Beowulf lends itself particularly well to the comic book/graphic novel format. The first reason for this is that it is already constructed of distinct parts which allow for an easy transition to the serialized comic format. The second reason is that the poem contains elements that are familiar to the comic genre: a super-powered hero and equally super-powered enemies or villains.

Umberto Eco in "The Myth of Superman" discusses the hero Superman and how the he fits the mold of the classic mythic hero, which Beowulf also does. The classic mythic hero usually has some sort of special powers, quite often the result of some relationship to the devine (Superman is divine in the sense that he is from the heavens), and also has a destiny which the audience is aware of because of the classic nature of the story. In many cases, such as that of Beowulf, the destiny is his ultimate death. A mythic hero is "predictable" because "he must be an archetype, the totality of certain collective aspirations, and therefore he must necessarily become immobilized in an emblematic and fixed nature" (Eco, 867). Superman is the archetype of Justice and Good, whereas Beowulf is the archetype of the Germanic heroic ideal.

Eco points out that Superman could easily accomplish much more good if he was to exercise his powers fully. Instead, "good is represented only as charity" (Eco, 877). Whether organizing fundraisers as Clark Kent or saving people as Superman, he acts for the benefit of others. Beowulf epitomizes the notion of good=charity and ultimately becomes the Superman ideal when he sacrifices himself fighting the dragon to gain the dragon's hoard for the support his people.

A modern hero, according to Eco, does not have a fixed destiny because he must become a "novelistic" (Eco, 867) hero. This is because of the nature of the format. Comic books are a product which the publishing company is trying to sell. In order to promote continued purchasing of the product, the story must continue. If the hero of the comic was only a hero in the mythic sense, then the story would not go on. Since a modern hero is, in this sense, not the archetypal mythic hero whose destiny is known, he becomes much more like a regular person.

The panelization of the comic form allows for heroes to be both modern and mythic. By creating story arcs the exploits of the hero are given a temporal stasis. The hero's life story becomes infinitely without end. Eco points out that the dual nature of Superman and his alterego Clark Kent best exemplify this idea. As Superman, he is the mythic hero, but as Clark Kent he is the Everyman, just like the reader. The panelization allows Superman to continue saving the day. Each story arc is a recreation of the myth. Yet, as a modern hero, the ability to continue producing stories is preserved.

In the works examined in this website, this issue is most important in Beowulf, Dragon Slayer and Beowulf: Gods and Monsters because, unlike the other two, these do not simply provide a graphic translation of the poem. They take the character Beowulf and insert him into a new storyline as a modern comic book hero. Gareth Hinds' Beowulf and Jerry Bingham's Beowulf do not portray the hero Beowulf in this way. They did not have the projected continuance or serialization of the other works which would demand a conversion to the modern hero. Each was a specific length and only a recreation of the poem.