Comics and Community

Abstract

The authors use the setting, text, and form of comics to explore the relationship between society, education, and citizenship. The relationship is explored through analyses rooted in three distinct disciplines and applied to three superheroes whose narratives are often rooted in the communities in which they live: sociology (Daredevil and Hell's Kitchen), psychology (Black Panther and Wakanda), and citizenship education (Batman and Gotham). Collectively, these analyses highlight the potential of an interdisciplinary investigation of comics for providing opportunities for educators, researchers, and laypersons to (re)imagine what it means to live in a community with others. After the superheroes (and comics) are discussed within their respective analytical frames, implications for educators and researchers will be discussed. The chapter concludes with suggestions for using comics to aid in students' formulation and articulation of evidence-based, well-reasoned arguments about matters related to (re)imagined communities and citizenship education.