We Don't Need Another Hero?

In September The Differential Association celebrates superhero month! We'll be reading two (short) articles which explore the superhero genre from a cultural criminological perspective.

The first of these, 'Justice League?: Depictions of Justice in Children's Superhero Cartoons' by Lisa A Kort-Butler, deals with the representations of superheroes in children's cartoons, a study which throws up some fascinating insights, for example do these portrayals undermine confidence in the criminal justice system. If the police were effective surely there would be no need for Batman! As children lap up images of cartoon justice, are we instilling a normative ideology which reinforces dominant values?

The second article, 'Cultural Criminology and Kryptonite: Apocalyptic and Retributive Constructions of Crime and Justice in Comic Books' by Nickie D Phillips and Staci Strobl, examines paradigms of justice in American comic books, suggesting that the picture which emerged of content was more nuanced than they had anticipated, but that the enduring response was always one which operated outside the rule of law, motivated by vigilantism and a need for revenge.

Date: Tuesday 24 September
Venue: Mulligans Poolbeg Street
Time: 6pm