By Mason Bennett Superhero comic books are exaggerated soap operas. The characters are all larger than life, wearing colorful spandex, with universe-ending problems. However, we feel drawn to them because, in their overly dramatic way, they reflect our reality. This is true in Green Lantern: Rebirth, a sort of reboot/continuation of the character Hal Jordan and the Lantern Corps. Rebirth is a great book about rectifying mistakes, dealing with PTSD, managing grief, overcoming anxiety and fear, and accepting oneself. A common thread in the book is how Hal Jordan deals with the trauma of death. First when he witnessed his… Read More
CALL FOR PAPERS Disability and Superheroes
We invite abstracts for essays to be published in a collection showcasing new work on the representation and conceptualization of disability in superhero comics. We encourage examinations of mainstream titles and characters (such as those published by Marvel and DC) as well as considerations of other texts that engage disability and the superhero genre in creative ways (such as Cece Bell’s El Deafo). We are especially interested in contributions that explore additional intersections of race, class, sexuality, and gender. The collection envisions a diverse selection of contributors (scholars from the humanities, comics studies, and disability studies; disability activists; comics creators; medical… Read More