion, or sexuality that we are facing today. These characters also act to threaten the current atmosphere of the comic book industry. Typical comic book characters and superheroes, before now, were mostly white and from a typical American background. Heroes that were women were generally over-sexualized and unrealistic. These two authors hope to challenge the current status quo of the comic book industry by creating characters whose background is much different than previous superheroes.

The portrayal of superheroes in films has changed in terms of their character, appearance, style and strength. Superheroes has been a popular theme in hollywood films since its inception. They are what peoples imagination can only think of. A perfect human being who saves the world .The first time superhero appeared on T.V was “The Adventures of Captain Marvel” in 1941. Superheroes was on the rise within popular comic books in 1930′s to the 1940’s as well in which they were considered the ‘Golden Age of Comic Books’ . Comic books became widespread and popular which translated into making films about them.

For centuries, man has struggled with the concepts of good and evil and have produced astounding works as a reflection of it. This is ideally the foundation of early fables and folklore dating back to ancient civilizations. Stories about famed heroes and the battle of good and evil woven into extravagant tales of danger, destiny, and triumph. These stories were often assimilated into individual societies, told from generation to generation until eventually finding themselves becoming an integral part of the culture. In 1938, a new era began to emerge known as the “golden age” of superheroes. Superman made his first appearance in action comics, forging a unique identity as the first comic book superhero in American culture and quickly

The artistic representation of the Batman myth is an important cultural artifact of our time because it represents modern society's thirst for heroic ideals in popular entertainment. Since his creation, readers and viewers have admired Batman's unique ability to battle villainy, transcend the law and administer justice. As cultivators of the noir genre in film as well as in literature, Americans have always identified with this enigmatic hero, who exists on the margins of society and yet represents one of the largest corporations in the world. The evolution of Batman in particular and the superhero genre in general (from comic book to television to film and back again) has seen in the latest adaptation from Christopher Nolan's Batman revamp a veritable tilting point for the character once known as the World's Greatest Detective. This paper will analyze why Batman is an important cultural artifact of our day, how he came into being, what he means for society, and how he will be treated in the future.

It is easy to empathize with Jack Nicholson’s brilliant Joker as he laments in Tim Burton’s classic 1989 film, Batman, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” The average person may not be villainously inclined, but one can certainly relate to having their best laid plans constantly being thwarted. Though, to be fair, probably very few people would take issue with someone as awesome as the Batman getting in their way. Despite being a mere mortal, Batman and his fellow graphic novel heroes serve as present day gods akin to the ancient Greek gods of Rome. There are a great many things that set Batman apart from his colleagues, however; chief among them are his tragic origin story, the best villains in modern literature, his total lack of superpowers, wealth, and endless interpretations.

Now in these days everyone one likes to read comic books since they became part of our society. What makes them interesting is how entertaining they could get giving us different points of views on different stories of superheroes. Many of us believe that “Classic superheroes stories are wildly fun, suspenseful and exciting” (Tom and Matt Morris) forgetting the idea of what really makes a hero. Different perceptions of superheroes are considered based on their wrong actions and way of thinking. Frank’s Miller Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is one of the comic books that make us “rethink the conception of the superhero and press each of us to reconsider some of the fundamental moral principles

Within the realm of cinema, superheroes have inspired a generation of devoted enthusiasts who strive to live their lives with adherence to the values of the venerable characters portrayed within cinema. Indeed, movies such as those within the Marvel or DC universe have created such a devout following, while also accruing tremendous popularity within the global spectrum. Furthermore, the characters depicted within these films represent a figure of high esteem, intelligence, and power in pursuit of preserving society from utter destruction. In determining the extent in which society is beneficially influenced by superhero cinema, one must assess the moral values exhibited throughout these films as well as the societal influence associated with

Back towards the beginning of American history we see superheroes arising for the first time in our culture. They were not necessarily able to fly or see through walls. However, they were still extraordinary people. Their stories were passed from father to son and the story grew with every telling. People like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill were just two of the many tales of the time which spoke of men doing extraordinary things. These tales wouldn’t excite forever, though. As years go by our country and its people become less and less naïve and craved more. A giant man with a blue ox and an axe just could not suffice. People become more and more numb to pain and murder, and needed more than these tall tales.