Superhero Graphic Novel/Comic Presentation

Be sure to read a sixth graphic novel or comic book outside of class by this weekend. Remember that a graphic novel is generally a collection of individual comics or a longer comic narrative, whereas a comic book is a single issue; you can do either one for your presentation. I just want the class to learn more about the diversity of superheroes and their related genres, not only for personal knowledge, but to aid the class’s research and ideas for final paper assignments. The presentations will all be on Tuesday. December 19th, and should take the entire class to complete (since we have a pretty large class!). Each presentation should last anywhere from 8-10 minutes, give or take, as long as you present the below information in a coherent format.

ALSO: Be sure to e-mail me your Comics Response Template by Tuesday so I can post it on the blog with the last 4 years of responses. You will be adding to a valuable encyclopedia of graphic novels/comics at ECU (and be sure to look through them yourself!).

THE GENREAL TEMPLATE (What I’m generally looking for):

I. Introduction: the title, the superhero, the artists/writers, and a little background about the superhero and the specific story you’re presenting on. We don’t need the entire plot, but a very brief overview would be helpful to provide context.

II. Discuss question #3 from the Template: “How does this comic discuss the ethics of being a superhero—someone who has powers and abilities beyond that of normal men/women, and is thus able to influence the world based on a hero’s specific notions of good and evil?” Relate this to other comics we’ve read and help us understand how this comic addresses the idea of being a ‘hero’ or a ‘villain’—and/or the gray area in-between.

III. Focus on a specific scene/page: Be sure to let us see some of the artwork, even if it’s just a single frame or page. I want you to discuss a significant passage in your presentation and help us see how the words and images contribute to the story. Consider using some of McCloud or Eisner’s terms/ideas as you do this; help us realize why the story and the artwork is unique and makes this a compelling and innovative comic.

NOTE: You do not have to prepare a multi-slide presentation or Prezi layout for this presentation—you can just get up and talk, or even use the book as a prop. However, I do want the entire class to see at least one image. If you don’t have much experience with Powerpoint or Prezi, just e-mail me an image you want to use, and I’ll compile several images into a slide for you to use in class. If you don’t have a scanner, just take a picture of an image on your phone and e-mail it to me. But if you want to make a presentation, by all means, go for it—but don’t make it too long! :)

Any questions or concerns: e-mail me at jgrasso@ecok.edu