SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education Volume 2 | Issue 2 Article 1 April 2017 Using Superheroes to Visually and Critically Analyze Comics, Stereotypes, and Society Mike P. Cook Auburn University,
[email protected] Ryle Frey Millikin University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sane Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Cook, Mike P. and Frey, Ryle (2017) "Using Superheroes to Visually and Critically Analyze Comics, Stereotypes, and Society," SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 1. Available at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sane/vol2/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cook and Frey: Using Superheroes to Visually and Critically Analyze Comics Using Superheroes to Visually and Critically Analyze Comics, Stereotypes, and Society Introduction Since the beginning of time, societies have often chronicled the lives of their most heroic. From Gilgamesh to Bilbo Baggins, many of the world’s greatest tales follow the lives of legends and saviors. These incredible tales offer the reader a sense of the strength and nationalism found within the culture of a given society. For example, the cunning of Odysseus to escape Polyphemus, the courage and honor of Beowulf to take on all evil even in his old age, or the pride that Gilgamesh sees in his legacy, Uruk are all vital components of the respective cultural tenets.