How to effectively use comics and manga in the classroom to engage students in challenging topics, ignite their creativity, and get them thinking critically. Co-created by M. Brandon Robbins and Tom Garrou.

1. Superheroes 101
Using Comics In the Classroom
Tom Garrou
M. Brandon Robbins
Dude! I
trained with
Ninjas!
Oh yeah! Wonder
Woman is my
girlfriend!
You win!

2. Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk

3. Comics and Manga
★ Comics
○ American or British in origin
○ Major genres
■ Superhero
■ Crime
■ Horror
■ Western
■ Sci-Fi
■ War
○ Straightforward stories with traditional narrative structure
○ External conflict with internal conflict being an overarching theme
○ Primarily written for teenage and adult males

4. Comics and Manga
★ Manga
○ Japanese
○ Major genres
■ Magical
■ Mecha
■ Comedy
■ Sports
■ Drama
■ Daily Life
○ More expansive and contemplative stories
○ Both external and internal conflict at core of most stories
○ Written for a wider variety of audiences

5. A Word About Graphic Novels
★ A graphic novel is a work of graphic literature with a definitive beginning,
middle, and end within a single volume.
★ Most of what are popularly called “graphic novels” are reprints of stories
originally told in serial format as issues of a comic book series or
installments of a comic strip which appear in a periodical.
★ Comics readers call these by their physical format (trades & hardcovers)
and understand them as collected volumes.
★ Single issues are episodes while trades/hardcovers are full seasons on
DVD.

6. Classroom Strategies
★ Discussion and Debate
○ Who would win?
○ Are the superheroes justified in their actions?
○ What skills and knowledge would the superhero need to develop in
order to fulfill their mission?

7. Classroom Strategies
★ Let’s Talk about Archetypes, Baby!
Who is Bruce Wayne?
Who is Tony Stark?
Who is Oliver Queen?
Who is Lex Luthor?
Is Lex a villain, a hero, or an anti-hero?
But archetypes aren’t only heroes/villains. They are places, abilities, themes,
minor characters.
Lex Luthor, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, what two things do they have in common?
Why are they so alliterate? Google it!

8. Classroom Strategies
★ At a Time when we needed them most…
Discuss superheroes, their origins, and what they
mean, for example:
Captain America-- When, why, where, who?
The Flash--
Spiderman--

9. Classroom Strategies
“Flash” forward to modern comics and DC’s “New
52”
Courtney Whitmore (a.k.a. STARGIRL) --
Typical teenaged-girl-turned-superhero. Joins
Justice League America, but is “held back” by her
teammates in order to “protect” her. She ends up
saving them all (including Batman, Wonder Woman,
and Superman). Oh, and she saves the world, too.
Why is having a discussion about this character the
BEST idea EVER?

10. Classroom Strategies
History - Research a superhero and describe the social outlook of that era. Why was the creation
of that hero important for that time?
English/L.A. - Research your favorite superhero. What archetype does he/she fit in?
Science - What would happen if a person was blasted with Rubidium? What abilities would they
have? Create this character, but use the element abbreviation as the initials in their name (Ray
Barone, Reggie Brown, Rahjeev Balakrishnan, etc.)
Language - Did you know that there is a Spiderman in India? A Batman in Japan, and a Captain
Britain? Research them and create your own from France, Spain, Mexico, Africa, etc.
Mathematics - Have students brainstorm ideas on how a problem might pertain to real life
applications and have them make a comic that sets up the problem and shows how it is solved.

11. Classroom Strategies
“The potency of the picture story is not a matter of modern theory but of
anciently established truth. Before man thought in words, he felt in
pictures.” W. Sones (1944)

12. Classroom Strategies
What could you have students do with an comic creator in your content area?
(i.e. exemplify the theme of a text, create a 3-cell comic that summarizes a point, etc)
Comic creators online:
Chogger - www.chogger.com
Read, Write, Think - http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/
Make Believe Comics - http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
Pixton - http://www.pixton.com/for-fun
Toon Doo - http://www.toondoo.com
Strip Generator - http://stripgenerator.com/strip/create/
Pikistrips - http://www.pikistrips.com/user/login

13. Suggested Reading
Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire
Gus is a hybrid, a human with animal features, many of which
populate a post-apocalyptic world that has been ravaged by plague.
Alone in the woods, he one day meets Tommy Jeppard, a grizzled
drifter, who promises to take Gus to “The Preserve,” a safe place for
hybrids. Their adventure will take them all across the country and
lead to the terrible secrets behind the hybrids and the plague that
destroyed humanity.
THEMES: Coming-of-age, the quest/journey, decay of society, the
nature of family and relationships
GRADE LEVEL: High school, possibly limited to Junior-Senior
Honors/AP English classes where more challenging/mature content
is the norm.

14. Suggested Reading
Civil War by Mark Millar and Steven McNiven
When a superhero inadvertently causes the death of hundreds of
civilians, the United States government requires that all superheroes
register their secret identities and submit to official accountability for their
actions. Ironman leads a faction of superheroes who support and comply
with this act; Captain America cites reasons of privacy and safety--
especially for the loved ones of superheroes--as reasons for resisting it.
The result is an all-out war between the superheroes.
THEMES: Rights of the individual vs. rights of society, good of the many
vs. the good of the few, justifiability of vigilante justice, privacy, role of
government in the personal lives of citizens
GRADE LEVEL: 7-12, with awareness that there is some violent content
equating to roughly a PG-13 movie

15. Suggested Reading
The Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi
Son of the legendary tennis player “Samurai Nanjiroh,” Ryoma quickly
rises in the ranks of his new school’s tennis team. His goal is to not only
hone his own technique and be a champion tennis player, but to lead his
team to the national championships.
THEMES: Rivalry, following in your parent’s footsteps, bonding through
common interests, the nature of competition, setting goals
GRADE LEVEL: All ages, with a broad appeal for all genders and
enough human drama to entice even those who are not sports fans.

16. Suggested Reading
Batman: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and
Jock
A year ago, Batman captured the Joker and turned him over to the
Gotham City Police. While the Joker sat in his cell, a deranged new
villain called the Dollmaker cut off his face and nailed to the wall
before releasing him from prison. Now the Joker is back in Gotham
City, wearing his face as a mask, and is targeting Batman’s allies
and friends one-by-one.
THEMES: Obsession, trust, the nature of family, mental/emotional
disorders, criminal psychology
GRADE LEVEL: This book is very dark, and should be limited to
only the most mature students.

17. Suggested Reading
Amazing Spider-Man: 24/7 by various writer and artists
Spider-Man has long been a thorn in the side of J. Jonah Jameson,
Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Bugle newspaper. Now that Jameson is Mayor
of New York City, he has made it his first (and possibly only priority) to
bring Spider-Man to justice. In a show of heroic protest, Spider-Man
ramps up his game, staying on duty around the clock.
THEMES: Ethics of vigilante justice, abuse of power, qualities of an ideal
political leader, forms of protest against the government
GRADE LEVEL: Appropriate for all ages

18. Suggested Reading
Otomen by Aya Kanno
Asuka is the big man on campus: captain of the kendo team, a star in
judo and karate, an all-around cool and popular guy. However, he has
a secret: his true loves in life are for cute things and he loves to cook.
Asuka keeps this part of himself hidden, but when he meets a girl
named Ryo, he finds it hard to do so.
THEMES: Gender identity, gender roles, ideals of masculinity and
femininity, social acceptance of those outside the norm
GRADE LEVEL: High school, possibly also 7th-8th grade

19. Suggested Reading
All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
On a desperate mission to save astronauts from disaster, Superman
absorbs too much radiation from the Sun. As a result, his cells are slowly
breaking down, leading to his eventual death. With the time he has left,
Superman dedicates himself to a new level of heroism, making sure that
he has done as much good for humanity as possible--including finally
defeating his archenemy, Lex Luthor, once and for all.
THEMES: Death and dying, the idea of a legacy, morality, good vs. evil,
fate, charity
GRADE LEVEL: While the themes are very heavy and much of the
content is deeply philosophical, the content is all-ages appropriate; best
used in middle or high school

20. Suggested Reading
Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma
The drama and comedy of the everyday lives group of high
school friends, both in and out of school. There’s the smart girl,
the genius elementary-aged student, the shy and quiet girl, the
clueless dingbat, and the transfer student.
THEMES: Friendship, school and student life, major life events,
how different personalities come together
GRADE LEVEL: Middle and high school, especially for female
students

21. Kids Love Comics Too!
★ There are lots of quality comics out there for kids.
★ Comics based on TV shows and other intellectual properties such as:
Adventure Time, My Little Pony, Sonic the Hedgehog, Megaman, Samurai
Jack, and many others.
★ Kid-friendly versions of superhero comics.
★ Many publishers of children's literature have licensed Marvel and DC
Comics characters and done storybooks and chapter books featuring
them--including many kid-sized graphic novels.

22. Where to Go
★ Talk to Your Media Coordinator
★ Visit your local public library
★ Drop by and see your friendly neighborhood comic shop!
Heroes Are Here
208 S. Berkeley Blvd.
Right outside the Seymour Johnson AFB Gate

23. There’s No Limit to The Hulk’s
Power
★ Comics and manga lead way to various other worthwhile pursuits.
○ Fans tend to want to be creators.
■ Art
■ Writing
■ Cosplay
■ Film & animation
○ Comics and prose have a symbiotic relationship
■ Works are adapted back and forth
■ Writers work in both mediums
■ Genres overlap
● NEVER BAIT AND SWITCH!
★ If you have a student who loves comics and manga, encourage that love
and let it grow!

24. Thanks!
QUESTIONS?

25. Thanks!
thomasgarrou@wcps.org
brandonrobbins@wcps.org
We’d love to hear from you!