An Original Comics Team and Transmedia

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the origins of comics heroes and the superhero genre, with attention to the messages of early comics. The introduction of characters is presented in unique multimodal fashion as a potential invitation for fandom. The refashioning of characters is further explored as it relates to particular time periods, with attention to the ways that reflect changes in culture. The nature of comics as artifacts of literacy and culture is explored, with notes on the ways that character relationships have cycled over time.