Mission accomplished? Ukrainian superhero comics in times of war
Mission accomplished? Ukrainian superhero comics in times of war

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the emergence and development of the Ukrainian superhero genre, analyzing its origins, creators, and target audience. It focuses on key Ukrainian superhero comics, including Lesia Voroniuk’s Ukrainski Superheroi (Ukrainian superheroes, 2015), Vadym Nazarov’s Patriot (2014, 2016, 2018), Leonid Krasnopolskyi’s Okhorontsi Krainy (Guardians of Country, 2018), and Yaroslav Udodenko’s Svitanok Heroiv: Kharkiv (Dawn of heroes: Kharkiv, 2023). The article explores how these comics integrate global superhero conventions with the construction of Ukrainian national identity, particularly in the context of the ongoing war. This research also investigates the visual and narrative strategies used to depict national superheroes and supervillains and examines how these figures embody Ukraine’s cultural and historical legacy while addressing contemporary challenges. Additionally, it considers the role of Ukrainian superhero comics in wartime, exploring their function as a means of cultural reflection, a tool for fostering national resilience, and an expression of contemporary societal narratives shaped by public sentiment rather than state directives. This article has been prepared within the framework of the MSCA4Ukraine fellowship, which is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Research Executive Agency or the MSCA4Ukraine Consortium. Neither the European Union nor the European Research Executive Agency, nor the MSCA4Ukraine Consortium as a whole nor any individual member institutions of the MSCA4Ukraine Consortium can be held responsible for them.

• Details
• Contents