Melo Junior, Orison Marden Bandeira deFerreira, Hugo Victor Bezerra2023-12-262023-12-262023-12-15FERREIRA, Hugo Victor Bezerra. Hero and villain: an analysis of the tropes in the graphic novel The Killing Joke. 2023. 32 f. Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (Graduação em Letras Inglês) - Departamento de Línguas e Literaturas Estrangeiras Modernas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 2023.https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/56915This monograph delves into the intricate narrative elements employed by authors to deconstruct the conventional trope of the villain and the hero. Focusing on the verbal and non-verbal language used by characters and the visual storytelling of comics, our research aims to identify the nuanced elements that authors utilize to redefine the villain concept in The Killing Joke, written in 1988 by Alan Moore. Our theoretical framework is based on comics and sequential art theory, focusing on superhero characteristics, the evolution of ages in comics, and potential superhero archetypes. We will also discuss Eisner's theory of comics, which includes crucial interpretive elements such as imagery, timing, frame, and expressive anatomy. Based upon these concepts, we analyzed the graphic novel The Killing Joke, seeking to unveil the compelling dichotomy between the hero and the villain. We concluded that the author indeed uses some narrative elements to subvert the tropes of both the villain and the hero.Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Brazilhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/br/Graphic NovelTheory of comicsThe Killing JokebachelorThesisCNPQ::LINGUISTICA, LETRAS E ARTES::LETRAS::LITERATURAS ESTRANGEIRAS MODERNAS