Humanities and Fine Arts 191HFA40 - FYS- Superhero (in) Justice

This seminar uses comic book culture to introduce first-year students to key discussion and and analysis skills in the humanities. We will explore how, as dually visual and textual art forms, comics can be useful tools for thinking through social and political issues regarding crime, law, and (in)justice. In this course, we will ask: how have comics and their film adaptations represented war, vigilantism, policing, court systems, and/or legislation? How have writers and artists questioned the line between hero and villain? Morality and legality? Vigilante and state-sponsored dispensations of ?justice?? How do comics address systemic injustices based on race and gender? What do we make of comic book protagonists? frequent recourse to violent retribution, both within and outside of the law? We'll begin with a classic superhero (Captain America) and discuss how his role as national hero has been reimagined since WWII. We'll then consider some contemporary characters who envision their roles as heroes and their relationships to the legal system in markedly different ways--alternately working as lawyers, private investigators, and vigilantes, both cooperating and conflicting with local police. Toward the end of the course, we'll take a macro view of "superhero politics," exploring how comics and films with ensemble casts raise questions about governance and civic responsibility on national and global scales.

Open to first-year Humanities and Fine Arts Exploratory Track students and first-year HFA Majors.