Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Convention
March 17-20, 2016
Hartford, CT

In Ang Lee's Hulk (2003), David Banner writes the line "Regeneration is Immortality" in his lab notes, identifying the inspiration for his self-transformation and the genesis of the Hulk. This line is suggestive of another transformation: adapting comic book characters with new technologies. The twenty-first century has seen resurrections of comic book characters on big and small screens, offering reflections of "timeless" characters that are newly conceived to reflect their modern worlds. These texts highlight how regeneration is central to the characters' survival.

From Captain America's resurrection as the "first Avenger" to Liv Moore's revivification on iZombie, twenty-first century films and television series represent regeneration in their foregrounds, self-consciously reflecting on the process of reanimating their source material. This panel will explore how comic book characters are regenerated in twenty-first century narratives, suggesting the possibilities and limitations of digital technologies in contemporary storytelling. Papers might focus on comic book adaptations on big and small screens or comic book characters' regeneration in print.

Please submit 250-500 word abstracts on the NeMLA website: http://www.cfplist.com//nemla/Home/S/15699. The extended deadline is October 15, 2015.