Superhero Ethics

What is it about the Hunger Games novels that captured so much attention and love? This week we’re talking books covering everything from the writing style to the twist they put on the love triangle trope to the decisions of the rebels.

What happens when you combine Japanese reflections on the use of nuclear weapons, hard questions about what weapons to use in moments of crisis, stirring music, and a guy in a rubber suit?

So many of the stories we love use Moby Dick as the example of an obsessive focus on a goal, but do you know the actual story? Moby Dick expert and all around geek Ilse joins me to talk about this book and what it has to say about disability, queerness, race, class, and so many other topics that remain relevant today.

Do you enjoy your medieval satire with a dose of laughter, served alongside incisive social commentary? Eager to understand what this Discworld thing is that everyone seems to be talking about? Interested in Sam Vimes’s Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness? Rob McKenzie joins me to unpack Discworld, with a special emphasis on The Watch sequence of books.

Nimona is not just a tale but a profound narrative that explores the perils of fear, the risks of blind trust in authority, and the liberating force of embracing one’s truth. Beau and I delve into the significance of this story as a queer and trans allegory, discussing the strength found in personal authenticity and the importance of valuing our own wisdom and experiences above rigid dogma and tradition.

In the gripping narrative of Batman: Under the Red Hood, we’re compelled to question the impact Batman has on the young individuals he brings into the fold as Robins. Does his tutelage ultimately protect or endanger them? Could the Joker’s theory of “One Bad Day” be more catastrophic for one of the Robins than for Bruce himself? And where does justice end and vengeance begin? Paul and I explore these themes, taking cues from Batman: Under the Red Hood and Death in the Family Part I as our starting points for this complex discussion.

I’ve been revisiting all of the Indiana Jones movies on the Bingers Assemble podcast, and I’m excited to share the first installment with you! Once the new movie is released at the end of June, we’ll bring the discussion here to Superhero Ethics to specifically address Indiana Jones and the ethics of archaeology. In the meantime, head over to Bingers Assemble for our comprehensive movie coverage.