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
This volume represents yet another fine installment in the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture series, and it will speak to numerous audiences. The scholar of religion with a passing interest in popular culture and/or comics will find broad explorations of and engagements with key terms and issues, such as cosmology, apocalypticism and eschatology, theodicy, and even animal ethics. Long time fans of DC comics and the DCU will likewise find not only the usual suspects (like Superman and Wonder Woman) but deep cuts including Dr. Fate, Animal Man, and John Constantine. The target texts are similarly broad, and include comics, TV, and film. Anyone who picks up and delves into this book will find their efforts rewarded by the insights and interpretations of a stellar roster of authors. -- Dan Clanton, Doane University
For over half their existence, DC Comics didn’t explicitly mention religion, yet faith and its questions still are embedded in those works, as well as the later stories when the restrictions were lifted. Examining those connections, and how they influenced their millions of followers is a challenging mission, and Theology and the DC Universe takes it as seriously as Batman guarding Gotham by night. -- Paul Levitz, former President and Publisher of DC Comics
Editors Roshan Abraham and Gabriel Mckee have put together an impressive collection of essays by authors who know their DC worlds and know their theology. From origin to apocalypse, from the Gnosticism of the Justice League of America comics to the animal rights advocacy in Animal Man, from the queer theology in Doom Patrol to the contradictory religious worlds of Wonder Woman and Superman, this collection moves across decades of history and comics to show us a variety of ways that DC Comics can be seen as theological texts and as intellectual engagements with theological ideas. Historically and culturally rooted and impressively up to date on the DC Universe, this book, and this series, continue to expand how we think about theology and popular culture, and, in the process, shape the future of our religious imagination. -- Gregory Erickson, New York University; author of Speculative Television and the Doing and Undoing of Religion