the portrayal of crime and justice in the comic book superhero mythos
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The Portrayal of Crime and Justice in the Comic Book Superhero Mythos. Adolescents ’ sense of crime, justice and order. Superman & Batman. most consistently popular and pervasive comic book superheroes ever created - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Portrayal of Crime and Justicein the Comic Book Superhero Mythos
Adolescents’ sense of crime, justice and order
Superman & Batman
1. most consistently popular and pervasive comic book superheroes ever created
2. despite similarities, each character offers a unique perspective by which to examine the superhero mythos within American culture
Products of Great Depression culture
Superman & Batman
hope and idealism retributive, street level justice
Social structureMetropolis:
hope & optimismGotham City:
danger & corruption
Crime & criminalsSuperman:
threaten democracy & “American way”Batman:
“control the world” & disorder/anarchy
Responses to crimeSuperman:
fights for justice as defined by lawmakersBatman:vigilante
Breaking of Law
• gangsters, faceless thugs, corrupt politicians, ingenious madmen, alien (outside) threats and freakish aberrations
• general patterns: threat to social order, motivated by money,
power or revenge become criminals
through mythical processes paralleling those of the superheroes
Reaction to the Breaking of Law
• law and order must be maintained
• certain behavior must be controlled
• “voluntary avocational policing”: being done by private citizens not because they are obliged by a threat of punishment but because they, for their own reasons, want to do it
Don’t break the law!: conservative or “right” oriented perspective
1. excessive leniency toward lawbreakers
2. favoring the welfare and rights of lawbreakers over the welfare and rights of their victims, of law enforcement officials, and the law abiding citizen
3. erosion of discipline and of respect for constituted authority
4. the cost of crime5. excessive permissiveness