I’m Not a Hero, I’m Just Drawn That Way: A Review of Super Bodies: Comic Book Illustration, Artistic Styles, and Narrative Impact

Abstract

This article discusses Super Bodies: Comic Book Illustration, Artistic Styles, and Narrative Impact by Jeffrey A.Brown (University of Texas Press, 2023).  The book covers six modern artistic styles prevalent in American superhero comics, as well as providing background on the historical reception of comic book art.  The review concludes that, while the text maybe less approachable for non-specialists, the book highlights a comparatively underexamined aspect of the field of Comics Studies and is a valuable resource.

Keywords

• Superheroes
• illustration
• comic books
• comic art