Busiek's Marvels and American Superheroes
The History of the Comic Industry through Marvel’s Fiction
Aug 14, 2008
Comic book writer Kurt Busiek and artist Alex Ross have stated through commentary, that the graphic novel Marvels was always intended to be a retrospective of the heroes in the Marvel Universe during the often heralded "Silver Age of Comics." Some comic book historians have even taken to referring to the time as the "Marvel Age." While it is true that the writing style brought about by writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby during the 1960's and early 70's was of great influence on the comic book medium, Marvels' story can become an allegory for the history of super hero comics in America from 1938 through the early 1980s.
Analysis Style
This analysis will be proven through an original blending of critical approaches, stemming from basic formalism, branching into new criticism and finally using new historicism. How will they be fused? First, a look at what the approaches are in general.
Formal literary criticism is an approach that focuses on the structure and dramatic growth of the writing, taking note of literary devices (Literary Criticism). During the 1940's and 50's, formal approaches grew into new criticism. While ignoring reader response and author intent (much like classical formalism), new criticism doesn't solely rely on the structure of a piece, but also the relationships, symbols and dialogue (Literary Criticism).
New historicism will be cross-referenced with these formalist approaches as well. Developed in the 1980's as a response to new criticism, new historicism is based on the thought that a piece of writing is a product of the writer's intent, and a definite product of the time and place it was written (New Historicism). While in contrast with the previous forms, they will be combined in an entire critical process.
Context and Final Analysis Style
This paper's thesis demands knowledge of a historical context, yet also requires a dramatic, chronological flow to be shown. Therefore, the plot of Marvels will be explained, with commentary on dramatic growth (utilizing formalism and new criticism). As each section is revealed, it will then be explained how said section corresponds historically to the political, economic and social growth of super hero comics from that era (utilizing an altered form of new historicism). While not a pure use of the various critical approaches, these methods will help show the correlation of the dramatic progression of Marvels with the growth of super hero comics in America.
The full analysis will begin with the next article, Busiek's Marvels and the Golden Age.
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