Of Bats and Spiders: The Appeal of Comics to Adult Readers

Abstract

Comics are popular even among adults. It has been
suggested that the popularity of comics lies in its characters being
real and believable even though they are considered fictional
fantasies. The aim of this paper is to examine this argument by
studying two of comicdom’s most popular superheroes, Batman
and Spider-Man. The first part of the paper reviews some of the
reasons offered for the appeal of comics. This is followed by an
examination of the two superheroes including its origins and the
main events in the storylines. The examination suggests how both
Batman and Spider-Man remain real and believable to readers as
fictional characters.