Comic Book Crime: Truth, Justice, and the American Way: 4

“Carrying ahead the project of cultural criminology, Phillips and Strobl dare to take seriously that which amuses and entertains usand to find in it the most significant of themes. Audiences, images, ideologies of justice and injusticeall populate the pages of Comic Book Crime. The result is an analysis as colorful as a good comic, and as sharp as the point on a superheros sword.”–Jeff Ferrell, author of Empire of Scrounge

“Comic Book Crime is an important book devoted to a medium that has long been dismissed.”–Scott Elingburg “Popmatters”

“Innovative, exciting, and truly interdisciplinary, Phillips and Strobl pen a wonderful book on the iconic cultural figures in contemporary American comic books. Phillips and Strobl use criminal justice, criminology, law, history, sociology, and related social sciences to argue that comic books and the characters that inhabit those spaces constitute a rather comprehensive understanding of crime and justice in America. Phillips and Strobl’s book is made up of 10 succinct chapters, all edgy and creative. The book’s most persuasive component may be the final substantive chapter in which Phillips and Strobl present the impact of this attention to crime fighting, which has led to astronomical numbers of Americans incarcerated. If readers were to only read one chapter of the book, it should be the final chapter….Comic Book Crimeis an essential book for anyone interested in truth, justice, and the American way, but more importantly who defines those notions and how.Summing Up: Highly recommended.”–A.R.S. Lorenz “CHOICE”

“Philips and Strobl are criminologists, and they take a distinctly criminological approach to their examination of stories about law and order in comic books, but their book should appeal to all social science and humanities scholars with an interest in comics. The authors are also comic book insiders who volunteer to serve as patient mentors to those of us who are new to the genre, explaining key words like & retcon, and core processes like & crossover event. This is a very accessible guide for the comic book newcomer that is also mindful of & fanboy readers.”– “Men and Masculinities”

Staci Strobl is Associate Professor in the Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.