In a Panel, Darkley: Reflections and Refractions of Gendered Trauma in Marvel's Alias and DC Comics' Batwoman: Elegy
Abstract
This thesis seeks to address a crucial gap in Academic criticism that overlooks the depiction of violence and trauma against female characters who populate the predominantly male space of the superhero genre. Guided through the trauma theory lens of Cathy Caruth, my analysis will consider how the female superheroic identity forms after a traumatic event. I examine two case studies, Marvel's Alias (2001) and DC Comics' Batwoman: Elegy (2010), which emerge out of a trend in contemporary comics culture that resists the depiction of female characters as either victim or supporting player in their own traumatic narrative. I connect this contemporary trend to fan culture, which in recent years has demanded greater creative responsibility in the treatment of female characters. Through these case studies, this thesis therefore examines the evolution of the female superhero as well as the ethical relationship between creator, character, and fan.
Description
Keywords
Literature--English
Citation
Beatty, G. (2015). In a Panel, Darkley: Reflections and Refractions of Gendered Trauma in Marvel's Alias and DC Comics' Batwoman: Elegy (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26498