SOCIAL CRITICISM IN INDONESIAN COMICS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW (SLR) STUDY OF MULTIMODALITY AND MEDIA POWER

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review of several literatures that examine the position of comics as a medium for social criticism in a contemporary context. Through the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, this study examines the construction of discourse, visual forms, and production dynamics inherent in comic works, both in editorial strip formats, graphic novels, and digital platforms. The results of the review show that comics are not only a symbolic articulation space for social inequality, power, and representational politics, but also act as an arena for negotiation between creative expression and the institutional structure of the media. The literature analyzed is mapped into five main thematic clusters: (1) Comics as a Medium for Social and Political Criticism (2) Social Representation in Indonesian Comic Strips: Symbols, Figures, and Criticism, (3) Visual Structure, Multimodality, and Comic Language, (4) History, Historiography, and Development of Comics, and (5) Media Production, Editorial, and Censorship. This study also identifies conceptual gaps that have not been widely touched upon, especially related to aspects of critical studies in reading comics, systematic multimodal approaches, and intersectional representation. These findings are expected to be a conceptual contribution in the development of studies of visual culture, popular media, and representation in the Indonesian comic landscape.