Sporadic Sequential
Monday, August 11, 2008
Who Says This Isn't The Marvel Age Of Sophisticated Superhero Sagas?

Two questions inspired by my last post:

1. What are the best candidates for literary superhero comics?

And to turn the tables on my preferred reading material:

2. Are there any manga with literary merit?

Here are my stabs at responses for each question:

Literary Superhero Comics
SeriesReason(s) It's Literary
WatchmenMovie trailer tells me comic is "most celebrated graphic novel of all time"
TrinityAssume this is post-modern deconstruction of Trinitarian doctrine throughout history
X-MenAnti-mutant prejudice powerful metaphor for racism / homophobia / irrational fear of petulant beings with godlike power
Silver SurferIf you squint right, central character Norrin Radd kind of a Christ figure

Literary Manga
SeriesReason(s) It's Literary
NausicaƤ of the Valley of the WindAbout Man vs. Nature, one of the five basic types of conflict
Abandon the Old in TokyoDegrading depictions of alienation; published by Drawn & Quarterly
Dragon HeadApocalyptic, cryptic; researcher character at end totally like Kurtz from Heart of Darkness
BleachWhole series complex allegory for Reconquista, resulting Inquisition, and eventual Enlightenment

What superhero comics do you think qualify as literature? What manga measure up to the literary masterpieces of the ages?

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