Book review: Francisco Sáez de Adana: Una historia del cómic norteamericano. Los Libros de la Catarata / Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Estudios Norteamericanos Benjamín Franklin de la Universidad de Alcalá: Madrid, 2021, 222 Págs.

Abstract

In his book, Francisco Sáez de Adana tries to summarize the history of American comics from its origins in the press at the end of the 19th century to the present day. Based on the case studies that the author takes as key elements to articulate his study, this critical review seeks to contextualize the work within a more general framework regarding the value of comic studies for the historians. It is not only a matter of analysing them as a cultural product intended for leisure, but also of considering them as privileged historical sources to gain access to a certain period or understand different backgrounds.

The review has three well differentiated sections. First, it explains the importance of comics in the 20th century and how the academy has assimilated the explicative value of this type of publications. Then, a brief biographical sketch of the author is given, followed by an examination of the contents of the book and the common thread that exists between the ten chapters that integrated it.