Spider-American Cultural Identity

When read with a critical eye, the world of superhero comics often offers a lens with which we can examine society, our values, the meaning of justice, and the role of the individual in regards to the greater community. If all of this information is garnered from critical reading, then the way in which the medium of comics constructs these meanings will reflect an embrace or a rejection of the common symbols and ideology of it’s source culture. In the case of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s 1987 graphic novel, Watchmen, the second approach is used, as Moore’s writing draws upon the common cultural understanding of superheroes and exaggerates or tweaks them, exposing their underlying ideals. In this way, Watchmen functions not only as a

The first reason Muhammad Ali isn't a hero is because he is violent. For almost all of his life he fought in boxing matches that all started when he was a boy because he wanted to beat up the kid who stole his

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!

His physical traits are poor, and from that aspect he isn't your typical hero. Even his mental strength is not on par with most ¨heroes¨ but his memories and ability to ¨avenge¨ his mother and sister's death he feels guilty about. He has nothing to lose so he is going to give everything he has.

The thing that made him a hero to me was that he wanted his wife back and they wanted to kill his son as well. “There will be killing till the score is paid. ”(― Homer, The Odyssey) This clearly shows you that he wanted to get revenge and protect his child. “Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this.”

base in California with adopted siblings, which was hard for him because he didn’t really know them as real family. His mother and father helped him with the troubles he has gone through. What mainly makes him a hero is that he has the ability for people to feel different emotions.

Muhammad ali is a hero of many. Ali isn’t just a boxer he wants to demolish racism. Ali had thrown his golden medal in the Ohio River because he had not been accepted in a white only restaurant. They had taken him as a hero because he was good in what he was doing. And had stood for himself positively and strong.

This stereotype of strong jive talking black men was common in the period with DC creating characters, like Black Lightning in 1977 who was a high school teacher, although he still had this same emphasis of ‘blackness’. This stereotype of ‘blackness’ was created throughout African American superhero comics, with heroes like, Cyborg and Luke Cage. This had many critics within the African American world, with many independent African American Comics being created. Although many were not as successful as Milestone Comics, who had prominent African American writers and illustrators, they gained huge support from DC, who would print their comics without interfering, which produced popular African American superheroes like Static, Icon and Hardware, who all questioned the norms of ‘Blackness’ in superhero comics and received a largely multicultural audience. Static questioned the norms of a black superhero, being a geeky high school kid who had electromagnetic powers.

Muhammad Ali wasn’t born the best boxer in the world, he worked for it. Muhammad had a work ethic that put him at the to of his career. This is why he's a hero because he is an example of someone that took whatever life had given him and turned it into something that created himself and his name to be

There is a long history of racism and prejudice aim towards Black people in comic books. In the years past, many comics’ authors have battled to improve the image of Blacks in comics by encouraging, non-stereotypical Black characters. They used techniques such as applying Black protagonists, and addressing racism head on. All of these methods are effective, and with the ideal environment have the chance to support non-stereotypical Image of Black people. Even so the mixing of black characters in in superhero comics has undergone countless obstacles and challenges.

Yep, you and your grandpa could actually relate to something in your generation. How awesome is that? And this was all still alive in the U.S. because the industry was controlled by American Jews who knew what they were doing. Later on more different types of people, along with the already praised Jews, began to contribute to the industry, especially the graphic novel sector. And graphic novels weren’t all about superheroes anymore. Graphic novels such as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World are an example of this. Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian woman who wrote about war, and Daniel Clowes, a Jew, wrote about daily teenage life. But if one were to look back at the roots, no matter who controls the industry now, it’s all thanks to Jews for this entertaining industry. Despite comic books and graphic novels being made by all types of people today, it is the Jews who gave birth to it in the

Throughout history, there have been many cultural depictions of spiders in popular culture, mythology and in symbolic representation. In some instances, the spider symbolized patience and persistence due to its hunting technique of setting webs and waiting for its prey to become ensnared. It is also a symbol of mischief and malice for its toxic venom and the slow death it causes, which is often seen as a curse. According to another set of literary archetypes, spider also symbolizes diligence, prudence, caution, astuteness, but also deceit and cunning – associated with creativity.

Since the birth of comics, they have shaped the youth of America. Comics have made an impact among this country’s youth by reflecting social issues and making political statements. Comics have been a driving force in people’s interpretation of good and bad, as well as a moral compass. The first major superhero, Superman, was created in 1933 by Jewish high school students Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1 published in June 1938. After Superman’s success came Batman and Wonder Woman and many other beloved characters like the Flash and Green Lantern. Among those, the Blue Beetle was born. The mantle of the Blue Beetle is currently held by a Hispanic teenage boy named Jaime Reyes. The Blue Beetle:

In this dissertation I will discuss how DC Comics have developed and improved the design of their comic books since their establishment in 1937. I will compare comics from past and present and talk about the different styles of comic books that have been released from the company. I will also talk about how the artwork from the comic books have influenced character and costume design in recent DC Comic films. I will do this by studying the history of the company and researching the designers behind the comic books. I will thoroughly research in detail the characters and the designs of their costume and equipment and compare them to the different films that have been released over the years. The main character I will look into is Batman. I will study the origins of the character, the man behind the character, the reason behind Batman’s creation, how he has changed over the years, the development of other characters in the series, the famous villains that Batman has had to face, the different costumes he has had over the years and I will also be researching and studying how Batman has become a national icon in American society, and the effects the character has had on people living in the country. Batman

Through the years, different interpretations of Batman characters would emerge. The 1960’s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic, which would continue to be related to the character, years after the popular show ended. Unhappy with this Batman from the TV series, creators tried with all their power to return the “Dark Knight” to his even darker roots as a superhero. This started, in 1986 with Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”, a comic book series, that would bring back Batman to what he was as a character in the beginning. To help even more, the Warner Brother’s Batman movie trilogy helped maintain a popular public interest in Batman, and to finally make sure his character was remember as intended.