Comic Book Crime : Truth, Justice, and the American Way - Phillips, Nickie D.; Strobl, Staci (New York : New York University Press, 2013)
Holy criminology, Batman! comics and constructions of crime and justice -- "Crime doesn't pay": a brief history of crime and justice themes in comic books -- The world is shifting: terrorism, xenophobia, and comic books after 9/11 -- A better tomorrow: apocalypse, utopia, and the crime problem -- Villains: criminal behavior and the embodiment of evil -- Deathworthiness: paths to justice -- "Take down the bad guys, save the girl": gender and sexual orientation in the fight against evil -- "Aren't there any brown people in this world?" reading for race and ethnicity -- Apocalyptic incapacitation: understanding punishment -- Conclusion: Ultimate justice -- Appendix: sample and methodology.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-282) and index.
Keywords: Comic books, strips, etc. -- History and criticism; Crime in literature; Justice in literature; Social values in literature; Literature and society -- United States -- History; Comic books, strips, etc; Crime; Justice; Literature; Literature and society; Social values; United States; Criticism, interpretation, etc; History