Superheroes and Media: Commentaries about the American Media in Mark Millar and Brian Hitch's The Ultimates

Abstract

Millar and Hitch’s The Ultimates, a reboot of the Marvel Avengers published shortly after the events of 9/11, provides a critique of the role of the American media in American society and politics. By tracing instances where reader participation is required to complete meaning in the text, we can examine how the creators construct the text to engage the reader through: audience participation, the construction and use of panels, and by discussing how the media shapes the reactions of American viewers. The reader learns to examine the text for instances where media or media events occur and to critically examine these events. Millar and Hitch manipulate the function and shape of the panel in order to demonstrate the media’s ability to edit and frame the content of events, leading readers.