The article examines anthropomorphism as an artistic device in contemporary comics and its role as a tool for constructing the image of a story’s protagonist. The study outlines the main functions of anthropomorphic characters in comics, particularly their ability to convey complex social themes through animal figures endowed with human traits. The article analyzes examples from classic and modern European graphic novels, American comic books, and Ukrainian comics, which demonstrate the symbolic, comedic, and emotionally charged potential of anthropomorphism as a means of character creation. The research considers different levels of anthropomorphization, ranging from zoomorphic metaphors (Maus by Art Spiegelman) to fully “humanized” animal characters in classic Disney comics. Special attention is paid to the use of anthropomorphism in the contemporary Ukrainian context, particularly in the comics Koty-zakhysnyky UA (“Cats-Defenders UA”) and publications about the mine-detection dog Patron, where this device serves as a gentle means of representing wartime realities while forming positive and recognizable heroic images. The study demonstrates that anthropomorphism significantly expands the expressive possibilities of comic art, allowing creators to develop more nuanced protagonists, enhance the symbolic and metaphorical layers of the narrative, and build an effective dialogue with readers of different age groups.

Since his literary debut, the Haitian-Quebecois Immortal Dany Laferrière has universalized the experience of exile through the hybridization of genres and the use of transcultural, extraterritorial references that extend his reflection beyond Haiti and Quebec to embrace the whole world. This article examines the impact of intermediality in his graphic novels Vers d’autres rives (2019) and L’Exil vaut le voyage (2020), focusing on the interplay between text and image and highlighting the intertextuality with other works by Laferrière. Drawing on an analysis of visual and textual narration, the article highlights how the writer transcends the boundaries between text and image. The aim is to show how this latest direction taken by Laferrière, in which literature and the visual arts converge, adds a new dimension to his already complex work, deeply rooted in cultural and artistic diversity.

This paper analyses Geonung Park’s Geu yeoreumnarui gieok (Memories of Those Summer Days), published in 2019, and Kim Geumsuk’s Gidarim (The Waiting), published in 2020, two Korean graphic novels that portray the Korean War (1950–1953). The aim of the paper is to show the manner in which meaning is conveyed in comics. Park’s graphic novel focuses on a largely unknown event from the Korean War, which is the Nogeunri massacre (26–29 July 1950), when American soldiers killed hundreds of South Korean civilian refugees, while Kim’s graphic novel focuses more on the memory and the aftermath of the Inter-Korean War, when families were able to reunite, 70 years after the conflict. The first graphic novel can only be found in Korean, whereas Kim’s novel has beentranslated into English, a year after its publication, but the object of analysis is the original, Korean version. This paper discusses the two graphic novels through an interdisciplinary approach, from the perspective of trauma and memory studies, with a focus on the concept of “cultural trauma,” theorized by Jeffrey C. Alexander, as well as through a semiotic approach, focusing on the concepts of “denotation” and “connotation,” as discussed by Roland Barthes, in order to portray the means through which a hybrid medium, such as comics, combines cultural, visual, and textual aspects to create meaning.

ABSTRACT This study employs the intersection of trauma theory, neurobiology and anti-kitsch techniques to analyse Vanni: A Family’s Struggle Through The Sri Lankan Conflict. The paper highlights the structural, collective and ongoing aspects of suffering endured by Tamil civilians by drawing on Stef Craps’s postcolonial trauma theory in response to criticisms of Eurocentric trauma models. It contends that Vanni’s use of metonymic imagery, fragmented panel layouts and flashbacks ethically depict trauma without giving in to sentimentalism. The paper demonstrates how the graphic novels defy the excesses and reductions typical of mass-market depictions of genocide and war, drawing on Laurike in’t Veld’s concept of anti-kitsch. Additionally, it examines how Vanni’s formal characteristics mimic the neurological disturbances linked to trauma, in line with neurological understandings of memory, emotional dysregulation and PTSD. This study emphasises the graphic novel’s ability to bear witness to marginalised histories and promote critical empathy by bridging scientific and artistic approaches to trauma.

Adaptation has long been a foundational practice within Western culture, and in the contemporary moment, it functions as a central mechanism through which narratives are reshaped, recontextualized, and disseminated across diverse media landscapes. While adaptation is frequently associated with the transformation of novels into films, current scholarship increasingly emphasizes the expansive and multifaceted nature of adaptive processes. These processes extend beyond cinema into realms such as opera, theatre, radio, graphic art, digital games, and other transmedial forms, revealing adaptation as both a cultural norm and a creative strategy that underpins global literary culture. This paper investigates the broad spectrum of transmedial adaptations of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, focusing particularly on works produced since 2011. It argues that the novella’s persistent relevance and adaptability stem from its narrative opacity, moral ambiguity, and symbolic density, which invite reinterpretation across time and medium. The study examines overt and covert transformations of Heart of Darkness, attending to the varied ways in which its core themes—colonialism, alienation, power, and the limits of knowledge—are reframed in contemporary media. These adaptations range from digital video games and graphic novels to experimental theatre and immersive opera productions, each engaging with the source text in distinctive and often subversive ways. By tracing these recent transmedial adaptations, the paper situates Heart of Darkness as a pivotal case study in adaptation theory, demonstrating how canonical literature is continually reimagined to reflect new cultural, technological, and political contexts. In doing so, it reveals the adaptive afterlife of Conrad’s work as a lens through which to understand the shifting dynamics of media and narrative in the twenty-first century. The analysis ultimately highlights adaptation as a generative and evolving dialogue between texts, media, and audiences.

ABSTRACT This article explores the intricate narrative techniques and unconventional depiction of heroism in Alan Moore’s graphic novel, Watchmen. The novel employs a multifaceted narrative voice that intertwines multiple perspectives, challenging readers to engage with the story on various levels. This narrative complexity is enhanced through the use of multiple timelines and contrasting viewpoints, providing depth and ambiguity to the characters’ motivations and actions. The novel undermines traditional superhero tropes by presenting a form of scattered heroism, where characters exhibit flawed and often conflicting moral codes. Unlike conventional superheroes who are ideal of virtue, the protagonists in Watchmen embody a spectrum of ethical dilemmas, reflecting the complexity of real-world morality. This scattered approach to heroism invites readers to question the nature of power, responsibility, and the role of heroes in society. By analysing the narrative structure and character dynamics, this paper examines how Watchmen redefines the superhero genre, offering a critical commentary on the limitations and implications of decentralised heroism. Through its innovative storytelling, Watchmen remains a central work that continues to influence the landscape of graphic novels and popular culture.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of using graphic novels to improve students’ reading comprehension of EFL vocational students. Graphic novels were chosen because they combine text and visuals that can capture students’ attention and facilitate a deeper understanding of the content through engaging narratives and visual elements. The method employed in this research was a pre-experimental, applying One Group Pre-test and Post-test design. The samples were second grade students at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Central Halmahera, North Maluku which is consisting of 30 students. The instrument is multiple choice questions to assess reading comprehension while reading graphic novels. Data analysis involved normality testing and a t-test using SPSS-26 software to examine the differences of students’ scores before and after the treatment. The results showed a significant improvement of students’ reading comprehension after using graphic novels. The average score on the pre-test was 49.00 and after being given treatment, there was an increase in the post-test score to 72.83. The t-test indicated a significance value of 0.01 < 0.05 and the post-test value shows that the t-test value is 3.72 which is greater than the t-table 2.04, confirming that the use of graphic novels was effective and as an innovative learning media for enhancing students’ reading comprehension because it can motivate students’ interest in learning reading skill. Graphic novels did not only display long reading texts, but also display image or visual elements so that students did not get bored. Therefore, it can be recommended as an innovative and engaging tool for English language instruction.

ABSTRACT Nandita Basu is a Comic Book artist and a musician. She is popularly known for her work Rain Must Fall (2021) and Starry Starry Night (2023). She started her career as an animator, moving on to become a comic book artist. She won the Neev Book Award (2022) for the Young Adult category. Her works express a personal touch dwelling on friendship, loss, and music. Through this interview, Nandita shares her way of working around Graphic novels, storytelling and experiences in her works. The interview was conducted via Google Meet.

Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta (1982–1989) and Watchmen (1986–1987) stand as two of the most influential graphic novels in modern English literature, blending visual art with profound philosophical inquiry. Both texts interrogate the relationship between politics, individuality, and national identity, offering critical reflections on postwar Britain and Cold War America. Through dystopian and deconstructed superhero narratives, Moore exposes how power and ideology shape personal and collective identities. This paper examines the political allegories, the construction of individuality, and the crises of national identity represented in V for Vendetta and Watchmen. It argues that Moore’s works not only critique authoritarianism and moral absolutism but also illustrate how identity is fluid, fragmented, and shaped by historical forces. Using a cultural and literary analytical framework, this research situates Moore’s storytelling within the broader discourse of postmodern politics, cultural trauma, and the subversion of myth.

Abstract Graphic novels are increasingly used in ethics education for their ability to convey complex issues through visual storytelling. This scoping review explores how graphic novels, manga, and comics are applied in ethics education, identifying key themes, teaching strategies, pedagogical impact, and research gaps. We followed PRISMA guidelines to review literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Thematic analysis, network analysis, and modularity clustering were used to categorize findings. From 26 included studies, graphic novels were shown to support ethical reflection, critical thinking, and reasoning. Most were used in formal education, though informal and hybrid settings were also noted. Interactive elements and feedback mechanisms were rarely implemented. Only half the studies included formal evaluation, and ethical domains were often undefined. Graphic novels are promising tools for ethics education. Future work should enhance interactivity, clarify ethical content, and improve evaluation strategies tailored to diverse learning contexts.

Mental health is a concern on college campuses across the United States, including at Gallaudet University, a university for deaf and hard of hearing students. In order to reduce the burden on counseling centers, college administrators need to consider cross-campus strategic efforts to provide mental health education and support. This qualitative case study explored whether reading the graphic novel Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice from My Bipolar Life by Ellen Forney and then engaging in a focus group discussion about the book would impact mental health awareness for deaf and hard of hearing students. Data included pre- and post-reflections from four focus groups and one individual interview (N = 20). Thematic analysis of the narrative data identified four themes: Reader Engagement, Connections, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Experience, and Coping Strategies. Findings suggest that using graphic novels can enhance accessibility, foster emotional connection, and promote coping strategies. While results are promising, larger-scale studies are needed to evaluate effectiveness as part of broader campus wellness initiatives. Campus health educators can use this book as a part of larger efforts to address mental health.

Abstract The term “Other” usually brings to mind an image of a cultural opposite, usually with postcolonial connotations. But at times, the “Other” can exist within one’s own culture—that is, nonconformity. Cultural revolutions bring about certain changes to which a part of society refuses to adjust. They can endeavor to assimilate to an extent while still remaining rebellious in their own capacity. This research will attempt to explore the cultural otherness within a society with reference to Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and its sequel Persepolis: The Story of a Return. These graphic novels, which are autobiographical in nature, depict Satrapi’s life in Iran before and after the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979. It explores how Satrapi, as an Iranian, dealt with the cultural revolution in the country and came to terms with her otherness in a post–Islamic Revolution Iran and after leaving Iran for Austria for a certain period of time. This article, in reference to these graphic novels, will endeavor to mainly analyze the otherness within, while touching upon the otherness without, meaning thereby that it will see how people can feel “Otherized” within their own culture and how, after escaping from their culture, they come to terms with their otherness in a completely alien culture.

The literary genre “ Bildungsroman ,” also known as the coming-of-age novel or educational-formative novel, in the form of “Bildungsroman” graphic stories is addressed in this research. We are interested in the importance of constructing utopian versus dystopian visions of the world, with their resulting emotions and feelings that arise from the” hero’s/heroine’s” struggles against antagonistic events and circumstances resulting from own personal experiences and impulses. The reader-spectator will be shown how these narratives are technically and artistically expressed in humorous, satirical, or comical ways. Our working hypothesis is that this literary genre effectively demonstrates psychological realities and circumstances with which the reader-spectator can identify by becoming involved in idealized scenarios, developing and transforming awareness, as well as improving a self-esteem. Educational-formative humorous graphic novels acquire the status of “clinical-pedagogical instruments” since they open, for clinicians and non-professional audiences, the possibility of a deep understanding of critical periods of development, as well as the steps to follow in order to enhance next stages of mental and psychological growth.

BackgroundGraphic novels - full-length stories published in comic-strip format are a proven method for putting student nurses ‘into the shoes’ of health service users and offer nurse educators an alternative to traditional modes of instruction. Their use can support the teaching of palliative care related topics, which remains a challenge in nurse education. This study aimed to explore the views and perspectives of nurse educators about how the graphic novel Vivian could be used to prepare undergraduate nursing students for palliative care and beyond.MethodsFocus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 12 nurse educators at universities in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Sweden and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes were generated: (1) impact of visual storytelling, (2) arts-based learning in palliative care, (3) refinement of the graphic novel, (4) recommendations about future graphic novels. Participants noted Vivian’s usefulness for teaching issues related to palliative care and the health care system, including gender inequities, ageing, and economic crises.ConclusionsThere is scope to use arts-based learning when engaging audiences from diverse backgrounds. The educators stressed Vivian could help students think ‘outside of the box’ and stressed the importance of a teaching and learning approach that extended beyond textbooks to include other interactive forms. Future research is needed to adapt and refine the graphic novel by considering social and cultural contexts and evaluate how the graphic novel is implemented in nurse education across different settings and countries.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-025-01907-y.

This article summarizes and synthesizes the findings of several studies the authors conducted about school librarians 'perception of graphic novels. Censorship behaviors, both direct and indirect, are discussed, as well as the motivations for these actions, which include fear, external pressures, and discomfort and unfamiliarity with the format. Suggestions for creating a climate more conducive to students' right to read are offered.

This article engages in a close reading of the graphic novels Nómades, by Xosé Tomás, and Borders, written by Thomas King and illustrated by Natasha Donovan. The question emerges of how the stories of borders and border-crossing, undertaken by women in transit within Europe and North America, can be fruitfully represented in the form of graphic narratives written by men. With its bimodal reading requirements, the overlay of picture and text, the visible gaps and breaks inherent to a medium that relies on gutters andframes, the heterogenous, non-linear narrative of movement and migration can be narrated effectively. By drawing on theories of borders and nomadic subjects (Ahmed 2000; Tamboukou 2021; Braidotti 2011), as well as work by comics theorists such as Hillary Chute(2008), among others, I will analyse how two specific texts offer different, and yet equally engaged, approaches to the graphic representation of otherness in transit.

The article is a review of the thematic German studies yearbook Gegenwartsliteratur. Schwerpunkt/Focus: Erinnerung – Autofiktion – Archiv. Ein germanistisches Jahrbuch (A German Studies Yearbook) (22/2023), Friederike Eigler (Hrsg.), Germany. "Modern Literature: Memory, Autofiction, Archive" positions itself as an international platform for scientific discussion of the main problems of the current literary process in Germany and Austria. The yearbook includes articles by famous German scholars devoted to the study of the latest "literature of memories" (Erinnerungsliteratur). Within the field of research, multimedia collages of cultural memory are considered, namely autofiction novels, family novels, cultural archives, and graphic novels. The valuable research material in the German studies yearbook will undoubtedly be in demand by a diverse target audience interested in scholarly discussion about the culture and literature of memory.

ABSTRACT This text attempts to assess the ways in which some of the best recent graphic novels – such as Spiegelman’s Maus – have attempted to depict the multiple dimensions and issues that arise when trying to represent a limit-event such as the Holocaust. In order to achieve this goal, there are some introductory words on the possibilities of the comic as a medium for describing the past, especially the pain and suffering of the victims. After that, an analysis of the main narratives will follow, including criticism of the visual and aesthetic resources of a set of contemporary comics about the Holocaust (including Art Spiegelman’s masterpiece, Primo Levi and Anne Frank’s Diary), and ending with some conclusions about the way in which Postmodern Historiographical Representations can help us to make sense of a traumatic past.

Language is not necessary to narrate even quite complex tales; indeed, stories can be narrated completely visually. This paper analyses Marc-Antoine Mathieu’s entirely wordless → – also known as Sens – published in 2014, to demonstrate that viewers understand this graphic novel by drawing on (1) their knowledge of story conventions; (2) their comprehension of the ways in which the medium of the graphic novel is able to narrate; (3) their embodied awareness of image schemas, specifically the SOURCE-PATH-GOAL , FORCES , and BALANCE schemas that are at the root of the LIFE IS A JOURNEY metaphor; (4) familiarity with any other pertinent artistic texts and cultural knowledge they happen to be able to recruit. In this way, the paper aims to show the interrelation between visual communication and cognition; to contribute to the study of comics and graphic novels; and to pay tribute to Mathieu’s amazing work of art.

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the gaze movement patterns of sixthgrade elementary school students while reading multimodal texts—graphic novels and picturebooks—in order to investigate their reading strategies and meaning-making processes. A crossover experimental design was employed in which the same participants read both types of texts. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an eye-tracking device, focusing on gaze path, heatmap, and areas of interest (AOI), and were supplemented by retrospective think-aloud interviews. The analysis of gaze paths revealed that during graphic novel reading, students followed a structured pattern in line with the sequential flow between speech balloons and images, indicating a text-centered information processing tendency. In contrast, during picturebook reading, students exhibited more fluid gaze patterns led by image exploration, highlighting the construction of meaning through the interaction between visual and verbal information. Heatmap analysis showed strong fixation on speech balloon texts and characters’ faces in graphic novels, whereas in picturebooks, fixations were concentrated on text and images marking narrative transitions. In AOI analysis, the text area in graphic novels showed the highest dwell time and number of fixations, while in picturebooks, significant gaze distribution was also observed in image areas related to the text. Interpreting these results through Serafini’s (2012) reader resource theory for successful multimodal text reading, readers of graphic novels primarily activated roles as "navigators" and "designers," whereas readers of picturebooks more prominently exhibited the roles of "interpreters" and "navigators." This study provides an empirical, process-oriented approach to multimodal text reading and offers meaningful implications for reading education and research in multimodal literacy by identifying genre-specific differences in information integration strategies.