Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics #1 (1938) proclaimed that the character would “reshape the destiny of the world.” The advent of the first superhero initiated a shared narrative– the DC superhero universe– that has been evolving in depth and complexity for more than 80 years. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have become key threads in the tapestry of the American mythos, shaping the way we think about life, right and wrong, and our relationship with our own universe. Their narrative world is enriched by compelling stories featuring lesser-known characters like Dr. Fate, the Doom Patrol, John Constantine, and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Stories set within this shared universe have explored questions of death, rebirth, the apocalypse, the nature of evil, the origins of the universe, and the destiny of humankind. This volume brings together the work of scholars from a range of backgrounds who explore the role of theology and religion in the comics, films, and television series set in the DC Universe. The thoughtful and incisive contributions to this collection will appeal to scholars and fans alike.
Introduction – Gabriel Mckee and Roshan Abraham 1. A Plenitude of Creators: Cosmogony in the DC and Christian Canons – Christopher Heard 2. By(e) Rao! Personification or Deception – David A. Skelton 3. Reimagining Gnostic Theo-Mythology through Grant Morrison’s JLA: Rock of Ages – Matthew J. Dillon 4. Superman v. The Powers: What Walter Wink’s Nonviolent Theology Reveals About the Man of Steel’s “No-Killing” Rule – Andrew Kuzma 5. Providentialism and Political Religion: Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel – John C. McDowell 6. Wonder Woman and the Labors of Hercules – Janelle Peters 7. Dr. Fate and Meher Baba: The Aesthetics of a Comic Book Cosmology – James Newell 8. The Queer Theology of the Doom Patrol – Michael Barnes Norton and Jana McAuliffe 9. The St. Francis of the DC Universe: How Animal Man Makes the Case for Pluralism in Animal Ethics – Andrew Kuzma 10. The Gospel According to Robin Hood and the Rebirth of Green Arrow – Danielle Terceiro 11. In the Land of No Return: Nergal and Mesopotamian Religion in DC’s Hellblazer – Gina Konstantopoulos 12. Lost Souls and Old Sons: Augustinian Theodicy and the Path to Redemption in NBC’s Constantine – Darian J. Shump 13. God Will be All in All: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Darkseid as Omega Point in Final Crisis – Matthew Brake 14. Utopia, Rebellion, and the Kingdom of Heaven in the Legion of Super-Heroes – Gabriel Mckee 15. War and Hope: Apocalyptic Theology in Kingdom Come – Gregory Stevenson
Gabriel Mckee (M.T.S., Harvard Divinity School) is Librarian for Collections and Services at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. Roshan Abraham is an instructor/advisor in American University’s First-Year Experience program and an adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion.
Reviews for Theology and the DC Universe
A fascinating and thought-provoking deep dive into the religious, spiritual, and metaphysical dimensions of the DC Universe. -- J. M. DeMatteis
