The Close-Up Eye-Asymmetry Visual Metaphor Communicates the Abject: Evidence from Batman and Superman Comics

Igor Juricevic

doi:10.37536/reden.2021.3.1427

Authors

Igor Juricevic Indiana University South Bend

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37536/reden.2021.3.1427

Keywords:

Gothic, Comic Books, Comics, Metaphor, Visual Metaphor, Batman, Superman

Abstract

A distinctive theme of Gothic narratives is the abject. A character that is abject threatens to disrupt boundaries, both personal and societal. As such, the abject character must be rejected or destroyed by society. In this study, I provide evidence that the visual metaphor of Close-Up Eye Asymmetry (CUE-A) communicates the concept of the abject. I compare how often CUE-A is used when depicting Batman compared to Superman in comic books. Overall, I provide evidence that: (1) Batman is Gothic, (2) Batman is more Gothic than Superman, (3) Batman is abject, and (4) Batman is depicted with CUE-A more often than Superman. Taken together, this supports the conclusion that the CUE-A visual metaphor does, in fact, communicate the abject.

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