Superhero Ethics

The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel. Why do we tell so many stories about the two of them together? How do their approaches to justice differ, and why does that matter? Do they work best as enemies, allies, or in their own worlds? Special guest Jessica Plummer joins Jacob and Matthew to discuss these questions and more!Jessica Plummer lives in New York and loves Superman very very much. You can listen to just how much on her Superman podcast, Flights and Tights (http://flightsandtights.libsyn.com/). She also writes about comics and books in general at BookRiot.com (https://bookriot.com/author/jessica-plummer/). Find her on Twitter @jess_plummer.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

Need something to listen to on the long car trip home? Want a distraction from talking to your racist uncle or having to hear about your cousin's new get rich quick scheme? We've got a podcast for you!Jacob and Matthew are pretty grateful for the newest season of Luke Cage, and on this episode we dive into why we liked the show and some of the questions it brought up. We talk about revenge, history, father-son and mother-daughter relationships, and whether Harlem needs a hero or a king. We recorded on the day of Stan Lee's death, so we also take a moment to pay tribute to the man who gave us so many of the stories we love and love to talk about.**** SPOILER WARNING ****  This episode contains a lot of spoilers for Luke Cage Season 2. Do NOT listen unless you've already seen it or are ok with learning major plot details.One important note- Jacob and Matthew are aware that the last thing the world needs is two more white guys talking about race and Luke Cage. As such, they were intentional in focusing on other

Is Superman a product of nature or nurture? This episode looks at the Red Son story, which imagines an alternative future in which Kal-El landed in the USSR, and grew up to fight for Truth, Justice, and the Communist Way. We ask how Superman would be changed by being raised in a different culture, and what that tells us about his core ideals, and ours. This episode also features special guest, Jess Dunks. Jess is a former USAF Korean Linguist and a professional level judge for Magic: the Gathering events. He's also been a fan of superhero stories ever since he found a comic book store he could walk to when he was 12, and his favorite hero is Boo, the only Miniature Giant Space Hamster in the Realm.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

What can you learn from the no-win scenario? Is Star Fleet a military organization? And are those REALLY Ricardo Montalbán's pec muscles.Jacob & Matthew watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and then talked about the ethical questions it raised. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

Jacob and Matthew are just a little excited about the upcoming new season of Daredevil. They dive into some of the questions they hope to see explored in this new season, such as did time in prison change Wilson Fisk, why was Veronica such an important character, and will we see more of her, and why Matt’s faux death at the end of Defenders bothered us so much. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

Does a Superhero movie need a good fight scene? Jacob and Matthew look at the role of physical violence in the stories we love, asking questions of both the characters and the writers.  Can you tell a hero story without violence? Do our heroes too often resort to their fists? And why do so many heroes see fighting as flirtation?You can download the episode with a right click  and clicking "save link as" or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on Stitcher.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Superhero Ethics Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comThis is the voter registration website we mentioned during the PSA at the end. 

What better place to discuss the cross country antics of the Winchester Brothers than the open road? While driving cross country, Jacob and Matthew took some time to talk Supernatural, examining the moral value of different kinds of non-humans, the relationship between Sam and Dean, and their willingness to make any and all sacrifices to save each other. Our schedules haven’t allowed us the chance to record under our normal conditions, and while talking about Supernatural while driving down the highway seems rather fitting, we know that the sound quality is a lot lower than what we like to provide you. Thank you for bearing with us, and we will be back to our normal recording conditions (and sound quality!) for our next episode.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! We recently started a Facebook Group, which is the best way to join in the conversations. You can also find us on Twitter or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

Jacob and Matthew explore the second season of Jessica Jones on a number of levels, looking at the decisions of both the characters and the writers. How should the law treat someone like Alissa? What responsibility does Jessica hold for her mother’s actions? How do we view Trish’s actions, and the writers' decisions to put so much conflict between her and Jessica?You can download the episode with a right click  and clicking "save link as" or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on Stitcher.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

This week, we take a step back from the things we are fans of, to talk about fandom itself. What rights or ownership do we as fans have over the properties we love? What is the interaction between media, and the fan-created things it inspires, such as fan fiction? And why do fan responses to media sometimes turn so horribly toxic?Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

This week we dive into questions from our listeners and fans! inspired by our friends at the MCUCast, we start with a lengthy discussion about Kingpin and The Punisher, what separates them and what makes them similar. Why do we cheer for one, and root for the other to be taken down, or do we? From there we dive into listener questions about Civil War, Cap, the portrayal of mental illness in genre fiction and a number of other topics. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

Here it is, our 50th episode! All three hosts, Paul, Jacob, and Matthew, come together to re-examine some of our favorite questions and discussions from past episodes. We talk about the Joker, different ways of understanding violence, when heroes can or should kill, humorous vs. serious portrayals of heroes, and plan for the eventual ascension of our robot overlords.You can download the episode with a right click  and clicking "save link as" or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on Stitcher.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comAlso of note- we were a bit punchy for this episode. It led to a great, and funny, discussion, but also a few slips of the tongue- including Matthew’s references at various points to “Chris Kapernick” and “Stuporman.” Please forgive those errors.Here are the podcast episodes we referenced:Ep 3: Suicidal Villains: Suicide Squad and the

What makes someone a hero? Does it matter if they choose their path is chosen, or it is assigned to them? Does a hero have to have something terrible happen to them, to inspire them to become heroic? And which villains come the closest to being heroes in their own right?To celebrate our 50th episode, we got all three hosts, Paul, Matthew, and Jacob, on the line to look back at some of our past discussions. Unfortunately, there were technical issues, and we lost a lot of that conversation. We will be trying again soon, but meanwhile this is a shorter teaser episode, in which we look at the question that underlies so much of this podcast- what is a hero?Stay tuned for a full version of our 3 way conversation coming as soon as we are able to re-record it. (And all learn when to hit the record button!)You can download the episode with a right click  and clicking "save link as" or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on Stitcher.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your o

*** SPOILER WARNING ***Even our show notes have spoilersIs Cap’ right to claim “We don’t trade lives?” Could Thanos have been stopped if our heroes made different choices? What role does hubris play when heroes don’t want to make tough choices? And how much of an idiot was Peter Quill?In this episode, Jacob and Matthew dive deep into the questions that came out of Avengers: Infinity War, exploring Thanos himself, the various ways the Avengers tried to stop him, and our hopes for where things go in the coming movies and tv shows. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comNote- We recorded this episode live again, which led to a great discussion, but also caused some sound issues. Jacob did a heroic job cleaning things up, but we know it is still not up to our normal standards. Please know we are aware of that, and and are taking steps to ensure we return to our normal quality in upcom

Should the heroes who enforce justice, also decide what is or isn’t just? Where are the lines between heroism, vigilantism, or just using your powers to do what you want? And does great power actually come with great responsibility, or is that too much to ask of people with powers?In this episode, Jacob and Matthew use Kingdom Come, a fantastic 1996 run of Superman comic books, as a jumping off point to dive into these questions and more. This episode explores questions around justice, power, law enforcement, and accountability, in the superhero world and our own. And while the books are amazing, (and find-able online!) you don’t have to have read them to appreciate this conversation. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

What is the responsibility of a filmmaker to stay true to a book? What is the problem with 'girl as prize' romance plotlines? And is it possible Jacob and Matthew enjoyed the movie of a book they are so critical of?This week, Jacob and Matthew throw down their quarters for a two player, two part, deep dive. They start out talking about the book and their hopes and concerns about the movie- than hit pause, watch the movie, and finish recording the podcast that same night! We dove into a number of issues, taking as comprehensive and well ordered approach to the work as anyone can at 11pm. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com.  Twitter hashtag: #ReadyplayerethicsYou can download the episode with a right click  and clicking "save link as" or subscribe by searching for Superhero Ethics on Itunes or on Stitcher. 

In part 2 of our discussion with Author and Star Wars Geek Extraordinaire, Becky Allen, we dive into Rey’s Journey, explore Luke’s issues with the Jedi, and critique some of the critiques of the movie. You can find the first part of our discussion in our previous episode. Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comBecky Allen is the author of Bound by Blood and Sand and the sequel, Freed by Flame and Storm. She grew up outside Ithaca, New York, and graduated from Brandeis University with a major in American studies and a minor in journalism. She is the product manager for TheBody.com, an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism.You can find and purchase Becky’s books at her Goodreads page, or follow her on any of the following sites:twitter.com/allrebbeckytext.tumblr.comfacebook.com/beckyallenbooksinstagram.com/allrebwww.beckyallenbooks.comFor more about fridging.

What is the narrative power of failure, and how is it used in The Last Jedi? What did we learn from Admiral Holdo and Po about power, and trusting leaders, and the role of gender in that? Author and Star Wars geek extrodinaire, Becky Allen, joins us again to discuss these questions and more. It turns out the three of us had a lot ot say on this topic, so this is only part 1, of a 2 part episiode! Stay tuned for part 2 to hit next week.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.comBecky Allen is the author of Bound by Blood and Sand and the sequel, Freed by Flame and Storm. She grew up outside Ithaca, New York, and graduated from Brandeis University with a major in American studies and a minor in journalism. She is the product manager for TheBody.com, an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism. You can find and purchase Becky’s books at her Goodreads page, or follow

Should life always come before death? Should we favor the journey over the destination? And can there be an episode of Superhero Ethics without Matthew? In this episode, Jacob is joined by special guest Rob McKenzie for a discussion of The Way of Kings, book 1 in the Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson.In particular, they focus on the oaths of the Knights Radiant, discussing the ethical implications of this moral code within the book, and as it applies to other stories, and the real world. Rob McKenzie is a science fiction and fantasy reader and Magic the Gathering judge from Minnesota. He is passionate about interesting books, running great gaming events, and helping other people have fun with their passions. 

What makes Netflix’s The Punisher so good, and so troubling, at the same time? Can you tell a story about the evils of guns and violence, while glorifying gun violence? And can anyone explain the concept of collateral damage to Karen? Special guest Jessica Plummer joins Jacob and Matthew as we dive into these questions and more. Jessica is a writer, podcaster, and superhero obsessive. She's written about the Punisher here and here. You can find her on Twitter at @jess_plummer, or follow her Superman movie podcast, Flights and Tights, at @flightstights Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, and Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com

A hero is supposed to be devoted. To their country, to their cause, to their friends- whatever it may be, heroes are often defined by the thing they are willing to go to any extreme to protect and defend.But what happens when that goes too far? On this episode, Jacob and Matthew discuss the costs of devotion, looking at the ways a cause can blind a person to the damage it is doing, to themself or to others.This post contains spoilers about Captain America, Babylon 5, the Punisher, the 100, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.Agree or disagree with what we talked about, or want to add your own thoughts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us at superheroethics@gmail.com Our next two shows will be about The Punisher and Star Wars The Last Jedi, respectivly.  Have a question or a comment about either that you want to hear us discuss? Let us know!