Superman, Batman, Daredevil, and Wonder Woman are
iconic cultural figures that embody values of order,
fairness, justice, and retribution. Comic Book Crime
digs deep into these and other celebrated characters,
providing a comprehensive understanding of crime and
justice in contemporary American comic books. This is a
world where justice is delivered, where heroes save
ordinary citizens from certain doom, where evil is
easily identified and thwarted by powers far greater
than mere mortals could possess. Nickie Phillips and
Staci Strobl explore these representations and show that
comic books, as a historically important American
cultural medium, participate in both reflecting and
shaping an American ideological identity that is often
focused on ideas of the apocalypse, utopia, retribution,
and nationalism. Through an analysis of approximately
200 comic books sold from 2002 to 2010, as well as
several years of immersion in comic book fan culture,
Phillips and Strobl reveal the kinds of themes and plots
popular comics feature in a post-9/11 context. They
discuss heroes' calculations of "deathworthiness," or
who should be killed in meting out justice, and how
these judgments have as much to do with the hero's
character as they do with the actions of the villains.
This fascinating volume also analyzes how class, race,
ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are used to
construct difference for both the heroes and the
villains in ways that are both conservative and
progressive. Engaging, sharp, and insightful, Comic Book
Crime is a fresh take on the very meaning of truth,
justice, and the American way. Nickie D. Phillips is
Associate Professor in the Sociology and Criminal
Justice Department at St. Francis College in Brooklyn,
NY. Staci Strobl is Associate Professor in the
Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice
Administration at John Jay College of Criminal
Justice.
|
|