'Nuff Said: American Graphic Media

What did you think of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer?   Of course, as superhero scholars we can detect a complex interplay between the different eras of Captain America in this film.  Unlike his first outing, Captain America: The Winter Soldier relies heavily on the contemporary stories from Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's Captain America . Lauded by fans and critics, Brubaker and Epting's Captain America run featured the return of Bucky, believed dead for decades, as (spoiler alert) the Winter Soldier.  Considered sacrilegious by some the storyline revived interest in the classic character.  At the same time, Brubaker's story tapped into a long established tradition in the pages of Captain America, deep engagement with political intrigue.  A steadfast patriot, Captain America offers writers a chance to reflect on that era's political climate. The result have been classic stories in the 1970s and 1980s that force the ultimate symbol of...

Star Trek Into Darkness seems well on its way to box office success. I'm not surprise. Since J.J. Abrams took over the franchise reigns, he and his collaborators ( Damon Lindelof ,  Roberto Orci and Alex Klurtzman ) have deftly managed to stop the franchise's decline. Of course, as is the way of modern media, a comic book series continuing the movie universe continuity has been a big success .   Like many film and tv series, Star Trek has used an ongoing comic to "continue the story" for diehard fans.  Arguably more engaging than other efforts, the producers of the film are using the comic book series to retell classic stories.  Indeed, any fan of the comic series already read " Where No Man Has Gone Before ," the Gary Mitchell centric storyline that was focus of speculation as the inspiration for Star Trek Into Darkness.  The producers are using the comic book to keep interest high among diehard fans, rewarding them with insight to the new ...

One element of Iron Man's appeal in print is the armor's continual evolution .  You could look upon it as "boys with their toys," but it runs deeper. Superior technology combined with solid values have always been a part of the American framing of defense . Iron Man's Cold War roots have allowed the character to easily play into this narrative.  With the current focus on anti-terrorism, technology has gotten both praised and scorn in the public discourse.  Our reliance on surveillance satellite and code breaking so well suited for nation states missed the threat of asymmetric warfare posed by terrorist groups.  After a decade of conflict however, the appreciation of technology has returned .  The debate about military drones is the public face of this new engagement, but the impact is widespread.  Iron Man 3 bring these ideas into the film narrative. Like the United States, Tony Stark's victory will likely hinge on superior tech, reinforcin...

On January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appeared on television to deliver his farewell address. Broadcasted from the Oval Office of the White House, Eisenhower framed his closing remarks as “a message of leave taking and farewell” to his countrymen. Far from a nostalgic reminisce of national service, Eisenhower provided a cautionary narrative about the dangers of military buildup in the United States.  Eisenhower's remarks frame a debate about U.S. defense policy since 1945. Namely, he spoke openly of the need to find balance between forces that desired to spend, at all costs, to secure the United States from attack and those forces that advocated for negotiation and disarmament. These ideas inform the meta-textual narrative found in the pages of Iron Man. Debuting two years after Eisenhower's address, Iron Man can be seen as continuation of the pro-American and anti-communist dialogue found throughout Marvel's Silver Age revival. Yet, the narrative als...

The new trailer for Iron Man 3 features a not so subtle engagement with post 9/11 geopolitical uncertainty. Will Iron Man win? Of course, the trick is how the narrative handles the complexity of applying U.S. values to global landscape where issues of race, class, and power are not defined by American views alone.