6 Individual Journals and 6 different Readings (Essay Sample)

Name
Instructor
Course
Institution
Date
Journal Entry
Graphic books (comics) are becoming increasingly popular, not just among teenagers. For generations, they've become an underappreciated and much-ridiculed format, but they're now gaining traction, with entire college classes devoted to their studies. Many individuals (particularly parents) have criticized them, claiming that they aren't difficult enough for children, are merely glorified picture books, or don't qualify as fiction. But, to be truthful, all these are simply common misunderstandings. Comics are a simple form of narrative with many best literary concepts such as humanism, heroism, and triumph over extraordinary circumstances. This Journal entry examines six comic books in different thematic and style analysis styles. The following comics are concerned: The Complete Maus, A Contract with God, X-men, Batman: Arkham Asylum, This One Summer, and Daredevils.
The Complete Maus
The comic book tells the narrative of Vladek Spiegelman, a Former prisoner from Poland who spent time in slums and extermination centers during Nazi rule. From a conceptual standpoint, survival is a significant issue Spiegelman explores during his time in internment camps and after the Holocaust.
In contrast, Vladek's ingenuity is demonstrated through the basic stuff he maintains or collects, as well as his abilities. Vladek, for instance, describes to Art how he continuously abused his employment by taking on the duties of an interpreter and a cobbler to gain access to more food and clothes by being regarded well by the Polish Kapo. Due to the scarcity of food and clothing in the internment camps, necessities acquired a form of wealth, and Vladek insisted on being thrifty and practical, which allowed him to purchase Anja's liberation from the Birkenau station.
Many veterans had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 'survivor's guilt.' This is demonstrated by Art's mother, Anja, who commits herself 20 years after escaping the death camps. After losing most of her colleagues and family, she tried to understand why she was still alive when others were not. Her sadness is palpable all through the comic book. Spiegelman also expresses his anger with Vladek, who treats him like a child rather than an adult. Art, for instance, is surprised that Vladek could toss out most of Art's jackets but instead purchase a better coat, notwithstanding Vladek's hoarding since he is unwilling and ashamed to let his kid wear his "old nasty coat." This gesture might imply to audiences that Vladek is attempting to give Art the lifestyle he does not have and is hesitant to allow his kid to wear clothing that he considers 'unacceptable.' Art, on the other hand, "can't possibly believe it" and doesn't understand his behavior.
A Contract with God
Will Eisner's graphic novel "A Contract with God" focuses on commercial relationships' shallow and changeable nature. The short tales build on one other to examine this issue, beginning with a basic example and gradually growing more subtle and ethically rich. The comic starts with a real pact between God and Frimme Hersh, a devout Jewish American immigrant. Hersh views his daughter's death as a breach of the bargain, and he resolves to abandon his dedicated life to chase fortune and power. He is struck by lightning in what is believed to be a divine act when he feels he has acquired a new contract. In religious situations, Eisner advises against transactional expectations. The following story, "The Street Singer," takes a more secular approach to the topic. The battered street performer strikes a deal with the distraught ex-diva to pursue an operatic career under her guidance. He betrays the agreement, and instead of caring for his pregnant wife, he spends her money on drinks (Anupama, 22). His relations to his wife, kid, and server are all strained, and his exchanges add to the story's melancholy tone.
The moral stakes are elevated in "The Super," when a transactional connection between a hated German handyman and a ten-year-old Jewish tenement inhabitant takes the form of a sexual contract. After completing the transaction, the teenage girl betrays the super's faith in the insubstantial connection, setting in motion a series of circumstances that finally lead to his death. The ethics of what and who is to fault for the catastrophe grow murky, but the underlying theme suggests that tragedy is the essence of such contractual arrangements.  What's fascinating about this narrative is that most of the endings are pleasant, at least superficially. Benny and Goldie get married to rich people. But a frightening image of Willie, the victim of Mrs. Minks' paraphilic deeds, overlooking the city in the downpour on the narrative's final chapter entirely undercuts this false sense of resolve (Anupama, 39). This unequal power and consent connection matches others all through the record and shows the futility of such partnerships with a feeling of certainty.
X-men
The X-Men stories elicit various interpretations, including parallels to all-too-human social issues such as racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and chauvinism. The series refers to catastrophes such as the Holocaust while emphasizing the misery of using the themes as insults. It also has a cast of characters who represent various social movements. Miller also argues for a queer interpretation of the X-Men. For instance, mutants "are frequently born of 'regular' parents" and "may stay concealed or in the closet' if they bear no visible trace of their alteration," he points out. Those who do 'come out' are frequently shunned by their family and acquaintances." The X-Men comic, despite its lofty aspirations, has a diversity issue, according to Miller. Characters of Indigenous Populations in the United States, Vietnam, and Brazil heritage was "either Clarification or pulled out of the storyline," according to Miller (Comics & Marvel 33). While villains are frequently represented as members of marginalized groups, the sequence took a long time to include racial minorities as heroes.
According to Miller, the show pulls in disadvantaged persons, quashes them, and sends them out as "European," integrated figures. The theme is clear: the USA ought to be a melting pot. Maybe they can appeal to both juvenile and senior readers' senses of fairness and distinction, as Miller suggests. According to Miller, the X-Men have a "storyline subject of hate and bigotry," which is adaptable enough to relate to the experiences of those who belong to races or factions on humanity's peripheries. The mutants' unique characteristics make them formidable, but they will also be terrifying. Consequently, the individuals are constantly confronted with biasness, and their experiences become allegories for how society deals with bigotry and tyranny (Comics & Marvel 78). Professor Xavier, who teaches mutants and seeks to help them cohabit with humankind, has an idea of equality and reconciliation comparable to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
In many respects, this comic story's topic is preference. Dr. Cavendish opted to liberate the convicts, fulfill Amadeus Arkham's plot, and accuse Batman, which is reflected throughout the story. Arkham's decided to put his mom out of her agony, she decided to create Arkham Asylum, and he chose to murder Maddog. Batman decided to bring on the convicts on his own, leaving the detainees alone and unharmed. This idea is exemplified by the Two-Face character, whose whole battle revolves around the concept of choice. In the end, he decides to let Batman leave, despite the fact it is against his fortune ( Round & Julia, 161). This subject connects to Se7en's, in which Inspector Mills is presented with several dilemmas throughout the film, culminating in the final decision. John, a documented serial murderer, avenges his deceased wife or arrests him and lets the authorities handle it. Mills, on the other hand, shoots John Doe in the ending. Choices are crucial; one incorrect choice at any point in this comic, regardless of how minor, can turn it into a completely distinct graphic book.
Morrison is a terrific Bronze Age comic creator, as seen by this issue. During the Middle Ages, comics shifted away from the typical "hero rescues the day and wins the lady" formula and instead focused on far darker subjects. The comic series and Grant Morris