I. Introduction including basic information such as: the title, the authors/artists, the publishing company, the year of publication, the context (Are these continuing characters? Do they belong to a particular comics universe? What does the comic assume readers know about the characters and/or their histories?), black and white or color, page count, genre, new story or compilation, etc. The “hard facts.” (1-2 paragraphs)

II. Brief synopsis of the plot. What’s the story, who are the principal characters, and what happens? (Absolutely no more than 1 page, less if you can manage it).

IIIa. Significant themes in the work. What abstract or ideological issue(s) are explored in this graphic novel (GN)? (e.g., religion, politics, sacrifice, pride, defining “good,” defining “evil,” terrorism, patriotism, alienation, community, ethics, violence, integrity, revenge, etc.) Identify one or two central themes and explain - with specific examples from the GN - how they appear and what you, as a reader, believe the GN seems to say about them. (1-2 pages)

OR

IIIb. Cultural aspects of the GN. How do themes or other aspects of the GN relate to contemporary American culture? (For example, characters in a GN [typically villains] might receive chemical injections that give them “superpowers.” This could be a reference to or message about steroid use. Plotlines that involve HIV, abortion, evolution, child abuse, reality TV, or other current issues touch on aspects of our culture as well.) Using examples from the text, explain what message or position the authors are trying to convey about aspects of contemporary culture. (1-2 pages)

IV. Professional reviews of the GN. What have comic scholars and professionals said about this work? You can refer to interviews with the author and/or artist, comic print publications (The Comics Journal, Comics Buyers Guide, etc.), and reviews on Web sites. Don’t use fan comments in Internet discussion groups unless you simply cannot find any other reviews anywhere else. (about ½ - 1 page).

V. Your opinion of the GN. What did you think of it? Was the art appealing, the story compelling? What were its strengths and weaknesses as you saw them? Would you recommend it? Why? (about 1 page)

Other details:

Must be typed, double-spaced, no bigger than 12 point font, with no more than 1 inch margins on all sides. You can include a sample panel or two in the paper if you wish, but don’t use them as a way to pad the paper’s length. MLA format bibliography is required!

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This page last updated 2/1/06