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Week 13: Superheroes Reconsidered

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1. The Killing Joke is a gripping comic that you definitely can become immersed in quickly. The use of strong action lines and images allows the reader to understand pretty clearly what is going on in the comic even if the words were not there to guide you. I really enjoy how they build up the characters and tell a story by using cut up flashbacks. I really enjoyed reading this comic. 2. I made connections while analyzing the personalities of batman and the Joker. Batman represents all of the positive thoughts in life, to keep moving forward when things go wrong, that good in the world exists. Joker on the other hand is the blown out negative depression and the easy way out. Things go wrong in life sometimes and I feel that the Joker represents that state of utter hopelessness and loss. Its a state that I think we all fear and as a character he makes us uncomfortable because he tries to reason out all of the bad that we are taught is wrong. 3. If I were to adapt this story into
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Week 12: Comics by Women

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This week I read Ms. Marvel which is one of the most nicely rendered comics I've read in a while. I love the way the characters are introduced and even though the first comic is short, I already know the personalities of each of the characters fairly well. We have a young girl who doesn't feel 100% comfortable in her own skin and wants to be someone else, and is also a bit naive in the world. She definitely is flawed but very cared about by her family, who she disobeys as she sneaks out of the house. I enjoyed being stuck on pages with giant swirls of artwork. It is definitely a series I would be interested on continuing.
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Week 11: Comics as Contemporary Literature

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This week I read Asterios Polyp which was one of my favorite graphic novels. I really enjoy the use of different line markings and color to represent the different characters. This graphic novel definitely has a lot of character development and character bonding. The detail in some of the panels is also a touch that I love to look over. Asterios is a very interesting character and his unborn twin brother just adds even more to his large list of character flaws which make him so interesting.
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Week 10: Manga and the Japanese Comics

For this week I read "Yaoi Too Close for Love." The expressions of the characters were the main things that caught my eye while reading this comic. It is interesting because they show just how full of emotion a character can be by changing the expression in every panel. However, they also show just how little a character shows his emotion by doing just the opposite; showing no emotional change at all. This is a comic that is outside of my normal readings but I don't mind giving it some more chances. While I do enjoy the style of other comics a bit more, this style could be something I could get used to.
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Week 9: Wide World of Comics

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This week I read "The Hunting Party," by Enki Bilal. I enjoyed the art style of the comics and how many of the shots needed no text at all the convey the story. The characters are all very serious looking and dark, and it builds up to the ending very well in this sense. It gives the reader a hint of mystery and curiosity throughout the narrative. My favorite parts were the more fantasy panels that seem kind of out of place compared to the more serious panels.
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Week 8: Stereotype and the Ethics of Representation

For this week's assignment I read, "Andre the Giant," and "The Fifth Beatle." The characters who are stereotyped/on the outside are always highlighted in a different light or drawn differently. I think that stereotyping can be a useful thing in comics, animation, and gaming narrative because it can help the reader better understand what is going on or who the character is. As long as the characters are stereotyped carefully and not in any way intended to offend a specific audience, it should be harmless. I have read and seen different stereotypes and I personally do not get affected by it. There are times I get a bit annoyed by how females are represented and how they are displayed but I understand that it is not something that should be taken personally. The people who demonstrate these stereotypes do not personally know everyone in the world and use their own world experience to portray different people. These people can be based off of one or two people who
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Week 7: The Legitimation of the Comics

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I really enjoyed the simplistic style of "Maus," and I feel like it stands out from other comics I have read. The style and animal characters are unrealistic but the story has a serious tone surrounding a serious theme. I think the style makes it feel more chaotic and makes me uncomfortable. This definitely could have been intentional and adding to the story which is also a bit chaotic and uncomfortable. As you read you understand that the animals each represent different races/religions, and I really like that they chose this way to represent the characters.
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