Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature

This critical study is written for people who take comics seriously. Hatfield, an assistant professor of English at California State University, successfully establishes a historical and theoretical framework in which graphic novels can be considered ""literature."" He begins with the 1960s comix movement, when people began creating graphic fiction that improvised on personal and social themes, and he shows how that artistic impulse has continued to develop. Along the way, he confronts the kind of serious questions that accompany the birth of a new genre of literature, examining Gilbert Hernandez's use of extreme temporal and thematic shifts in Love & Rockets and Harvey Pekar and Art Spiegelman's use of exaggerated cartoons to present tragic real-life experiences. Insights into these issues emerge from a sometimes exhausting survey of critical theory and an invigorating close reading of important comics. Hatfield recognizes the real-world limitations of alternative comics and graphic novels, but he also sees their potential for stimulating readers' appreciation of life. It's hard to imagine anyone coming away from this book without new insights, a deeper respect for comics as a challenging artistic form and sharper reading skills to use when enjoying new comics.