Revision and the Superhero Genre

This book argues that superhero revision offers new perspectives on the theory and practice of revision in broader contexts, in particular composition studies. Key developments in the history of superhero and composition revision reveal that both are deeply embedded in questions of narrative temporality. The book looks at three unorthodox revision strategies: sideshadowing, in which traditional tropes of superhero narratives are told with new characters that clearly evoke traditional ones; excavation, the reintegration and reinterpretation of elements and influences from earlier texts that have been de-emphasized or written out of continuity; and homodoxy, the narrative coexistence of inconsistent elements culled from different versions of a character's textual history. The ensuing cross-disciplinary exploration helps correct a distorted stereotype of revision as a neutral mechanical process, revealing it instead as a potent force operating across a spectrum that ranges from restrictive adherence to orthodoxies, to radical resistance against the primacy of tradition.

Connects superhero comics revision with key debates in the theory and practice of revision: composition theory and rhetoric, narrative theory, and textual studies Addresses the persistence of reboots, retcons, and re-envisionings central to the superhero genre and superhero comics industry Offers analyses of a range of superhero comics ranging from well-known DC Comics and Marvel Comics figures to revisions and reinventions of similar figures from independent publishers Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

David Hyman is Associate Professor of English at Lehman College, City University of New York, USA. His scholarship and teaching focus on comics, Spaghetti Westerns, and composition.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Introduction: Notes Toward a Super Fiction.- Chapter 2. Incoherent Texts: The Chronotope of the Superhero.- Chapter 3. The Practice of Revision in Composition Studies.- Chapter 4. Unorthodox Revisions.- Chapter 5. Neverending Battles.