Podcast #040 - The Book of Ruth

"The Book of Ruth: An Original Graphic Novel"

Alan and Em discuss the original graphic novel The Book of Ruth, by Meredith Finch & Colin Dyer. The book retells the Old Testament story in the context of the Dust Bowl era. The discussion includes a deep dive into atonement theology, but somehow they manage to reference Babylon 5, Leverage ... and more!

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Link: The Book of Ruth Kickstarter
Link: Meredith Finch on Twitter
Link: The Harry Whodunit Collection
Link: Tomato Bird's Tumblr


We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan

Church Practice: Hellblazer

John Constantine is not a role model, but he does know enough to know a bit of the Truth. And here, with an assist from Helena Bertinelli (The Huntress), he uses his knowledge to perform a much-needed exorcism.

Bible Study, via Batman

In the recent DC Comics issue of Batman 38, the Caped Crusader stumbles across this note, while investigating a crime. 

 

There are some interesting things to note in this flier. Both the first and last paragraphs are reasonably solid theologically, and could have come from a number of legitimate Christian organizations. But it's the middle paragraph this is the problem.

Keen-eyed readers, especially those with a bit of Sunday School in their background, will note that there is no book in the Bible that abbreviates to "NED." And the words that Jesus is quoted as saying in NED 4:1 ... not even close.

To give Batman credit, he knows that as well, and quickly recognizes that entire paragraphis an elaborate clue. And ... spoilers ... Batman uses that information to save the day.

Comic Book Theology: Omega

I do not remember exactly what comic book contained this panel, but I thought it was interesting.

The second definition that the woman gives for "Omega" is an accurate quotation from three different spots in the book of Revelation --  1:8, 21:6, & 22:13. And whether those verses refer to the Father or to Jesus, the woman's identification of the speaker of those words -- as God -- is accurate.

Comic Book Theology: Hellblazer

A recent issue of the DC Comics title The Hellblazer contained this panel, which contained an interesting take on afterlife theology. Or at least John Constantine's understanding of theology. 

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The statement "the great faiths will tell you the dirty flesh is just a vessel ... " is an inaccurate (although common) description of what orthodox historical Christianity teaches. As a matter of fact, this dualistic approach ("spirit is good, flesh is bad") is much more closer to Gnosticism, as heresy that was dealt with in the very early days of church, and dismissed as not having a plae in Christianity. 

Despite the anti-gnostic statements that fill the book of 1 John, there are places in the modern church where the heresy of gnosticism rears its ugly head.

All of that is to say this: Don't look to comic books for your theology. And most of all, don't look to John Constantine for your theology.

Graphic Novel Review

The Illustrated Gospel - Searching for Truth, by Tim Chaffey, with art by  Colin Dyer.

The premise is of the comic is simple: A group of college students discuss the content of their religious studies class. The students come from different religious backgrounds, and the discussions are adequately realistic.

The book does break away from this narrative on occasion for discussions of inerrancy and prophetic fulfillment, but these serve as brief and informative breaks.

One of the characters faces a serious trauma, which brings them to a point of crisis. This is a standard of Evangelical storytelling, and this book adds nothing new to this trope. But it does a reasonably good job at taking that typical story point and doing something interesting with it.

Like many similar stories in the genre, the primary point of this is not to tell a compelling dramatic story. The point is to present the Gospel message, and it does that well. The story is fine, albeit predictable.

Despite being published by Answers in Genesis (our copy was purchased at the Creation Museum, fyi), the book is surprisingly free of Young Earth or overly fundamentalist concepts. The evangelical "altar call" in the story is blunt and clear, but the book does avoid some of the thornier theological issues. Which is a good thing.

The book can be purchased here, through Amazon.

Podcast #014 - Scooby-Doo Team-up #13

"Rengeance!"

On this Halloweeny episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about a nice light tale, from the delightful Scooby-Doo Team-Up title. Ghosts are disappearing all across the Earth, and the Phantom Stranger and Deadman seek out the expert ghost-finders of Mystery, Inc. to find them.

Em & the Prof also cover some great listener feedback.

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We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan or the podcast @DorknessToLight

Comic Book Review: Martin Luther

Martin Luther: A Monk Changes the World, by Johannes Saurer & Ulrike Albers. Translated by Christine Gollmart.

Martin Luther lived a very action-packed life, and condensing it into 26 comic book pages is a very difficult task. But this short graphic novel manages to hit all of the high points, and tell the story with the drama that it deserves.

The book rarely stays in one location for more than a few pages, and manages to play scenes in Eisleben, Mansfeld, Erfurt, Augsburg, Worms, Wartburg Castle, Schmalkalden, Torgau, and  (of course) Wittenberg.

The book also manages to include as characters a number of Luther's allies, including Justus Jonas, Philipp Melanchthon,  and his wife, the wonderful Katharina von Bora.

This is an informative and interesting biography. And considering the pace the story has to move at to cover the highlights, it is also quite entertaining.

The graphic novel may be purchased here, from Amazon.

Source: We picked this graphic novel up at a small store in Wittenberg, when we visited Germany during the Luther 500 celebration, which he talked about on a podcast episode here. 

Podcast #013 - Justice League Dark

"Constantine & His Amazing Friends!"

On this lucky thirteenth episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about t
he Justice League Dark. They focus on the recent animated movie, but also talk about the New 52 comic of the same name, and the "Constantine" TV show.

And then for the first time in a long time, they cover listener feedback, most of which is pretty awesome.

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Link: The music of Insomniac Folklore

We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan and the podcast @DorknessToLight 

Alan's Christian Comic Corner

The Unforogttens: Mission of Tranquillity #2, Trinity Comic Ministries, 1994. The story, “Of Giants and Dragons,” was created by Timothy A. Gagnon.

Our story continues from issue #1 (reviewed here), where three teenagers discovered that dabbling in the occult had consequences they were very unprepared for. The spiritual warfare continues in the hallways of the local school, with and angel-demon battle. And at the end, we are set up for a face-off between the angelic Unforgottens and the demonic Brotherhood.

I had a problem with the quality of the lettering is the first issue, and that problem exists here, as well. However, there is a two-page feature at the end of the book that has much better lettering, clearly done via computer. If that was meant to test a new lettering process, I hope that it continues into the next issue.

There are moments of decent art, mostly in individual panels and figures. Yes, some are drawn in the over-the-top style of the 1990s, but glimpses of artistic skill are evident. The storytelling aspect of the comic is weak, but that is much harder skill to learn and develop,

This issue has one great advantage over the first. Issue #1 was printed on traditionally-sized paper, but comic books tend to be published on slightly smaller paper. Starting with this issue, the series is produced in traditional comic book size. What that means for me is that the first issue is a little bit of a mess, crunched up at the top, etc … while this issue and the others are in pretty decent shape, even after more than two decades. For what it’s worth, the paper quality is extremely high.

The series contains two more published issues, and they are on the to-be-reviewed list.

Podcast #010 - DC Rebirth Holiday Special

"Happy Holidays"

On this Holiday-themed episode, Emily & Alan discuss the brand-new 2016 DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1.

They talk about all of the stories in the special, which feature a wide range of DC Comics characters, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Nightwing, Oracle, John Constantine and Detective Chimp. No, really Detective Chimp. It's not a DC Special until a talking monkey shows up!

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Link: The music of Anderson Cale
Link: The music of Insomniac Folklore
Link: Billy Tucci's A Child is Born graphic novel

We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan or the podcast @DorknessToLight

Podcast #007 - Kingdom Come

"It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's A Podcast Crossover!"

In this episode, we continue a conversation that began on episode 243 of Michael Bailey's Views From the Longbox podcast. Over there, we covered the basic comic-book stuff in Alex Ross and Mark Waid's 1996 graphic novel "Kingdom Come."

In this episode, the three of us talk about the spiritual and religious aspects of the comics. We cover Reverend McKay's pastoral style, whether Superman should be presented as an analog of Jesus or of Moses, and whether an atomic bomb could really create a mushroom cloud in the shape of a cross.

Because we had a guest on this episode, we did not cover feedback from our terrific feedbackers. But please send in feedback on this episode, and we will cover it all on the next one!

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You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.

Link: Michael Bailey's View from the Longbox
Link: Anderson Cale's music 


We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan or the podcast @DorknesstToLight

Podcast Recommendation

I wanted to give a "shout-out" to a podcast that is taking a look at similar content that what we do here, although from not the same perspective.

On the Parliament of Rooks podcast (the name is a reference to the Sandman comic), the husband-and-wife team of Tom & Melanie Lenese discuss all the elements of magic and the supernatural throughout the history of DC Comics. They don't examine the religious minutae of the characters, like we sometimes do here, but the show is an entertaining romp through an area of comics that we love.

They have looked at our favorite character, The Spectre, a number of times. In episode 19, they discussed his Golden Age origin, which is content that we covered on episode 2 of our podcast. They have also talked about such magical stalwarts as Zatanna & Zatara, Doctor Fate, Johnny Thunder, and Eclipso, in addition to the occassional dip into kids comics, such as Stanley and His Monster. The variety of the characters covered is on the strengths of the show.

Check out their show for a weekly dip into the magical side of comic books.

Bible Study, via Preacher

Nobody is going to mistake Jesse Custer, the lead character of AMC's comic-book-inspired TV show Preacher, for a good pastor. But on the third episode, "The Possibilities," which first aired June 12, he did a pretty decent job officiating a funeral.

Earlier in the episode, he performed baptisms, and maybe his heart wasn't in it. But when it came to the funeral at the end of the episode (spoiler, I guess), it seemed that he was taking his job seriously.

He read from 1st Corinthians 15:51 (and 52, although he only identified 51), a passage which is often read at funerals.

^"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

First, the show gets credit using a real verse (I'm looking at you, X-Files), from a real translation (the New International Version), a translation which seems like a reasonable choice for a small church in rural Texas). Second, it was quoted properly, and in context. And although Pastor Custer is a troubled man - a very, very troubled man - he read the words with an appropriate sense of the moment. As if the words he spoke, their message, have power.

Podcast #005 - Ms Marvel (2014)

"From Jersey City, It's Ms. Marvel!"

In this all-new, all-embiggened fifth episode, Alan and Emily talk about the Kamala Khan version of Ms Marvel, which debuted in 2014. We talk about the significance of her status as a young Muslim heroine. We talk ethnicity, religion, culture, family, and the immigrant experience.

We also cover lots of terrific feedback from our terrific feedbackers, mostly about our recent Star Wars episode. 

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You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.

Link: Anderson Cale's music 

Special thanks to Stella, from Batgirl to Oracle, for providing her voice.

We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com 

You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #10

 Gotham By Midnight #10, DC Comics, cover-dated December 2015.

“Nothing Will Stop Us,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

The opening page of each issue in this series contains four long panels that provide a thematic statement of sorts for the issue. It’s hard to construct a better summary of the concept of this series than the words that begin issue #10:

“In a city of horror, I (Jim Corrigan) swore to protect the innocent. When I failed, he (the Spectre) swore to avenge them.”

This issue picks up in the aftermath of last issue’s appearance of the Spectre in the small holding room where Corrigan was being interrogated by Internal Affairs. Detective Lisa Drake tries to calm him, before helping him make his escape.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tarr’s story continues, and we see him dealing with his feelings after Sister Justine’s death. In a creepy scene, he discovers that a sainthood cult is growing near where she died. She has been appearing to neighborhood kids, who have built a shrine to “The Nun of the Narrows.”

 While evading re-capture (in a wonderfully-drawn chase scene), Corrigan and Drake discuss who exactly is in control of the Spectre. Corrigan also tells Drake his origin story. He also convinces her that despite their careers being in shambles at this point, that the thing from the swamp that they’ve dealt with in prior issues, is still out there. As the end of the series approaches, the Midnight Shift still has work to do.

Alan's Christian Comic Corner

 The Unforogttens: Mission of Tranquillity #1, Trinity Comic Ministries, 1993. The untitled story is created by Timothy A. Gagnon.

I think it started with the Frank Peretti novel “This Present Darkness,” and its sequel “Piercing the Darkness.” These were published in 1986 and 1989 respectively. Those books both fed on a growing interest in spiritual warfare in the evangelical church, and also contributed to that growing interest. Many evangelical novels and albums of the era reflected this interest, so a comic book featuring similar content makes sense.

Three teens are performing a Satanist ritual in the woods, and summon a demon. They are interrupted by a warrior of God (called Faith), who appears to be an angel, but is in fact a human who has been empowered by God to fight Satan and other evils. Two of the three teens repent of their ways, the demon is expelled, and Faith meets up with two similar beings. At the end of the issue, an unsuspecting hitchhiker appears to be kidnapped by demonic forces.

There is one scene in particular that surprised me. The lead character is Catholic, and his salvation came as a result of a conversation with a priest, in a confessional. Evangelical publishing is not known for taking ecumenical stances, so this scene stood out in a positive way. It had a simple storyline and overly dramatic dialog, but there were also interesting moments and subtle touches sprinkled throughout. Re-reading more than two decades after first buying it was not the embarrassing experience that I had thought it may have been.

Yes, this is a self-published book, produced by an amateur creator. And some parts of it are definitely “amateurish.” The lettering stands out in a negative way, as does the spelling of the word “tranquility,” and the overall 1990s-ish nature of the art. And the book is a half an inch taller than standard comics means that storing this issue has been a challenge. But despite being crunched for more than two decades in bags and boxes and bookshelves, this issue is in remarkably good condition. The paper quality is surprisingly high, and this 20-year-old issue has not suffered a single tear or a rip.  

This black-and-white book contains 30 pages of story, which is at least 5 pages longer than most mainstream stories of the same period. Most comics of his era were priced in the $1.50 - $2.50 range, so this book’s $1.95 cover price was appropriate. There were three more issues of this title published, and they are on the to-be-reviewed list.

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #8

Gotham By Midnight #8, DC Comics, cover-dated October 2015.

“The Jungle,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

Have you ever noticed how so many people who watch the news on TV become so angry? In this story, EVERYONE watching the news attacks each other at the same time, creating riots and fights across Gotham City. The news anchors sold their souls for fame and influence, and the consequences of that deal are manifesting, both in the news studio, and in the broadcast itself.

Detective Drake is injured in the midst of the riot. She  has tried to deal with the situation itself, warning Corrigan away. “The Spectre comes out here, we’re looking at a lot of bodies.”

Corrigan and Dr. Tarr head to the television studio, Corrigan admits he doesn’t know if the Spectre will come out, and Tarr has mixed emotions about this prospect.

“It’s a heady thing, to know I might be judged, that God’s agent might turn his gaze upon me … if that you claim is true.”

I like that Tarr doesn’t necessarily share Corrigan’s interpretation of the Spectre. His skeptical scientific mind is always at work. But he knows that SOMETHING might happen, and locks Corrigan out of the studio to handle the situation himself.

Similar to the annual and issue #7, the main story of this issue is a one-and-done. That is a nice change-of-pace, both for this title in particular, but also for modern comics in general. The story is wrapped up in this issue, although character arcs progress and subplots continue.

In the main subplot, the investigation into the 13^th Precinct continues. Agent Casimiro sums up her thoughts on this subplot. “This is Gotham City, sergeant … and the Midnight Shift are killers.” The issue ends with Corrigan being brought in by Internal Affairs for questioning.

Comic Book Review: Gotham By Midnight #7

Gotham By Midnight 7, DC Comics, cover-dated September 2015.

“Nobody Cares,” by Ray Fawkes, with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

Precinct Thirteen is in trouble. They’re in trouble with Internal Affairs, as the team has lost their administrative protector. Lt. Weaver admits that “Gordon used to shield us. Didn’t matter how weird we were, or how low are numbers were.” But Kate Spencer, the special investigator, may not be buying it.

And they are all recovering emotionally from the loss of Sister Justine. The team is fraying, as is Detective Jim Corrigan’s sense of self. In the acts of cleaning up her apartment, packing her things, he ponders as he can only do when alone. He is working through things, and we see his private pain.

“I’m not supposed to have any regrets. I’m an agent of Heaven.”

He quotes St. Augustine, and then asks God for mercy. “Please,” he adds.

And then the team gets called in to tackle an eerie situation, because in Gotham City there is always another eerie situation for the team to tackle. People in an apartment building seem to have just given up on life, lying down and dying. Corrigan arrives, identifies the cause as a particular brand of demon, and orders his team to evacuate the building. The Spectre is coming.

And Ferreyra does a great job portraying the eerie power that the makes up the embodiment of the Wrath of God. Corrigan does not fight the transformation this time, and seems to revel in the destruction of this particular form of evil.

And again, Internal Affairs wonders exactly what happened. And Corrigan’s team wonders what will happen to the city if something happens to them.

John & Martha Kent, Bible Scholars

The graphic novel Superman: For Earth, from 1991, sees the Man of Steel taking on environmental threats of all kinds. In a brief scene back in his hometown of Smallville, Clark and his parents lament the loss of farmland in their community, as it keeps being "gobbled up" to make room for apartments. Pa Kent wonders how these people will be fed, and then quotes one of the famous bits of Genesis 1:28.

"Be fruitful and multiply," he says, before offering some commentary about people using their common sense on that front. Ma Kent adds the next clause of the verse.

"And replenish the Earth," adding her own two cents that people have forgotten that part.

The quote is from the King James Version, and it's reasonable that this is the version of the Bible that the Kents would have heard growing up in church in the Midwest of the 1950s.

Their analysis is an interesting take, one appropriate for a farm family, for people close to the land. The next clause, "and subdue it," is an additional pro-farming concept. And the verse was certainly appropriate for the theme of the work, commenting on overpopulation and poor stewardship of the Earth.

Give the Kents credit (and writer Roger Stern). They did a better job handling their Bible quote than Fox Mulder did with his.