Tag Archives: superheroes

New Perspectives Needed on Eve of “Man of Steel”?

On the heels of ReligionLink’s less-than-comprehensive topical overview of religion and comics, The Huffington Post recently made its own attempt. Written by Professor S. Brent Plate, an expert on religion and American visual culture, kept his commentary narrow and targeted on the Judaic elements. While not pioneering new trails in the exploration of the medium (and the superhero genre) in terms of Judaism, Plate does bring the discussion largely up to date on the eve of Superman’s latest film incarnation in Man of Steel. One suspects, though, that if there’s something new or more to say on what Plate calls “the sacredness of superheroes,” it’ll come from outside Judeo-Christian discourse.

ReligionLink Targets Comics, Misses a Lot

ReligionLink.com is, by its own description, “a non-partisan service of Religion Newswriters” that is “by journalists, for journalists.” So, it’s understandable that they encourage religion writers to think further on the intersection of the comics-based genre of superheroes and religion in recognition of Superman’s 75th anniversary and new film. Clearly, Rao endorses this viewpoint, too.

However, the “background and expert sources” they claim to provide prove sadly lacking; though lengthy and exhaustive-looking, it reads as the result of Google searching and Amazon browsing rather than an actual, knowledgeable resource. Their list of recommended books leaves out any title that isn’t Judeo-Christian, and, similarly, their article list includes one mention of Islam in regards to coverage of The 99; likewise, their manifest of three dozen experts seems to only include one focusing on Arabs (the esteemed Fedwa Malti-Douglas) and one on occult practices (the weirdly unattributed Christopher Knowles). They even get Professor Malti-Douglas’s URL wrong!

ReligionLink on Superheroes

But it’s easy to criticize. What else should have been there? Well… Continue reading ReligionLink Targets Comics, Misses a Lot

Comics Remain Important — and Varied!

Over the course of the past year, various pieces — pertinent both to comics in terms of  religion specifically or simply the serious consideration of comics — have come to light that either fell through the cracks at the time or deserve some wider coverage. They include:

  • Back in mid-2006, Today.com reporter M. Alex Johnson took a look, albeit a superficial one, at the religiosity of Spider-Man, The Thing, X-Men villain Rev. Stryker, the Atheist and others with “At the Comics Shop, Religion Goes Graphic.” 
  • Graphic Medicine, founded by Ian Williams in 2007, was relaunched with MK Czerwiec in 2012, and they caught the “Graphic Fiction” panel (moderated by Shelly Wall) at the Toronto Comics & Medicine conference that year. Presenters included Steven Bergson with “From Ivanhoe to Rex Mundi: Jews and Medicine in Comic Books, Comic Strips, and Graphic Novels,” Jeffrey Monk with “A Ghost of an Idea: A Reflection on My Comic Adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carole’ for the Medical Humanities,” and Lorenzo Servitje with “Empathy in the gutter: Participatory delusion in graphic adaptation of Shutter Island.” 
  • Read the Spirit, an “online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity” as well as an extension of Dr. Wayne Baker’s Our Values program, answered the question to “Why Comics and Comic Books Are Important Today!” — and the solution seems to be “independent comics artist and author” Kurt Kolka.
  • Most recently, Gene Yang of Comics in Education provided a valuable, digest-sized overview of  the “History of Comics in Education,” spanning from 1933 to the turn of the 21st century — an adjacent topic to Religion & Comics but relevant and useful for a sense as to how serious academic discussion has arisen not only in but also for the classroom.

And then there’s just this odd/funny/insulting/compelling comic from Kevin Moore’s In Contempt comics from back in 2008. No better place to put it than here:

“Gods Damn America” by Kevin Moore

Huffington Post Features Muslim Superheroes — VOTE NOW!

Thirty-two of the comics world’s Muslim superheroes — and who thought there were that many, really? — are profiled in the Huffington Post‘s Religion section, squaring off in March Madness brackets-style.

Huffington Post on Muslim Superheroes

Characters from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Teshkeel Media, and a host of other, independent publishers are all featured as readers vote on who will advance to face each other. Which hero has what it takes to be the finest Muslim superhero out there? (And how many did you know already, eh?)

The Tournament will be running all through the NCAA finals into April. Voting is free and open to all!

The Hero Worship of Professor Robert M. Price

American theologian Robert M. Price has written, among others, The Case against the Case for Christ, The Reason-Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For?, and Paperback Apocalypse: How the Christian Church Was Left Behind. But what that last title might only hint at is the religion and philosophy professor’s abiding interest in popular culture, namely comics.

Over at his personal website, people can read the full, free collection of Price’s thoughts on religion and comics with the complete archive of his “Hero Worship” columns. The host of The Human Bible and The Bible Geek podcasts also tackles topics like Kingdom Come, Marvel Man, and “The Death of Superman” storyline, all from his religious skeptic perspective.

The Human Bible with Robert M. Price

Certainly, Price has his detractors (e.g. Reverend John Rankin, William Lane Craig, Bart Ehrman), little has been said about his reflections on comics — far little than, say, his writing on H.P. Lovecraft.

Rao Wants to Know:  Is Price a true comics scholar or a scholar who dabbles with comics?