Philosophy of Comics: An Introduction

What exactly is a comic? What is the difference between a comic and an illustrated novel? Could a comic be rightly counted as a work of literature?

Thinking about comics raises a host of philosophical questions. Philosophy of Comics is an introduction to these questions and more. Exploring some of the peculiar features of comics, cartoons, and graphic novels, Sam Cowling and Wesley Cray chart a path through the field of the philosophy of comics.

Using examples from a diverse range of comic genres and informed by case studies of classics such as Watchmen and The Flash, they tackle a variety of ethical, metaphysical, and aesthetic puzzles, including:

- What does it takes to create-or destroy-a fictional character like Black Panther?
- Can all comics be adapted into films, or do some resist such treatment?
- Is there really a genre of "superhero comics"?

At a time of rapidly growing interest in graphic storytelling, this is an ideal introduction to the philosophy of comics and some of its most familiar and important questions.