Superhero Comics

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

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Often considered the quintessential comics genre, superhero comics have represented the hero in a modern shape and developed a specific set of genre terms and conventions. Their particular publication and production conditions led to the special case of company-owned, serially published characters, such as Superman, Batman or Spider-Man. These superhero characters have been constantly rewritten and reinvented by different authors over the last seven decades.

Definition and Genre Features

The narratives of superhero comics revolve around a central hero figure who is traditionally defined by his or her double identity, superpowers and special costume. As a hero, the main character has a mission to protect his or her …

1588 words

Citation: Kukkonen, Karin. "Superhero Comics". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 February 2011 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=14898, accessed 24 November 2024.]

14898 Superhero Comics 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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