In “The Supergirls,” Mike Madrid writes of #DoomPatrol’s Elasti-Girl, “She is an emancipated superheroine, with strength and power to put her on part with her male counterparts.” In the 1960s, Elasti-Girl was almost unique in this regard, pushing boundaries & making space. 1/11

Where most female superheroes of the 60s are either inspired by (and subordinate to) male heroes or “transformed into a heroine as a result of the work & machinations of the older men in their lives” (Madrid), Elasti-Girl/Rita Farr’s story & powers are (largely) her own. 2/11

Comics are a static medium of fragmented images; space, time & meaning depend on the art of juxtaposition. A sequence from Paper Girls #4, in which Tiffany’s life flashes before her eyes, showcases this art—and the symbolic value of fragments. 1/7 #PaperGirls #comicsstudies The sequence is propelled by a piece of future technology. When its tendril eyes lock around Tiffany’s neck, she’s thrown back into a dominant memory. The grid breaks to signal Tiffany’s break from the present, and the zoom in on a single eye signals isolated interiority. 2/7

Themes of passing & prejudice and the pursuit of truth & justice should make superhero comics well-suited to discussing racial politics. However, the frequent use of racial metaphor can be a slippery slope. King & Walta’s “The Vision” miniseries shows why. #TheVision 1/14 First, some history. Because so many iconic superheroes were created by Jewish immigrants during an era of intense antisemitism, many commentators have argued that themes of racial & ethnic prejudice fundamentally inform the genre. According to famed writer Danny Fingeroth: 2/14

Superheroes are sentinels of the city. Indeed, Scott Bukatman argues #GoldenAge superheroes “encapsulated & embodied the same utopian aspirations of modernity as the cities themselves.” They are also designed to survive the real & symbolic dangers of modern urban existence. 1/12 Some scholars argue comics themselves are decidedly urban. For instance, Jens Blazer argues the “mingling of images & words reflects a semiotic shift occurring in the urban living space at the turn of the century,” replacing contemplation with constantly shifting landscapes. 2/12

From 2006-2010, Carol Danvers starred in her second solo series as Ms. Marvel, written by Brian Reed & originally pencilled by Roberto De La Torre. While the stories do try to emphasize female empowerment, it is a decidedly postfeminist vision. 1/12 #CaptainMarvel #TheMarvels Let’s start with the costume. Danvers’ black costume, which was designed by Dave Cockrum, was introduced in the final issues of her original solo series (1978's Ms. Marvel #20). Charitably, the costume represents an attempt to underscore Danvers’ individuality & agency. 2/12

Despite unfolding in the pages of X-Men comics, an industry juggernaut, the story of Carol Danvers’ cohabitation within the psyche of Rogue is not often considered in Carol’s history, a tragic oversight of a poignant and symbolically rich story. #TheMarvels #CaptainMarvel 1/13 In Avengers Annual #10 (1981), Carol is assaulted & loses her powers (and part of her consciousness) to Rogue. This would ultimately lead to Carol’s transformation into an even more powerful character, Binary, who finds purpose and direction amongst the stars. 2/13

Comics are often described as a hybrid medium, combining text & images. But a wordless sequence from Mariko and Jillian Tamaki’s “Skim” illustrates how juxtaposition, framing, and layout can tell a complex, emotionally resonant story without the use of text. 1/9 #ComicsStudies Wordless comics have a long history, though the exact length of that history partly depends on how we define comics. Many scholars have identified the wordless woodcut novels of Lynd Ward (1905-1985) as a form of comics, influencing later comics creators like Art Spiegelman. 2/9

In The Last Ronin, we see a good example of how comics can operate outside of traditional literary structures. Here, a simple variation on the 3 act structure can offer us some important insight - not just on this story but on all the stories we tell. #thelastronin #tmnt 1/13 The 3 Act Structure is the foundation of the Western storytelling tradition. It is elegantly simple: 1) setup; 2) conflict/confrontation; 3) resolution. Proportion is arguable, but most scholars would be contented with a ratio of roughly 30:60:10…though nobody told Tolkien 2/13

Many scholars have argued that comics are inherently suited to—and have indeed helped innovate—approaches to life writing that self-reflexively interrogate the act of life writing. Kate Beaton’s “Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands” deftly exploits this tradition. #ducks 1/13 Comics autobio was key to changing the public perception of comics in North America. When Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” won a Pulitzer in 1992, there was finally broad acceptance of something comics creators & fans always knew: comics can address serious topics with great artistry 2/13

Our unit on Silver Age superhero comics is over but not forgotten! Remember, you can find all out threads archived on our website. Here's a snapshot of what we covered:

sequentialscholars.com/?p=1675 Introduction to Silver Age Superhero Comics:

sequentialscholars.com/?page_id=1686

Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973), aka “The Night Gwen Stacy Died,” written by Gerry Conway & penciled by Gil Kane, is what it says—it’s the night Gwen Stacy dies. It’s also remembered as a flashpoint signalling the transition from the Silver Age of Comics into the Bronze Age. 1/12 As we’ve discussed in this space before, the Silver Age had competing currents, churning out fantastical romps as well as innovative stories with considerable psychological depth. But it was also underpinned by a fundamental spirit of optimism, as a time of growth & change. 2/12

In Jack Kirby & Stan Lee’s Fantastic Four #51 (1966), no one punches anyone and few characters use their powers. There’s no world-ending threat and no one defeats a villain or even fights one. Which is precisely what makes it one of the best single issues of the #SilverAge. 1/12 Everything that happens in Fantastic Four #51 happens because Ben Grimm is sad. He’s specifically sad about being the Thing. In other words, he’s sad about being a superhero who fears he’s a monster. Thus, the inciting incident is an existential crisis about identity. 2/12

Many histories of comics privilege male characters & connotatively masculine genres. But comics have always responded to changing gender norms, including various waves of feminism. The popular genre of “working girl” comic strips offers many illustrative examples. 1/12 One of the first working girls was AE Hayward’s “Somebody’s Stenog” (1917-41). The nameless protagonist works as a secretary but spends most of her time shopping & dancing. As Maurice Horn observes, this “would be perpetuated in the hordes of working girl strips to come.” 2/12

John Byrne’s run on She-Hulk continues to polarize readers for its foregrounding of the male gaze, but the series pushed 4th wall breaks in comics to new heights with a clear trajectory toward wildly popular modern characters such as Harley Quinn and Deadpool. #SheHulk 1/5 In an interview with Syfy, Byrne provides a full account of where this aspect of the character came from: 2/5

John Byrne’s rejuvenation of #SheHulk in “Sensational She-Hulk” (1989-1994) indelibly changed the character and was, for many years, Marvel’s longest-running title starring a female hero. Yet the series’ sexualization of its title character is controversial—and complicated. 1/14 Sensational She-Hulk is a confident, sexually liberated career woman not in spite of being big & green but because of it. Transforming into She-Hulk helps Jennifer Walters reject patriarchal expectations designed to control women. She also self-reflexively critiques them. 2/14