What Pundits Get Wrong About Superhero Fantasies

Speculative Faith’s E. Stephen Burnett responds to criticisms by progressive Bill Maher and conservative Mark Steyn’s criticisms of comic books and superheroes.

Maher and Steyn both mock the idea of adults who have “pretended comic books were actually sophisticated literature” (Maher’s words). Both pundits offer casual arguments that don’t engage with definitions or expectations of “literature,” either “sophisticated” or otherwise. They draw basic correlations and assume their joke is made: that all serious grown-ups, ipso facto, just know it’s just silly to suggest we can find all these metaphors in superhero stories.

I responded to Maher’s article earlier this week; read it here.