Description
Book SynopsisFinalist —San Diego Comic-Con International 2024 Eisner Award in Best Academic/Scholarly Work
An examination of the art in superhero comics and how style influences comic narratives.
For many, the idea of comic book art implies simplistic four-color renderings of stiff characters slugging it out. In fact, modern superhero comic books showcase a range of complex artistic styles, with diverse connotations. Leading comics scholar Jeffrey A. Brown assesses six distinct approaches to superhero illustration—idealism, realism, cute, retro, grotesque, and noir—examining how each visually represents the superhero as a symbolic construct freighted with meaning.
Whereas comic book studies tend to focus on text and narrative, Super Bodies gives overdue credit to the artwork, which is not only a principal source of the appeal of comic books but also central to the values these works embody. Brown argues that superheroes are to
Trade Review
Not surprisingly, this is exceptionally well illustrated for an academic book. It is an important contribution to comics scholarship and will help anyone appreciate the medium more deeply. * CHOICE *
Table of Contents
- 1. How to Draw Superheroes
- 2. The Superhero and the Dessinateur
- 3. Idealism and Comic Book Heroes
- 4. Retro Art and Nostalgia
- 5. Realism in an Unrealistic Genre
- 6. Super Cute Manga, Kawaii, and Infantilization
- 7. Grotesque Bodies and Monstrous Heroes
- 8. Superhero Noir, More than Just Black and White
- 9. Drawing Conclusions
- Works Cited
- Index
