Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Parallel World in Panels
Jordan Johnson
One of the most prominent forms of sci-fi media to address the idea of parallel worlds is the comic book medium. Parallel worlds are a regular part of many comic book mythologies; often used as a tool with which to order the infinite number of narratives that occur in the context of the universe created. The topography created by the comic book form lends itself to the description of a space and manner in which parallel narratives interact.
Although the parallel world performs many functions in the context of the comic book narrative, most commonly it is interpreted literally and is depicted as a space in which aspects of the narrative (fictional histories) are re-written or re-interpreted.
The idea of the “multiverse”, (a term coined by psychologist William James in 1825) is also a popular convention of many super hero comic universes. Usually described as a space that functions outside of, but contains and connects a string of dimensions that are a part of the narrative of that universe as a whole. The DC comic universe provides a good example of this space, which is represented by “The Bleed”, a liminal area outside of space and time that serves as a buffer between the various worlds, as well as acting as a connecting vein through which travel between realities is possible.
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