Copyright: Reinhard Kleist
9 January 2010
Heroes for the Grownups A mask and a good heart under the cape is the stuff that (super) heroes are made of. How many can remember their torch-lit juvenile nights under the covers following the adventures of Batman, the Watchmen or the eerie avenger from V for Vendetta? In graphic novels like The Secrets of Coney Island by Reinhard Kleist the writer-artists focus on the narrative moment. Their image series captivate adults in particular through their elaborate structures: whether utopia or dystopia, historical misrepresentation or a colourfully sketched mirror of reality, no material seems too big to insert in the rectangles on their pages. The Goethe-Institut has dedicated a Website to the champions’ league of comics. The appeal of the genre lies in its successful linking of narrative class and artistic strength. Canadian artists are the most successful in the relevant shop cafés, but today the sophisticated picture worlds are gathering force even in German publishing houses.
