An Analysis of the Evolution of Death Narratives in Superhero Comic Books

Abstract

Popular culture has been around for centuries. It is representative of the ideas of a certain culture, at a certain time. As the society in which it is based evolves, so too does the culture it creates. Comic books were created in the early 20th century and have evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry, encompassing everything from serialized stories to blockbuster movies. Death is extremely common in superhero comic books, and follows patterns. These patterns change based on when the book was written and are influenced by events on global, national, and local levels. Understanding how popular culture understood these events can give us a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people.