“This is the Authority. This Planet is Under Our Protection” — An Exegesis of Superheroes' Interrogations of Law

Bainbridge, Jason

doi:10.1177/1743872107081431

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(2 reference statements)

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“…Unlike their fictional counterparts, however, this study found that RLSHs lack the kinds of fantastic origin stories featuring cosmic rays, radiation or magic artefacts found in comic books and in film (see Bainbridge, 2007). Nevertheless, fictional superheroes in many cases had directly or indirectly inspired their decisions to become RLSHs.…”

Section: Becoming a Real-life Superheromentioning

confidence: 62%

Fighting crime, battling injustice: The world of real-life superheroes

Fishwick

Mak²

2015

Crime, Media, Culture

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This article explores the motivations, actions and experiences of real-life superheroes, those individuals who adopt a superhero persona inspired by both comic books and films, to engage in a range of activities that involve, amongst others, fighting crime, providing community support and battling injustice. Drawing on 13 in-depth interviews with individuals from different countries, as well as an ethnographic content analysis of online material, this innovative research explores the merging of the fictional and the real, the virtual and the terrestrial in the lives of interviewees. The article also enriches our understanding of the 'carnival of crime' and 'edgework' by arguing that risk, pleasure, excitement and transgression can also be found in a carnival of 'doing good' as well as in 'wrongdoing'.

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Section: Becoming a Real-life Superheromentioning

confidence: 62%

Fighting crime, battling injustice: The world of real-life superheroes

Fishwick

Mak²

2015

Crime, Media, Culture

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“…See Kamir (2005) and Manderson (2011). For a discussion of Daredevil as lawyer and superhero see Bainbridge (2007) and Sharp (2012). For an analysis of She-Hulk, see Mitchell (2015).…”

Section: 'The Only Morality In a Cruel World Is Chance': Law Procedumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…82 In the westerns, in order to civilise the Wild West, there is a need to 'print the legend' rather than the truth. Yet, whilst The 79 See Bainbridge (2007) and Sharp (2012).…”

Section: Law Compassion and The Non-hero: Batman As A Typology Of Chmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the limits of the law: a Christological reading of Christopher Nolan'sThe Dark Knight

Peters

2015

Griffith Law Review

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Close readings of popular culture texts can illuminate the complexities of the narratives of law and justice that influence our legal imaginary, and provide a means for re-reading our concepts of legality. This article explores Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy not as a depiction of a traditional superhero who conservatively operates to supplement the legal system's goal of justice and restore the social order disrupted by criminals, villains or some other extraordinary threat, but as a non-hero who proposes a critique of justice and legality itself. It reads Batman as a Christological figure specifically because of his actions at the conclusion of the second film, The Dark Knight, in taking the blame for the murders committed by District Attorney Harvey Dent. In exploring what is an uncomfortable conclusion to the second film, I unpack how Nolan 'makes strange' the traditional superhero mythos and the narratives they tell of justice, law and legality. In this sense, The Dark Knight can be read as a Christological response to, as much as an expansion and fulfilment of, the rise of the superhero film and the superhero as a figure of the exception beyond the law.

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“…Nature and the purpose of humanity were determined within God's plan for the universe; just and proper human laws needed to be in line with the natural laws of God's plan. 1 Thus, in the medieval period:…”

Section: Batman's Modernismmentioning

confidence: 99%