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‘We have experienced a tragedy which words cannot properly describe’: Representations of Trauma in Post-9/11 Superhero Comics
Article first published online: 17 AUG 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2011.00829.x
© 2011 The Authors. Literature Compass © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
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How to Cite
Smith, P. and Goodrum, M. (2011), ‘We have experienced a tragedy which words cannot properly describe’: Representations of Trauma in Post-9/11 Superhero Comics. Literature Compass, 8: 487–498. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2011.00829.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 17 AUG 2011
- Article first published online: 17 AUG 2011
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Abstract
This paper explores the manifestation of trauma in superhero comics following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. These texts are considered from the perspectives of clinical psychology and Silverman’s concept of historical trauma. The paper first examines the genre as a whole, followed by an exploration of elements common to the genre as exemplified in the Avengers: Disassembled plot arc.