I’ve been thinking about metatextuality the last few days. Although there are many types of metatexuality, I’ve been concentrating on fictional narratives in which a character understands that he/ she is a part of a film, television show, or comic book. I watched the Woody Allen movie Whatever Works last night in which the lead character (played by Larry David) is the only person who knows that he is in a film. That made me think about the old Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd television Moonlighting, in which both actors openly “broke the fourth wall” and talked to the viewing audience. Although these instances certainly exist in film and television, I believe that the comic book is the ultimate metatextual popular culture art form. Although Grant Morrison’s run on Animal Man, in which the title superhero gets to meet his creator, is probably the most well-known, the history of comic books is filled with metatextual stories. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby not being allowed into Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s wedding in Fantastic Four Annual #3. Action Comics #554 in which two children have to create Superman so that he can save the world. Fantastic Four #511 where Jack Kirby is God. The Julie Schwartz 70th birthday issue in Superman #411. Or even the latest Superboy/ Superman/ Superboy Prime Stories in Adventure Comics. Not to mention numerous cover in which a lead character speaks directly to the audience. After giving it some thought, I believe that superhero comic books by their very nature are metatextual. Superhero stories are the new American mythology. This hero narrative consists of hundreds of thousands of stories and works to explain American life. The two leading publishers, Marvel and DC, have crafted intricate universes for over seventy years and all of these stories fit together to create possibly the most detailed mythology ever written. (DC and Marvel’s heroes have interacted many times and from this viewpoint it would be fair to say that the two universes are now one shared mythology.) These comic book mythologies are built on the same things that all mythologies are; belief. The heroes and their stories exist because the readers say they do. Although the writers give create the characters, the readers give them life. Except for promotion events like his “death,” Superman has appeared in multiple stories every month for over seventy years. He, and other heroes, become a part of the fabric of reader’s lives and no longer are just characters but weekly/ monthly friends. A television show or a movie series are periodic and rarely follow a set schedule. They also always end. A comic book can be counted on to appear monthly (or close to it unless the creative team is terribly late.) This creates a relationship with the reader that is metatextual by nature. The reader becomes part of the hero’s universe and the hero becomes part of his/her’s. Although the hero is not always shown to be metatexually aware, the reader often assumes he/she because of the ongoing relationship. This creates a connection that is rare in any other medium. No wonder I can’t stop buying comic books.
