Imbattable Vol.1 (2017): An Inspiration for Comics Studies

Overview & Synopsis

Comics studies are an evolving new field of study that harbors a considerable number of uncharted territories. Consequently, they remain under studied compared to other disciplines. This presentation discusses the uniqueness of comics, placing them as a legitimate field of study. It probes into the medium‘s unique powers through the study of Pascal Jousselin’s Imabattable. The latter depicts the mundane life of a superhero known as Imabttable, whose superpower is the ability to jump from panel to panel. Similarly, other characters have distinctive abilities related to the comic medium. We find a man with the ability to render language malleable, another superhero who can pick distant objects from panels, and a villain who can travel from one page to another. All these superpowers intrinsically linked to the comic medium shed light on its significance and legitimizes its belonging to the literary realm as a 9th art. Through this presentation, I aim to establish a link between each superpower discussed in the comic and its relation to some key concepts in my research such as intermediality, the language of comics, the anti-hero and the thematic depth of the comic medium.