Heroines of Comic Books and Literature: Portrayals in Popular Culture

Despite the growing importance of heroines across literary culture—and sales figures that demonstrate both young adult & adult females are reading about heroines in droves, particularly in graphic novels, comic books, & YA literature—few scholarly collections have examined the complex relationships between the representations of heroines & the changing societal roles for both women & men.

In Heroines of Comic Books & Literature: Portrayals in Popular Culture, editors Maja Bajac-Carter, Norma Jones, & Bob Batchelor have selected essays by award-winning contributors that offer a variety of perspectives on the representations of heroines in today’s society. Focused on printed media, this collection looks at heroic women depicted in literature, graphic novels, manga, & comic books. Addressing heroines from such sources as the Marvel & DC comic universes, manga, & the Twilight novels, contributors go beyond the account of women as mothers, wives, warriors, goddesses, & damsels in distress.

These engaging & important essays situate heroines within culture, revealing them as tough & self-sufficient females who often break the bounds of gender expectations in places readers may not expect. Analyzing how women are & have been represented in print, this companion volume to Heroines of Film & Television will appeal to scholars of literature, rhetoric, & media as well as to broader audiences that are interested in portrayals of women in popular culture.

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Additional Contributors: Anita K. McDaniel, Nathan Miczo, AprilJo Murphy, Caryn E. Neumann, Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns, Adina Schneeweis, Christina M. Smith, Christopher Paul Wagenheim, Sharon Zechowski