Authors

Discussion

Comics have evolved into a remarkable cultural phenomenon that mirrors the ever-changing sociopolitical landscape of society. They possess a unique capacity to promptly respond to various aspects of human existence, including environmental catastrophes, global crises, wars, forced displacement, violence, and indignity.

Since 2014, the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine has been the topic of many Ukrainian comics. Moreover, it triggered the creation of Ukrainian superhero comics, documentary and war comics, and (autobiographical) graphic novels.

The research analyzes various Ukrainian superhero comics, such as Lesia Voroniuk’s Ukrainian Superheroes (Ukraïns’ki Superheroï), published in 2015; Vadym Nazarov’s Patriot (Patriot), released in 2014, 2016, and 2018; the series Guardians of the Country (Okhorontsi Krainy) by Leonid Krasnopolsky and Ihor Yarovoy, published in 2018; and Dawn of Heroes: Kharkiv (Svitanok Heroiv: Kharkiv), which came out in 2023 by Yaroslav Udodenko. These comics vary in intended audience and themes, ranging from educating children about Ukrainian history and values to critiquing political and social issues for adult readers. Superheroes, traditionally seen in American and other Western media, often embody values and narratives reflective of their societies. Integrating Ukrainian cultural, historical, and folklore elements creates superheroes that resonate with Ukrainian identity while also appealing to a global audience.

This paper explores the artistic approaches, visual narratives, and ideological themes within Ukrainian superhero. The research employs diverse methodologies to achieve this goal, including content analysis, semiotic and comparative approaches, and an in-depth analysis of the image-text interactions. By doing so, it seeks to delve into the distinct narrative comic techniques used in these comics and how they have evolved in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The main objective of this research is to examine how Ukrainian superhero comics reflect a distinct national identity and cultural values. It emphasizes that their narratives are closely tied to Ukraine's contemporary social and political issues. Ukrainian superhero comics often use national symbols, historical references to create a narrative of resistance and resilience against external threats, thereby contributing uniquely to the global superhero genre.