Superheroes and Excess: A Philosophical Adventure

Description

Finding the superhero genre in need of further investigation from philosophical standpoints that value excess as a creative drive, rather than denigrate it as a problem to be resolved, this book opens up discussions that highlight different approaches to ‘the creative excess of being’ as expressed through the genre. While superheroes are an everyday, culturally dominant phenomena, philosophical methods and investigations have a reputation for lofty superiority. Across 13 chapters, this book facilitates a collision between the superhero genre and the discipline of philosophy, resulting in a voyage of exploration where each illuminates the other. The contributions in this book range from new voices to recognized scholars, offering superhero studies a set of critical interventions that are unusual, conceptually diverse, theoretically grounded and varied in practice. These chapters consider ‘excessive’ traits of superheroes against schools of thought that have attempted to conceptualize and understand excess by analysing texts and figures across a variety of mediums, such as The Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Vision, Logan, Black Panther and Super Hero Girls. With its unique approach to the superhero genre, this book will be an invaluable read for students and scholars working on comic studies, transmedia studies, cultural studies, popular culture and superhero studies. Cover Endorsements Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Figures Tables Contributors Acknowledgements 1. Introduction Opening onto Superheroes and Excess Collecting Superheroes and Excess Engendering Dissociating Politicking Imaging Synthesizing Repeating Re-repeating Multiplying Recontextualizing Speculating Fleeing The Space of the Work Adventures in Excess Notes References 2. Excessive Embodiment and Monstrous Containment in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's The Fantastic Four Introduction Defining the Monstrous Superhero Transgressive Monstrousness: The Human Torch and the Thing Containing Monstrousness: Mr Fantastic Contained Monstrousness: The Invisible Girl Uncontained Monstrousness: The Sandman Conclusion Notes References 3. Legion, Fugue and Ontological Excess Prelude Refrain 1 Refrains Beginning Framing Haller 'Fugeing' with David Legion, Recapitulated A Little More Harmony? Playing Out Notes References 4. Captain America, Ronald Reagan and the Battle for the American Dream of Excess Introduction Hegemony Outline Hegemony and the American Dream Reagan vs. Captain America, 1: Patriotism Reagan vs. Captain America, 2: Success Final Remarks Notes References 5. Image Comics: A New Flight of Excess Introduction Survey and Participant Data Excess, Image and the Audience Spawn and Witchblade as Excessive Characters Fashion, Technology and Culture. A Conclusion Notes References 6. 'You Too Shall Be New': Synthezoid Phenomenology and Canonical Memory in The Vision Introduction 'It Just Goes Through Me': Phasing, Affect and the Excessive Feminine 'This Is the Story She Told': Continuity, Canon and Witchcraft Acknowledgement Notes References 7. Evolve or Die: Logan, Repetition and the Excesses of Tradition Repetition Tradition in Excess 1 - Shane and Virgil Tradition in Excess 2 - The Film Industry Tradition in Excess 3 - The Careers of the Actors The Children of the Atom: The Audience Notes References 8. Difference, Repetition and the Superhero Comic Introduction: Deleuzian Difference Difference, Repetition and Comics Studies Superheroes, Origins and Identities Canon and Continuity as Identity Conclusion: Repetition, Representation and Ethics Notes References 9. Heroic Skin: Superheroes, Excess and Black Skin as Costume Introduction The Heroic Body Costume and Costuming Skin as Costume Black Skin as Costume Into the Future Note References 10. Too Many Wonder Womans: Constraining and/or in the DC Extended Universe Introduction And/Or Branding and the Impossibility of Consistence in a Transmedia Universe The Gendered Landscape of Comics Culture and Merchandising Fandom, Authenticities and Merchandising DC Super Hero Girls First Series, 2015-17 The Reboot Fan Feedback Authenticities, Fandoms and the Coreless Character Notes References 11. Design Fictions from Beyond: A Pataphysics of Objectile Excess Introduction Pataphysical Film Superpowers and Superjects Time-squished and Looped Conclusions Notes References 12. Superheroes at the Vanishing Point (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Notes References 13. Afterword: Defeated Taxonomies Overture to a Defeated Taxonomy A Defeated Taxonomy, Part One Excesses of the Body Sexual Excess Excesses of Location Excessive Planes of Action Excesses of Narrative Continuity A Defeated Taxonomy, Part n + 1 Notes References Index