Repackaging Comic Book Violence

Check out this post from Supernaut, a blogger on one of my favorite entertainment sites, Comics2Film.

Supernaut talks about a line of toys based on Marvel comic book characters aimed at younger children. The characters are rendered in child friendly proportions, with over sized heads and smiles. In short, the tiny figures are...cute.

Supernaut goes on to raise a good point. What does it mean to take these violent characters based on very adult themes and repackage them in child friendly versions?

Wolverine has razor sharp claws that he regularly uses to disembowel his enemies.

The Hulk is fueled by rage and leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes.

The Punisher is a vigilante assassin who won't hesitate to kill.

Ghost Rider made a deal with the devil and is possessed by a demon.

Supernaut takes this question in two directions. First, he wonders what we are actually selling our children. We call these character heroes, but they are clearly flawed heroes that deal in violence. Second, he wonders if these children versions water down the "real" versions consumed by adults.

I think Supernaut has really raised a great question. Those of you who know me know that I love comic books. I grew up on these characters and they are a big part of my pop culture canon.

But ever since reading Walter Wink's book The Powers That Be, I've had some serious questions about the pervasiveness of violence in our culture.

Wink's point is that our society is obsessed with violence as the best (or at least easiest) answer to our problems. This obsession has worked itself into our culture through what he calls the "myth of redemptive violence". This myth is clearly seen in our comic book and adventure heroes, who routinely save the world through the use of violence. Wink and others have pointed out how dangerous this kind of thinking is when elevated to public policy, such as our current propensity for war over diplomacy.

Violence is bad and Wink argues that through Jesus God has shown us an alternative way to address our problems. But this alternative vision is hard to promote against the entertaining myth of redemptive violence.

So I've been doing a lot of soul searching over the past few years and I still feel torn.

In the meantime, I join Supernaut in his questions about these toys. But, like him, I'm sure I would buy them for my children (and myself) as well.