American superhero-comics have been around for over 70 years now. In that period not only the genre and its medium matured but also the social, cultural and political environment changed. This paper hypothesizes that superhero comics change over time to stay relevant and that the observant reader can make conclusions about the time during which a comic was written by analyzing it.
The first part of this paper gives a short summary of the history of superhero comics from the creation of Superman in 1939 to the Modern Age of Comics. It explains how the superhero comic originated in the late 1930s, blossomed in the 1940s, struggled in the 1950s and reinvented itself in the 1960s. Events like the introduction of the Comic Book Code and the death of Gwen Stacy will be presented and it will be explained why they had an immense impact on the comic-book culture. Also, the definition of the term superhero will be discussed.
Afterwards, the essay focuses on the different kinds of comic-book revisionism and the different reasons for it. This and the chapters before help to understand how the comic book industry works and how innovations in comic books are introduced and why they happen.
The main part of the essay continues to prove the hypothesis on the example of three superheroes that have all existed since the Golden Age of Comics: Wonder Woman, Captain America and Batman.
Each of those superheroes will provide an example for a different kind of social change: With the help of Wonder Woman, the change of the women's role and the change of feminism will be examined. Captain America is a great example of a superhero created out of a social and political need and of the struggle that arises when this need is fulfilled. He also poses as an example for how comics comment on political changes. Finally, the Batman comics are used to illustrate the power Dr. Frederic Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent had over society and over comics itself. That chapter also discusses what the changes, made to Batman comics in reaction to the accusation of homosexuality, say about the reputation of homosexuals in the 1950s.
The last part of this essay gives an example for the possibilities to use this topic in school, in English as a foreign language or history classes.
Table of Contents
1.Explanation of quoting style
2.Introduction
3.History of superhero comics
3.1.Before the superheroes came
3.2.The Golden Age of Comics
3.3.The comic book regression of the 1950s
3.4.The Silver Age of Comics
3.5.The Bronze Age of Comics
3.6.The Modern Age of Comics
4.What are Superheroes?
5.Kinds of revisionism
5.1.Additive Revisions
5.2.Fundamental Revisions
5.3.Conceptual Revisions
5.4.Critical Revisions
5.5.Critique on Wandtke's classification
5.6.Maturing of the medium
6.Wonder Woman 1941 vs. 2009: Comparing two origin stories and their messages
6.1.William Moulton Marston and his idea of an ideal world
6.2.Wonder Woman in the 1940s
6.3.Wonder Woman in 2009
6.4.Comparing the two stories
7.Captain America
7.1.Captain America in the late 1940s and 1950s
7.2.Captain America in the 1960 and 1970s
7.3.The War on Terror and the Death of Captain America
8.Batman
8.1.Batman and accusations of homosexuality
8.2.Impact of Wertham's accusations on Batman comics
8.3.Batman revisited: The “New Look“
9.Example for an English-lesson involving superhero comics
10.Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines how American superhero comics have evolved over time to maintain social and political relevance, hypothesizing that these narratives function as reflective mirrors of their respective eras. By analyzing specific characters such as Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Batman, the work explores how comic book storytelling adapts to shifting cultural values and political climates, ultimately demonstrating that these media serve as vital, immediate witnesses to history.
- The historical evolution of the superhero genre from the Golden Age to the Modern Age.
- Taxonomy and analysis of "comic-book revisionism" as a tool for narrative adaptation.
- Comparative gender studies through the evolving origin stories of Wonder Woman.
- The influence of political events, such as the McCarthy era and the Watergate scandal, on Captain America’s character development.
- Sociological impacts of 1950s moral panics and censorship, specifically regarding Dr. Frederic Wertham’s accusations against Batman.
- Pedagogical applications of comic books in history and English language education.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3.The comic book regression of the 1950s
The era between the late 1940s and the first half of the 1950s brought change to the superhero comic market. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were still being published but apart from that the big sellers of the comic industry were horror and crime comics. Other famous genres of that era were funny animals, romance comics and westerns (see Duncan & Smith p.37; Fingeroth 2008 p.14).
In 1947, there were ten crime comic book titles, one year later, in 1948 they “were joined by twenty-three new crime titles – ten of them beginning with the word crime or criminal” (Duncan & Smith p.37).
That year also marked the time when comic books became vilified by parts of the public. It was the first time a well established psychiatrist by the name Dr. Frederic Wertham, who was the senior psychiatrist for the New York Department of Hospitals, spoke out against comics in a symposium on “The Psychopathology of Comic Books”. At the same time “[c]itizen's groups formed to push for regulation or banning of comic books. Some towns even held comic book burnings in order to exorcise the threat of crime comics from their communities” (Duncan & Smith p.37).
This encouraged some comic book publishers to form the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers (ACMP) in July 1948. They created a code of standards and a seal, which could be put on comic book covers that followed those standards. The code, however, was ignored by most publishers as they did not care for the public outcry as long as the business was growing.
Summary of Chapters
1.Explanation of quoting style: Details the departure from standard APA citation formats to better accommodate the specific needs of referencing comic book issues.
2.Introduction: Sets out the hypothesis that superhero comics act as reflective markers of their socio-political environments and outlines the structure of the comparative analysis.
3.History of superhero comics: Provides a chronological overview of the comic book industry, tracing its evolution from newspaper origins through the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern Ages.
4.What are Superheroes?: Investigates the definitions of heroism and the superhero archetype, arguing that these figures ultimately represent the evolving values of the society that creates them.
5.Kinds of revisionism: Categorizes and defines various forms of narrative adjustment—Additive, Fundamental, Conceptual, and Critical—used by writers to keep superhero myths current.
6.Wonder Woman 1941 vs. 2009: Comparing two origin stories and their messages: Analyzes shifts in gender roles and feminism by comparing the character’s original inception with its 2009 animated reimagining.
7.Captain America: Explores the character as a political indicator, tracing his transition from a WWII anti-Nazi figure to a Cold War "Commie Smasher" and finally a disillusioned hero in the Watergate era.
8.Batman: Examines the 1950s moral panic surrounding the character, focusing on Wertham’s accusations of homosexuality and the subsequent editorial changes to his narrative tone.
9.Example for an English-lesson involving superhero comics: Outlines a practical lesson plan for utilizing comic books to teach history and language to tenth-grade students.
10.Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that while the superhero medium is reactive and market-driven, its capacity for narrative change makes it an essential tool for historical and cultural analysis.
Keywords
Superhero, Comics, Revisionism, Social Change, Cultural History, Gender Roles, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Batman, McCarthyism, Comics Code Authority, Frederic Wertham, Patriotism, Narrative Adaptation, Educational Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental thesis of this paper?
The paper posits that superhero comics act as mirrors of their society, evolving over time to remain relevant. By analyzing key figures, the reader can draw meaningful conclusions about the social, cultural, and political climates in which these stories were created.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The work focuses on the intersection of popular culture and history, specifically examining how superhero narratives adapt through revisionism to reflect changing public concerns, gender perceptions, and political tensions.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The objective is to prove that superhero comics are not just static entertainment but dynamic mediums that react to external world events, making them valuable sources for historical research.
Which scientific methods are employed in this thesis?
The author uses a qualitative, comparative approach, analyzing primary source material (comic books) alongside secondary literature to document shifts in narrative style, character representation, and societal reception.
What does the main part of the thesis cover?
The main part focuses on three case studies: Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Batman. It details how their individual histories have been revised or reshaped to align with shifting American social and political landscapes.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as superhero, comic book revisionism, social change, gender roles, cultural history, and political representation in media.
How did the Watergate Scandal specifically impact Captain America's narrative?
The scandal prompted Marvel to create the "Secret Empire" story arc, where Captain America's faith in the U.S. government was shattered, leading him to briefly abandon his identity in favor of "Nomad" to preserve his moral integrity.
How did the 1950s "moral panic" affect Batman comics?
Following Dr. Frederic Wertham's accusations that Batman and Robin were in a homosexual relationship, DC Comics introduced female characters like Batwoman and Batgirl to provide a "pro-feminine" and heterosexual romantic interest for the protagonists, fundamentally altering the tone of the stories.
- Quote paper
- Björn Saemann (Author), 2011, How Comics Reflect Society, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/166723
