There has already been a lot of attention to A. David Lewis’s revival of the Muslim superhero Kismet, and so I’m both delighted to have the chance to have David on the podcast, and also a bit embarrassed that it took me quite as long as it did to make this happen. But it was a truly fantastic conversation, as I’m sure you’ll agree once you listen to it if you haven’t already done so!
In the rest of this post, I’ll include links and multimedia materials about Kismet, but also about anything else that has to do with religion and comics. Hope you find it all interesting!
https://marksilk.religionnews.com/2018/12/18/first-muslim-superhero-returns-after-70-years-just-in-time-to-take-down-a-few-nazis/
http://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-a-david-lewis-embraces-kismet/
There are video trailers for the comic books too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B38NvqwVM8&feature=youtu.be
David himself blogs, and not long ago he blogged about a new graphic novel featuring Jesus. Hemant Mehta also blogged about it, as did at least one other Patheos blogger:
https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/01/11/some-christians-say-dcs-new-jesus-christ-superhero-is-blasphemous/
https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/02/19/blasphemous-jesus-christ-comic-was-killed-but-creators-seek-resurrection/
https://www.insights.uca.org.au/news/no-second-coming-for-dc-vertigo?fbclid=IwAR25Ae1c88KXQ_QuHP3sBXsTpUVlKS8Z7A1oUAX-vEBdqerY3C5FT_u29lA
https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/03/14/comic-with-blasphemous-jesus-character-gets-resurrected-by-new-publisher/
David also blogged about Crucified.
Stephen Garner continued his series on comic books and religion with Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and then in addition, he also blogged separately specifically about Batman.
I also had an extended review of Batman vs. Superman shared with me, prompted by my own long-overdue review of the movie. Here’s an excerpt from that review, on the subject of theology:
In one moment of pop theology, Lex Luthor uses the old theological paradox: if God is all powerful, he cannot be good, and if God is good, he cannot be all powerful. Luthor said this paradox to Superman, referring to Superman and his impact on the world. What I found unforgivable was that at no time did Superman CORRECT Lex. Superman as I know him would have made it very clear that he is NOT GOD, and thus any discussion about him needs to start from a different place. It was disturbing and troubling, and clearly, it sets up some pretty ugly possibilities for the future of the DC Cinematic Universe.
See too David Walker on his graphic novel biography of Frederick Douglas, Marlon James on mythology and trauma in Tolkien, and Gita Jackson on writing about race in video games. The new Pattern Podcast explores the work of Octavia Butler. Pastor Will Rose wrote about comics and the art of the cliffhanger. Doug Cowan gave an interview about Stephen King as theologian, to which Regina Hansen responded. John Morehead blogged about the Golem movie. Ken Derry’s and John Lyden’s work on Star Wars was reported on.
I have an idea for a comic book or graphic novel of my own, that I hope to pursue. It would relate (albeit not overtly) to information literacy. At the intersection of information literacy and comics, Jennifer Posner shared the news that a project she has been working on has led to a comic for younger readers on media literacy.
Also of possible interest are two calls for papers related to upcoming conferences:
https://relcfp.tumblr.com/post/183090829515/cfp-die-figurlosigkeit-des-bösen-in-der-populären
https://relcfp.tumblr.com/post/183280648290/cfp-altern-in-der-populärkultur-düsseldorf
And for those who aren’t into comics (yet)…
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