Gene Leun Yang’s and Sonny Liew’s The Shadow Hero describes how a 19-year-old Asian American man becomes a superhero by the name of “The Green Turtle.” Throughout the graphic novel, Asian American stereotypes are challenged especially when it comes to the portrayals of Hank and Red.
In the beginning of The Shadow Hero, Hank is drawn as scrawny and thin, but once his mother convinces him to start training with Uncle Wun Too, his physique soon changes to being a more muscular one. Generally, through the media’s inaccurate and stereotyped perception, Asian men tend to be shown as intelligent but also gawky and feeble. In The Shadow Hero, Yang and Liew diverge from this physical stereotype, but, to some extent, make Hank a bit awkward. However, this awkwardness is not meant to reflect the Asian American stereotype, but instead, it is meant to reflect Hank’s age since he is only 19 years old. Through Hank’s toned physique and his awkwardness, Yang and Liew try to diminish the Asian American stereotype in order to show that Asian American men can be relatable and can also be superheroes.
Liew and Yang also challenge the stereotypes of Asian American women through the portrayal of Red. The reader first meets Red when Hank attempts to rescue her from two older men who want to assault her. Soon, it becomes evident that Red is not a damsel in distress but rather can fend for herself, especially since she rescues Hank from the men and urges him to go to the hospital. Though Red is the daughter of Ten Grand, she does let this stop her from spending time with Hank. She also relies on her own abilities rather than just her family name to save herself. In the media, Asian American women tend to be portrayed as submissive and quiet. However, Yeng and Liew portray Red as the opposite –a woman who can fight for herself and does not need to be rescued.
The Shadow Hero fights many Asian American stereotypes through Hank and Red. Through this fight against these stereotypes, Yang and Liew prove that Asian American characters are multi-dimensional and can relate the audience. Also, Yang and Liew show how incorrect media is when it comes to Asian Americans since it tends to focus solely on stereotypes. Essentially, by diverting from stereotypes, Yang and Liew show how being a superhero does not need to be limited to a White American male and also how every love interest or female character in a comic book does not need to be a damsel in distress.
