American Masculinity in Contemporary Adult Comics

Abstract

The connections between American comics and American men have been an interest to the academy since Frederic Wertham’s attack on comic’s influence on American youth in 1954. This study examines the current trends in masculine identity in American comics, specifically three widely popular and critically acclaimed comics from Vertigo , the adult-oriented subsidiary of DC Comics. Within Fables, Preacher, and Y: the Last Man are a battleground between dominant and emergent forms of masculine identity, with heroes ranging from the traditional, patriarchal hypermasculine to a new, “geeky,” aesthetic.