Speech Bubble and Caption Boxes in The Mighty Thor #1

The Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron, Russel Dauterman, Matthew Wilson and Joe Sabino, was recently released with a new #1. Sabino, the letterer for Thor,  usese various techniques that aide the reader in making meaning. When you look at his caption boxes, they all have a particular shape and lettering. The boxes each have a curling tail, which combined with the stylized script, gives it the overall appearance of an old scroll. These elements are what Gene Krannenburg calls an meta-narrative qualities. Meta-narrative gives the reader information about the text, in this case it is a connection to the mythological aspects of the comic. There is also what Gerard Genette would call an intertextual aspect to these text boxes. Intertextuality is the connection a text makes to other texts. In this case, the lettering used in these text boxes it the same lettering that was used in the previous incarnation of Thor (Thor: God of Thunder). The lettering therefore contextualizes the comic, placing the now female version of the character in the same world as the previous male incarnation.

             

       Sabino used similar techniques in his speech bubbles. Most prominently, is when Jane Foster transforms into Thor. With this transformation, the lettering of Foster’s speech bubbles change from the generic comic lettering, to the more ornate lettering that is found in the caption boxes and the speech bubbles of Asgardian’s.  This change in lettering serves several functions. First, it contextualizes by allowing the reader to easily recognize her as fundamentally changed, she is now closer to an Asgardian than a mortal, with all the same powers. It also helps the reader understand that she sounds different, which, when coupled with the complete change in speech patterns, allows the reader to more easily suspend there disbelief and accept that no one recognizes her when she transforms. Finally, there is a thematic resonance in the change in lettering. In this first issue, Foster is shown to contemplate why she decides to change back. She explains that her job as Jane Foster is just as important, despite the fact that the transformations are negating the cancer treatments. However, the fact that when she transforms, the lettering changes to match the lettering of the captions, which are narration told in 1^st person from Foster’s perspective, could suggest a continuing struggle between her dual-identities and the choices she will have to make in regards to it. These functions demonstrate how Sabino uses lettering to give information beyond simply what the characters are saying.

Nathanya Barnett 

World Building in A-Force

The way that A-Force does world building is very interesting. Usually in a comic you are not given a large amount of detail all at once, such as where they live and what is exactly going on. In A-Force the first four pages set up the world that they live in through images and caption boxes as well as
straight text. On the first page, the images and the words in the caption boxes don’t line up exactly. The caption boxes are describing the island that they live on while the images are showing the main characters that will be important in the comic. Due to this the reader is getting two difference sets of information that are both important but also do not exactly connect with each other. (Wolk  128).  The next two pages in the comic are a splash page, which shows the entire island of Arcadia with the main heroes flying over it. The 4th page has text that lets the reader know that this work is apart of the Secret Wars and how the rest of the universe is constructed.

On the first page you also begin to get the notion that there are other superheroes that live on the
island that are not truly that important to the story line. For example, in the 3rd panel, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage can be seen, but they are not shown as superheroes, like the main characters, but rather in a very domestic way, grocery shopping.  If the reader has not read Jessica Jones’ series Alias, the inference would not be all that obvious. This is an example of intertextuality, in this case intertextuality adds another layer of interest, making the reader want to try to find other familiar characters, but it also does detract from the work if the reader does not catch the reference.  (Bauman 5)

Truly the only additional information beyond the first four pages, that the reader needs to fully understand the world (if they have not extensively read the Secret Wars line) is given about half way through the first issue. This information is that Doom is a god like ruler and that the Thors (more than 5 are shown) are the keepers and enforces if the law. A-Force does a good job of introduces this information so that readers who have not read the Secret Wars are able to understand what is happening.

A majority of the world building that is done in A-Force is done within the first four pages with some additional information that is picked up about half way through the first issues.

By: Kaitlyn Renaud

Genre and Intertextuality in A-Force

Genre and intertextuality as Bauman defines it greatly affects the way that A-Force is read. These two factors give a framework as to how the piece could be interpreted. Genre is determined by a reader’s relationship with previous texts. This causes expectations for the reader that they assume will be followed.  Intertextuality as defined by Bauman is “the relational orientation of a text to other texts”. Therefore genre and intertextuality are connected.

A-Force could fall into a few distinct genres: superhero, science fiction, fantasy and dystopian.  All of these genre, specifically superhero, allows the reader to not be surprised when the main characters start to fly or are walking around in costumes.  Once the reader learns that A-Force also falls into a dystopian genre this also creates more expectations on top of the previous. For example, it is not surprising that there is an omniscient absolute ruler who reigns over the world and has a secrete police force. What is surprising is who these people are. This plays with the reader’s expectation and creates intrigue. 

Intertextuality also gives expectations for the reader. If the reader has even a basic understanding of Marvel and the Avengers, any variations there of, they have certain expectations.  A lot of these expectations are broken within this work. First off we get the first all female Avengers, which can change what they can do and opens up the cast to a number of different heroes who may have been excluded before.  Since this work comes at the end of the Secret Wars, with the parallel universes have already collided and breaking down, if the reader has not read a majority of the pervious Secret Wars material or does not have a large knowledge of the Secret Wars and only knows the basics of Marvel, many things will break their expectations.  This could include the role of the Thors, Doctor Doom, and Loki as well as the treatment of certain characters such as Ms. America. This is not necessarily a bad thing it just changes the reading experience.

Genre and intertextuality shapes how the comic is read and what a reader will get out of the comic. It sets up certain expectations depending on what the reader has read before as well as what they know about the characters and the worlds.  Sometimes these expectations are kept and sometimes they are broken. It is interesting as to which expectation is kept.