By Gregory Stevenson In 2019 I had the privilege of working with an exceptional group of scholars as editor for Theology and the Marvel Universe. With the paperback edition now available (and thus at a thankfully cheaper price), this provides a good opportunity to reflect on why I think projects like this are important. Comic book…
Tag: Marvel
M.O.D.O.K. and the Vice of Ambition: If the Mundane Be Thy Doom!
By David Armstrong Caveat Lector: Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.is rated TV-MA, and more importantly, spoilers follow for it below. Plenty of other people have written on what makes the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing—M.O.D.O.K., for short—among the most ridiculous products of Marvel’s long publishing history, and therefore what is just so comedically perfect about the first (but hopefully…
Review for Theology and the Marvel Universe from the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture Network
I’m happy to let everyone know that they can read a glowing review of the Theology and the Marvel Universe book over on the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture Network as part of their online publication, The TRPC Review. There’s also a really great article by Dr. Justin Martin on Batman and Theology that you…
Made In Our Image: A Comparison of Adaptations of Jesus Christ and Spider-Man
By Matt Griffin “Listen Jesus, do you care for your race?” –Jesus Christ Superstar In 2011, as Sony Pictures began planning its first reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, they signed a licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment about requirements for the new take on the character. These included many of Spider-Man’s signature traits: his real…
X-Men: Dark Phoenix – Everything You Need To Know
This week sees Dark Phoenix landing in cinemas. The movie is so highly anticipated that you’d need Colossus to handle the weight of expectation. It may look like just another comic book flick to the outside world, but fans know the significance of this particular entry, and its impact on Marvel’s big screen exploits in…
True Believers: In Memory of Stan Lee
I waited awhile to write this blog. Some of the reason for the wait was out of necessity—I simply had no time. But more importantly, if I had released this blog right after Stan Lee passed away, my voice being one of many voices vying for attention, many of who did a better job eulogizing…
Call for Papers: Theology and the Marvel Universe
Call for Papers: Theology and the Marvel Universe Editor: Gregory Stevenson (gstevenson@rc.edu) Theology and Pop Culture is currently seeking contributions for a potential edited volume from Rowman and Littlefield on the intersection of theology and the Marvel Universe. Essays may focus on comic books/graphic novels, film, and television/streaming series. Essays should be written for academics,…
Liberation Theology in Black Panther
By Corey Patterson Marvel Studios’ film Black Panther blends superhero action, drama, thriller, and a variety of other genres in an unforgettable film experience. Unlike the previous stand-alone Marvel pieces, this story explores the societal and cultural factors that shape the titular character, T’challa a.k.a. Black Panther. One of the most prominent themes found in…
Uatu the Watcher and the Scandal of the Neo-Anabaptist Conscience
By Matthew William Brake My friend Jack Holloway wrote a blog not long ago on Anabaptist theology, critiquing it as an apolitical, “peace at all cost” theology that denies black experience and the need for participation in political systems by those who have been oppressed and are seeking systemic justice. Anabaptists commit so strongly to nonviolence…
Doom’s Law: Spaces of Sovereignty in Marvel’s Secret Wars
In light of Joseph Trullinger’s posts on Agamben, Carl Schmitt, and political theology from the last two weeks, here is another piece by Neal Curtis along the same lines discussing the concept of sovereignty in Marvel’s 2015 Secret Wars event. “This story, I will argue, enables us to get to the heart of a very complex…
Pop Culture and Theology 