The Silver Surfer narrative, while distinctly unique in its structure, depicts the Silver Surfer as an epic hero and, in doing so, also fits the more specific format of the literary epic. At times, the comic book series has the characteristics of both an allegorical tale and a morally edifying plot progression. The origin-story of the Silver Surfer expresses a distinct hierarchy of ethical values (Gabilliet 207), and lays the framework for the Surfer’s existence, placing him in a position to give direct social commentary on the human race. This social commentary not only encompasses the personal opinions of the series' creator, but also the greater moral compass of American culture as a whole.
The Silver Surfer, once known as 'Norrin Radd', originates on the planet 'Zenn-La', an idyllic, almost heavenly place, where advanced technology had eliminated all worldly frustrations and controversy. This idyllic setting was disturbed only by the appearance of an interstellar, near-godly entity known as 'Galactus' which planned to consume all of Zenn-La as sustenance. Norrin Radd struck a deal with Galactus, sacrificing contact with his lover, his civilization, his home-world and his entire life on Zenn-La in order to guarantee the future safety of his planet (Lavin). In return, Galactus granted Radd the 'power cosmic’, thus enabling Radd to shape and bend space-time around himself in order to do Galactus’ will for the rest of time, acting as Galactus’ ‘herald’ (Comtois).
Out of hunger, Galactus eventually targets Earth for consumption; consequently the Silver Surfer is then required to prepare the planet for destruction. Eventually, based on the innocent pleas of a blind woman who seeks to bargain for the planet and the heroism of t...
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The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with an insight into the Super Hero Series Batman. This crime fighter originally appeared in Detective Comics issue #27 in 1939. It later became a comic book series, a TV series and a movie series. The character Batman is second only to Superman as a Super Hero. Amazingly Batman has no super powers, but he does have a lot of neat crime fighting gadgets. In this paper, we will explore the creation of Batman, his supporting cast of characters both good and bad and the gadgets he used.
We are currently living in the Golden Age of Superheroes. They dominate our cultural life, and have become seemingly permanent fixtures in modern media. Since X-Men burst onto the screen fifteen years ago, we have witnessed the release of over forty superhero movies. By 2020 we will have seen the release of more than twenty-five more. Today, the much anticipated film Superman vs. Batman has come to theaters. Though a plethora of superhero movies have been released, it is to the dissatisfaction of many, having long been exhausted by the stories of the Hulk, Batman, and Spider-man. Although I must agree that it is quite easy to get bored with the constant action, and flashing colors of these films, if one looks deep enough into the story they will discover universal themes and metaphors. Though they may be fighting off alien invasions, these heroes are also battling with their personal challenges, challenges which we can
In addition to, revolutionizing characters, Stan Lee made many of his comic books intricate and interesting compared to simple boring comic books in the past. His intricate comics had to do with his...
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...ort the same element that this graphic novel supports. These people rushing to the aid of the woman (Moore and Gibbons XI, 25, panel 7) suggest that a true hero is not always in a costume, and does not always cover his/her face, however heroes are ordinary citizens that put their own issues aside just to help others.
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Idealism shown in comic books is a fruit of human perceptions and values. Society provides the material on which our superheroes and their enemies are based. Our perceptions of ideal figures are what drive their characterization and impact how we respond to them...