Comics & Superheroes The first essay in our class is a position essay in which you are taking a stance on a subject and supporting your position with research and evidence. In a synthesis, your goal is to strengthen points by connecting resources together throughout the essay. Throughout this unit, you will conduct research and find sources that link well together in support of your claim. For this essay, you will be examining the following question/idea: Do you believe the benefits of comic books and superheroes, in terms of education, cultural/historical value, and/or entertainment, outweigh the detriments? In your essay, you have room to focus on whichever area you choose (i.e. on the educational value/harm, on issues of cultural bias, etc…). However, the primary focus must be on Comics/Superheroes (you can also use manga/anime – video games can be used as a tangential resource but should not be the focus of your essay). This is an open topic, so if you would like to focus on some familiarity with this from a different country (For example, I have had students discuss the cultural influence of comics/superheroes from their home countries), you are welcome to do so. Make sure you are only incorporating key evidence in support of your claim and eliminate unrelated pieces of information. Be sure to include an introduction that covers the general topic of Comics/Superheroes and have a thesis statement that highlights your central claim. The rest of your paper should focus on reasons supporting your choice. Supporting details should come from both the LIB Guides and your own research. Remember, do not just summarize your sources; you must synthesize! Essay Checklist: Be sure you have completed all of the following requirements before submitting the assignment: 4-5 full pages (not including the Works Cited Page) 4 full pages at minimum. Not 3 pages and a couple of sentences on the 4th page MLA Documentation guidelines Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins Title (Name, Professor’s Name, Class & Section, Date) Header w/last name and page number In-text citations and a Works Cited Page in MLA style If you are having trouble formatting in MLA, refer to the multiple guides available on Canvas or use Google for help Introduction with a developed thesis statement towards the end of the paragraph Your thesis should be developed across multiple sentences for this project Multiple body paragraphs with specific source usage Body paragraphs should be constructed with topic and concluding sentences, utilize transition words/phrases, have substantial writing around the quote/paraphrases (in your own words), be organized, and be clearly linked with your thesis A detailed conclusion in which you summarize the findings in your essay Works Cited Page in MLA Format – 2 sources minimum 1 source must come from the Comics & Superheroes LIB Guide OR the provided resource with additional sources 1 source must come from the Research Databases (your own research – must be reputable) A third source can be used (but no more than 3 sources used here) and can come from the LIB Guide, Research Databases, or a reputable website