Particularity of the transformation of the superhero comics in the Russian cultural space: by the example BUBBLE Comics

Abstract

The modern Russian comics industry is mostly author’s comics. At the same time, first of all, comics are associated with superhero stories, whose appearance on the screens of cinemas became the starting point for many people to recognize the original source – the comic. In Russia, a mass commercial comic strip is presented by the publishing house BUBBLE Comics. Its slogan from the first issue was: “The country must know its superheroes”. The article examines the forms and methods of transformation of the characteristic features of superhero comics in Russian comics published by BUBBLE Comics. BUBBLE Comics strives not to copy the narrative strategies of American publishers, but to adapt them for the Russian reader. BUBBLE publishers partly use the superhero theme, adopting the idea of a single universe and heroes who are engaged not so much in saving the world as in helping people. Unlike traditional solo superheroes, BUBBLE Comics’ heroes are surrounded by people who share their mission and are more of a team. Such comics not only construct a new fictional world, but also to a certain extent reflect the socio-cultural reality that is close to the understanding of the Russian reader