Gazing at male bodies in superhero comics: Batman and the construction and revision of masculinity

Liu, Chunwei (2026) Gazing at male bodies in superhero comics: Batman and the construction and revision of masculinity. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of male bodies and the construction of normative masculinity in superhero comics through a panel-by-panel textual analysis of Batman’s periodical comics published by DC Comics. As one of the most enduring cultural figures in popular media, Batman embodies a diverse and often contradictory set of ideals about men and manliness, which are consolidated into a coherent cultural image that has remained accessible and resonant for generations of readers. By focusing on the interplay between verbal and visual modalities in comics, this study identifies the artistic and narrative strategies through which masculine ideals are performed, negotiated, and contested.
The research begins with a critical review of existing scholarship on gender and sexuality in superhero narratives, situating this project within debates on male bodies, gender norms, and the superhero as a cultural complex. While previous studies examining bodily presentation tend to assume the position of the ‘male gaze’ and a focus on female characters, this thesis foregrounds the medium-specific qualities of comics and proposes to apply textual analysis of the gazes on male bodies. By exploring the possibility of homosocial gaze, this research intends to fill the gap in gaze studies which, in the context of heteronomativity, representations of idealised masculinity, are rarely discussed beyond the ‘female gaze’ and the ‘queer gaze’. Developing a set of analytical tools drawn from visual narratology, multimodality studies, and comics grammar, this thesis proposes a form-based analytical framework that integrates art practices, art experience, and comic scholarship to identify and analyse the formation of gaze.
This research represents one of the few comprehensive studies of men and masculinity in superhero culture, with particular attention to mainstream representations that are often overlooked in scholarship. Through detailed case-studies of Batman comics, it explores the mechanisms by which normative masculinity is stabilised and challenged. Themes such as body build, physical capacities, and heroic resilience reveal how hegemonic masculinity is reinforced, while representations of violence, nudity, ageing, death, and queer sexuality expose its contradictions and fragility. By exploring the paradox of dominance in normative masculinity and the simultaneous objectification of the male form, these examples illustrate that the superhero’s masculine performance is neither fixed nor uniform but is instead a site of fluid power struggles where meaning is constantly negotiated.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Comparative Literature
• Supervisor's Name: Grove, Professor Laurence and De Francisci, Dr. Enza
• Date of Award: 2026
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2026-85945
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 21 May 2026 14:49
• Last Modified: 21 May 2026 15:31
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85945
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85945