Episode #6: War. Politics. Superheroes. (When We Last Left Our Heroes)

The superhero comic has always had a tradition of commenting upon American public opinion and government policy. From the very first issue of Captain America, which saw our titular hero punching out Adolf Hitler to Marvel’s divisive Civil War, the comic book has often provided a stark perspective on the issues that plague the popular discourse. Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Marc DiPaolo, Associate Professor of English and Film at Oklahoma City University, and Matthew Costello, Professor of Political Science, St. Xavier University, about superheroes and how they’ve come to reflect the politics of their time.The superhero comic has always had a tradition of commenting upon American public opinion and government policy. From the very first issue of Captain America, which saw our titular hero punching out Adolf Hitler to Marvel’s divisive Civil War, the comic book has often provided a stark perspective on the issues that plague the popular discourse. Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Marc DiPaolo, Associate Professor of English and Film at Oklahoma City University, about superheroes and how they’ve come to reflect the politics of their time.