The dominance of superheroes in comic books has led to conflicts in interpretations and people's perceptions of comic books. The majority of people believe that superheroes are the only genre in comic books; nevertheless, comic books are divided into various categories. Other popular comic book genres outside superheroes include horror, Manga, science fiction, and all ages. Apart from superheroes, Horror has controlled the world of comic books (Kukkonen, 2013). Because of their visual medium, comics are an ideal complement for horror. The study will look at two horror comics (Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips and Tomb of Dracula). The authors of Fatale have managed to combine various periods, drama and, Lovecraftian that not only scares but also entertains the reader. The story in Fatale comic surrounds a woman by the name Jo who lived several decades. Jo has a gift of making men obsessed with her. Tomb of Dracula on the other side was written by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in 1972. In the beginning, Tomb of Dracula was considered directionless book where various writers were mixing ideas and work, but when Marv and Gene took full control, they decided to concentrate on one thing which is horror gold. In their six issues, Wolfman and Colan created a world of vivid gallons continued the flow of blood ripping romance and vampire among others.
How does the narration reinforce the genre horror?
The narration of Jo’s life even without looking deeper into the book is enough to tell that the story is a pure horror. In the book, we are told that Jo has lived many decades, and she has a gift or power of making men obsessed with her. We are also told that Josephine is immortal because she has survived from the 1930s to modern day. She struggles to control and understand her power when persuaded by a violent cult or cosmic gods which remind her of Lovecraftian horrors that tie her. Also, the narration jumps between various time and point of views to show how she used her power to obsess men an act only found in horror comics. This kind of narration portrays and supports horror. On the hand, the narration of Dracula life is a pure horror due to its terrifying nature. The narration of Dracula life conquers with the genre because in real life no human being who can live life over five hundred years as Dracula. Dracula says “I am lord of evil, little man — forever and always!” In this book, the author narrates various incidents that are about horror. Dracula dies in the middle of the series, and later we see him resurgent on Halloween. In the book Dracula saves a woman from being raped not because of good will but because he wanted to feed on her blood.
How does the art reinforce the genre?
In the Fatale comic book, the author has utilized artwork to make readers of the book understand the content while drawing their attention. In the Fatale, the author draws the genre horror by using the Vargas woman and the heart of a rattle snake. In this image or artwork, the Vargas girl wants to escape the demonic or satanic demonic. Also, the use of neutral tones and earthly shades portrays the genre horror in the Fatale. The use of the double-edged sword reinforces the genre since it represents immortality. On the Tomb of Dracula, several artworks have been used to portray horrors. Just like in the book Fatale, the Tomb of Dracula is yet another work with amazing artwork that reinforces the genre. Gene Colan who is the main artists has done an incredible job. Tomb of Dracula image is a terrifying one. We are shown Dracula feeding on the blood of a woman. Also, the representations of a vampire image form reinforce the horror genre because only on horror you can find a person feeding on human blood.
What are the archetypes represented in these two comic books?
A femme fatale is the archetype represented in the book Fatale. This archetype is a seductive or mysterious woman with powers that make men fall for her, often leading them to dangerous situations or compromising. Jo is a supernatural being with powers to hypnotize and entrance her victims. She is considered as the archetype of literature and art (Walter 2015). In the Tomb of Dracula, the vampire archetype is represented. The vampire myth has been present in almost every culture. Blood means a life where blood is an archetypal symbol of life energy (soul). In the comic world, the image of vampires is dark, and they consume human blood or other people’s blood (Johnson 2017).
How is genre represented in both comics’ books?
The representation of genre differs in these two comic books. In the Fatale, the genre is represented by the narration of the story about a woman with the power to make men fall for her. The artwork used and description shows how she is linked to a satanic or demonic world where she desperately wants to escape (Walter 2015). On the Tomb of Dracula, the genre is represented using vampires’ images where one feeds on the blood of another. Fatale uses demonic to describe the genre while in the book Tomb of Dracula vampires are the ones used to depict genre horror. The names used in the Tomb of Dracula adequately represent the genre. For example, the name Dracula means the devil and the dragon which is not the case in the Fatale. Genre representation in these two comic books differs because of change in the role. In the Fatale, we are presented with the final woman who is struggling to escape from captivity while in Tomb of Dracula genre is represented by a powerful individual who feeds on the blood of others.
How is genre horror depicted traditionally?
Genre horror is a fiction with the aim of terrifying, frightening, starlet and disgusting the reader by employing feelings of terror and horror. Early days, Horror was presented with a lot of violence and gore. In other words, the genre was depicted with supernatural evil to scare human beings away. The two comics are similar in their depictions because both use supernatural creatures. Fatale uses a woman by the name Jo while Tomb of Dracula uses a vampire by the name Dracula. Feminism is used to attract male into trouble while the other one feeds on human blood.
Importance of horror genre to literature
Horror is a vital genre of literature because it captures the imagination of the reader for many years. This genre also offers an escape route from our usual routine. In the world of horror, the reader is allowed to confront suspense, terror, and extraordinary environments but return to the normal life once the book closes the book. The genre is very educative; through it people can learn how to solve situations facing them in a more civilized manner. The genre educates us more about our present world and our culture (Thomas, 2011). Horror is the vital form of societal satire.
Many people think that horror movies are mindless entertainment while others believe that they are guts and blood films with no importance in our lives. Despite different views about this genre, I believe there is a lot we can learn. In our case the greatest learn we can learn from both comics is to be careful and not to fall for anything that passes. For example in the Fatale Jo seduces men to fall for her. Another lesson we from both comics and movie is to research before deciding on something to avoid regrets in the future.
References
Comics Book Review: Fatale: Book One (Death Chases Me) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Image (Diamond, dist.), $14.99 trade paper (144p) ISBN 978-1-60706-563-0. (2017). PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 7 September 2017, from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-60706-563-0
Kukkonen K. (2013). Contemporary Comics Storytelling.University of Nebraska Press – Lincon.
Johnson, R. (2017). Vampire, The Archetype (Tallahassee Center for Jungian and Gnostic Studies). Jungian.info. Retrieved 7 September 2017, from http://jungian.info/library.cfm?idsLibrary=9
Thomas P. L. (2011). Adventures in genre: rethinking genre through comics/graphic novels. Journal of graphic novels and comics.Volume 2.Issue 2.
Walter, Susan (2015). "Images of the Femme Fatale in two Short Stories by Emilia Pardo Bazán." Romance Notes. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
