Inseparation of powers: DC Comics, Flex Mentallo, and the necessity of adolescence

This article contends that the cultural experience of American adolescence is an essential component in the creation and success of superhero comics published by DC Comics. It traces traits which have been historically associated with youth, such as chaos, fluidity, and play, through the first several decades of superhero comic production, then locates the abandonment of these values in the Modern Age and explores the narrative consequences. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s 1996 graphic novel Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery serves as a case study. This article analyses Flex Mentallo’s main character, Wally Sage, as an avatar for the DC Comics publishing house. It demonstrates how Wally’s story reveals the importance of incorporating adolescent play and fluidity into superhero comics for the genre to persist.

Английский

Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics . – 2019. – Vol. 10, № 2. – P. 244–258.