Heroes & Heroines

Ever since ancient times, humanity has sought to use stories to explain the world in which it lives. Just as ancient man used stories of gods and monsters to explain the world, modern man uses stories of godlike heroes and monstrous villains to do the same.

A young boy sits in a psychologist's office, playing with action figures in a sand tray. There's an epic battle on the horizon, one that crosses traditional DC/Marvel lines. On one side there's Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman. On the other, there's an unpredictable fire-breathing dragon, with big eyes and sharp teeth.

This article touches on the fact that the superhero characters are related to people within a child's life. Wonder Woman represents his mother, the fire-breathing dragon represents the troubles the child is facing, ect.

This article is an example of Authority Theory. It is talking about how kids can use comic books and superhero movies as therapy. Since the article has a lot of quotes and examples from doctors about how it helps kids overcome their fear of monsters. They turned to superheroes to overcome those fears.

Comic book movies are still hot stuff for the moment, but there's definite danger signs ahead. The biggest one right now is Batman Vs Superman, which will also include Wonder Woman, possibly other heroes as well. This has all been inspired by The Avengers, and the studios are trying to line up similar superhero teams in the wake of its success.

Keywords: nationalism, superhero media, patriotism, priming, cultivation theory

Cultivation theory with the movies supporting nationalistic attitudes

Some interesting points about what we see on our screens and what would actually happen in real life. The most interesting points lies in why we root for the superhero in the first place and how our superheroes are no longer the underdogs.

THE PORTRAYAL OF CRIME AND JUSTICE IN THE COMIC BOOK SUPERHERO MYTHOS* by Scott Vollum Cary D. Adkinson College of Criminal Justice Sam Houston State University ABSTRACT This article examines the representation of crime and justice in the worlds and lives of two of the most popular and pervasive comic book superheroes: Batman and Superman.

Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society is a work of popular comic book criticism that explores why comic book superheroes have continued to matter so much to so many of us over the past several decades. This article is a good reference for social learning theories, particularly identification and catharsis theory.

the spiral of silence -- extended to the social media age