DAVID CUTLER · 2019–2020 ARCHIVE
Public reading edition · October 10, 2026. Read the daily classwork and homework here; no school login is required. These dates and directions belong to the archived course. Historical plans from the earlier course, Popular Culture in American History. Dates and deadlines follow the original sheets, including occasional inconsistencies.
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September 3, 2019
Introductions. Who is your favorite superhero? Why?
For Monday, please write a 1-2-page response to the summer reading Amazing Fantastic Incredible, analyzing Stan Lee’s thoughts about what makes a popular superhero. How did Lee’s own life experiences play a role in his thinking, and how did his ideas change over time?
September 4, 2019
Superhero trivia.
No additional homework.
September 9, 2019
Share written responses. Discuss summer reading and themes of course. Distribute course syllabus.
For tomorrow, please read and be prepared to discuss the following short selections in What Is a Superhero:
More than Normal, But Believable (By Stan Lee, comic book writer)
Making the World a Better Place (By Jeph Loeb, comic book writer)
We Could Be Heroes (By Will Brooker, academic)
September 10, 2019
Discuss selections from What Is a Superhero. Which take do you find most convincing? Why?
For tomorrow, please read and be prepared to discuss the following short selections from What Is a Superhero:
What is a Female Superhero? (By Jennifer K. Stuller, academic)
Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference (By Clare Pitkethly, academic)
Extraordinary (By Joe Quesada, comic book writer)
September 11, 2019
Discuss selections from What Is a Superhero. Which take do you find most convincing? Why?
For Friday, please read Chapters 1 and 4 in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. We will return to additional selections of this amazing book, as we read different comics and graphic novels. Also, while nothing is due to be submitted, please bring in any questions you have about how to make sense of reading and interpreting comics, which will be a central focus of the course.
September 13, 2019
Discuss Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.
For Monday, please read and be prepared to discuss Chapter 1 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. As you read each chapter, consider the following questions for discussion…
How do you think Waid and Ross define superheroes?
How do you think Waid and Ross define villains?
What role do “ordinary” people play in the story?
How does the art complement the writing? Or not?
What truths do Waid and Ross try to reveal about our own society?
Please think of any of your own questions to ask and respond to.
Also, for next Friday, please write your own response (2-3 pages) on What is a Superhero? There are no right or wrong answers, but please be thoughtful. You do not need to follow a particular structure (essay or op-ed style is equally great), but your writing should be clear, concise, and persuasive. You do not need to rely on classroom or outside sources, but if you do, cite accordingly using Chicago.
September 16, 2019
Discuss Chapter 1 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.
For tomorrow, please read Chapter 2 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. Have your responses to any of the questions (above) changed? If so, why?
September 17, 2019
Discuss Chapter 2 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.
For tomorrow, please read Chapter 3 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. Have your responses to any of the questions (above) changed? If so, why?
September 18, 2019
Discuss Chapter 3 in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.
For Friday, please complete writing assignment. Also, please read chapter 4 and “one year later…” in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, finishing the graphic novel. Have your responses to any of the questions (above) changed? If so, why?
September 20, 2019
Discuss chapter 4 and “one year later…” in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.
For Monday, please read the “bonus material” after the graphic novel concludes. Be prepared to discuss how the material give you deeper insight into what the authors think about superheroes. What surprises you about any particular revelations?
September 23, 2019
Discuss “bonus material” from Kingdom Come. Introduce take-home response (4-5 pages) due Oct. 16. Please write an academic essay in response to one of the following prompts…
Analyze the role of responsibility in Kingdom Come. How does this affect the younger meta-humans? In what way does Superman abandon his responsibilities and how does he redeem himself? What responsibilities does Norman McKay fail to perform in the beginning of Kingdom Come? How do the humans and the delegates of the U.N. factor in here? In particular, how does this relate to the relationship between Magog and Superman? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.
How is Kingdom Come a story of redemption? How (and to what extent) do the meta-humans redeem their lapses in the eyes of the humans they swore to protect? How must superman redeem his abandonment of society, as well as society their condemnation of his peaceful ways? In what ways is Wonder Woman’s loss and subsequent recovery of her heritage integral to the story? How is Norman McKay’s story line and character arc in line with the theme of redemption?
The art of telling a story through a graphic novel is vastly different from telling a story in novel form. Discuss how a writer and artist must work together to create a comic book, especially one of the magnitude of Kingdom Come. What were their processes? How did they strike the balance between visual and written story-telling? How did the art help develop the characters? How did the writing help develop the art? Feel free to pick a specific scene from the book to more effectively illustrate your ideas and points.
The destruction of Kansas is the turning point for society’s views on meta-humans. It is also the event that finally brings Superman out of his self-imposed exile. Discuss the symbolism of the Kansas disaster in relation to three of the points below (and remember to cite specific examples from the text to support your response):
The shattering of hope, especially for Norman McKay.
The confirmation of the public’s realization that they have too readily embraced violence as a solution.
The eventual acceptance of guilt and blame by all meta-humans at the end of the book.
The fragility of human life, especially in comparison to the meta-humans.
A symbol of redemption and rebirth.
For tomorrow, please read “Superman’s Revelation: The Problem of Violence in Kingdom Come,” by David Hatfield.
September 24, 2019
Discuss “Superman’s Revelation: The Problem of Violence in Kingdom Come,” by David Hatfield.
For tomorrow, in Comic Book Nation, please read the Introduction and Chapter 1 up to page 13.