The Power of Comics and Graphic Novels

After the successful and innovative first two editions, now in a new, restructured 3rd edition, this remains the most authoritative introduction for studying comic books and graphic novels, covering their place in contemporary culture, the manifestations and techniques of the art form, the evolution of the medium and how to analyze and write about them.

The new edition includes:
- A completely reworked introduction explores the comics community in the US and globally, its history, and the role of different communities in advancing the medium and its study
- Chapters reframed to get students thinking about themselves as consumers and makers of comics
- Reorganized chapters on form help to unpack encapsulation, composition and layout
- Completely new chapters on comics and how they can be used to report, document, and persuade, as well as a new Preface by Karen Green

Illustrated throughout, with discussion questions and activities for every chapter and an extensive glossary of key terms, The Power of Comics and Graphic Novels also includes further updated resources available online including additional essays, weblinks and sample syllabi.

“"Duncan, Smith, and Levitz have delivered an outstanding and much-needed volume that should be required reading in any of the growing number of comics studies classes in academia today. The Power of Comics provides historical, cultural, and literary approaches that will not only deepen students' understanding of this medium but help them develop the critical tools required to engage meaningfully with a host of other subjects and issues. Highly recommended." -- Rocco Versaci, author of This Book Contains Graphic Language: Comics as Literature "As a textbook, it succeeds in content, scope, and execution. The chapters are well laid out, have thoughtful questions at their ends, and several chapters end with very practical examples of analysis that serve as models for students. Chapters also reference a broad range of experts . . . which further validates breadth and depth of this growing scholarship. . . . Overall . . . the book-including the theory chapters-is reasonably good for a 'first textbook on comics,' and I would imagine it will fast become a standard text for those sorts of classes." -- Neil Cohn, author of 'The Visual Language of Comics'”

Duncan, Smith, and Levitz have delivered an outstanding and much-needed volume that should be required reading in any of the growing number of comics studies classes in academia today. The Power of Comics provides historical, cultural, and literary approaches that will not only deepen students’ understanding of this medium but help them develop the critical tools required to engage meaningfully with a host of other subjects and issues. Highly recommended. Rocco Versaci, author of This Book Contains Graphic Language: Comics as Literature
As a textbook, it succeeds in content, scope, and execution. The chapters are well laid out, have thoughtful questions at their ends, and several chapters end with very practical examples of analysis that serve as models for students. Chapters also reference a broad range of experts . . . which further validates breadth and depth of this growing scholarship. . . . Overall . . . the book—including the theory chapters—is reasonably good for a 'first textbook on comics,' and I would imagine it will fast become a standard text for those sorts of classes. Neil Cohn, author of 'The Visual Language of Comics'
Balancing its multi-angled scope, careful scholarship, and welcoming accessibility, Power of Comics remains the go-to textbook for analyzing and appreciating the ever-evolving comics medium. Chris Gavaler, Author of Superhero Comics and The Comics Form
An extremely comprehensive work, The Power of Comics offers a wealth of information and engages readers with an approachable and engaging style. This edition covers important new material, including updated sections on Graphic Medicine, comics production, libraries, and web comics. I applaud the authors’ research, writing, and dedication to the field. Dr. Susan Kirtley, Professor of English, Portland State University, USA

Randy Duncan is Ellis College Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Comics Studies at Henderson State University. He is co-author of Creating Comics as Journalism, Memoir and Nonfiction (2015). He is co-editor, with Matthew J. Smith, of Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods (2011), Icons of the American Comic Book (2013), The Secret Origins of Comics Studies (2017), and More Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods (2019). Dr. Duncan is co-founder of the Comics Arts Conference, held each summer in San Diego.

Matthew J. Smith is Dean of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Communication at Radford University, USA, where he teaches the introductory Comics Studies course. Along with Randy Duncan, he is a co-editor of the Routledge Advances in Comics Studies Series and co-curator of the traveling exhibition, Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes.

Paul Levitz is a former President and Publisher of DC Comics and has written for many of DC's major comic books series, including Superman and Justice Society. His story Legion: The Great Darkness Saga was voted one of the top 20 best comic stories of the last century by readers of The Buyers' Guide. He teaches a course in the American Graphic Novel at Columbia University and was named to the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2019.

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