Mark D. White

Writer, editor, teacher

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I’m a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where I teach courses in philosophy, economics, and law, and the author/editor/co-editor of several books.

  • New interviews and articles about Captain America: Civil War and my book, A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics’ Civil War

    Civil war posterIt's been an exciting couple of weeks around the release of Captain America: Civil War, with several articles, interviews, and a review of my book A Philosopher Reads… Marvel Comics' Civil War appearing online. I collect them all on the dedicated page for the book at profmdwhite.com, but I thought a Comics Professor blog update was called for as well.

    1. I did two interviews about the movie, its relation to the comics, and the ethics and politics behind both:

    "A Philosopher Watches… Captain America: Civil War," interview with Skye Cleary for the Blog of the APA (American Philosophical Association), May 10, 2016

    "The Post-9/11 Ethics of Captain America: Civil War," interview with Katie Kilkenny for Pacific Standard, May 9, 2016

    2. Michael Dudley of the University of Winnipeg reviewed my book for the Winnipeg Free Press on May 7, 2016 in "Civil discourse: Comics book series says plenty on liberty, security and morals," containing the immortal attribution, "something of a rock star in the world of comics." (I wish!)

    3. Finally, I wrote two pieces based on my book and the Civil War comics (before the movie came out):

    "What Can We Learn from Watching a Superhero Civil War?" Psychology Today blog, May 3, 2016

    "Captain America: Civil War — conflicted heroes and a clash of philosophies," The Guardian, April 21, 2016

    ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

    Even though it's "old news" by now, I'm also very happy with my chat with Scott Niswander for his Nerdsync podcast:

    ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

    As always, if you like any of this stuff, let me know on Twitter and check out my book, A Philosopher Reads… Marvel Comics' Civil War, available now!

  • My thoughts on Captain America: Civil War (No spoilers!)

    Civil war posterOK, no surprise… I loved Captain America: Civil War. I was fairly certain I'd like it, of course, but it surpassed my expectations, which were well heightened by all the positive  comments from everyone who saw it before me. (And that seems to be everyone I know. I will have my revenge, mark my words.)

    So here are some scatted thoughts, as usual… (If I had no shame I would title this post "7 Things I Loved about Captain America: Civil War… and 1 I Didn't," but with any luck Google will pick up on that anyway.)

    1. The movie was very well paced, and I was never tempted to check the time, which is impressive for a 147-minute movie. There was a point at which I thought the movie could have been essentially finished, except there was a scene from the trailers that hadn't come up yet, but this was a minor lull.

    2. Despite the inclusion of a dozen heroes, several of them appearing throughout the film, the Russo brothers did a great job keeping the focus most of the time on Cap and the main secondary characters, Falcon, Bucky, and Iron Man. There were times that it did feel like an Avengers movie—especially during the fight scene between the two teams, which was much longer (and better) than I expected—but these spots were occasional enough that the movie still felt like a Cap movie. (Although, to be fair, there was enough substantial Iron Man content that it almost could have been titled something stupid like Captain America v Iron Man. Like anyone would do that.)

    3. The story itself was not as close to the comics version as I expected—and I didn't expect it to be very close at all—but I think the changes worked well within the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For instance, as many people noted ahead of the film, not many of the heroes we've seen in the films have secret identities, so that aspect of the comics story wouldn't translate well to the film, and it was wisely left out. Nonetheless, the movie did touch of several iconic images and lines from the comics, which I found enormously gratifying (being rather fond of the comics, as you may have heard). Would I have loved more explicit discussion of the issues underlying the conflict? Of course, but I was satisfied with how much there was, and the dialogue on this front was concise and on target, hitting the most important points of the debate. (I expect to be talking more about that aspect of the film in the near future.)

    4. The action scenes were simply incredible, both those with two characters as well as a dozen, and felt more visceral than Whedon's in the two Avengers films, even when all the heroes were onscreen at the same time. Maybe it was the Russo brothers' more subdued color palette, or the slight jerkiness of the camera (which, to be honest, became somewhat tiresome), but these scenes were more reminiscent of a war movie (appropriately enough) than a traditional superhero film. Kudos to everyone involved in these scenes, most of all the sound people—every time one of the heroes got hit, was thrown in a wall, or fell 50 feet to the ground, I flinched thanks to the combination of performance, cinematography, and especially the sound effects. (But at the same time, even when Cap and Iron Man went all out on each other, there was none of the senseless brutality we saw in that other superhero battle movie this year.)

    Black panther5. Black Panther… ah, my king! He could have easily been the star of this movie if any of the other characters had let me down, and I am looking forward even more (if that were possible) to his solo film. Chadwick Boseman gave T'Challa a thoroughly regal demeanor, with the perfect combination of determination, class, and fierceness. The Panther's movements were magnificently graceful, especially the way he would land after a jump or being thrown. And even with his short time in the film, we saw his character experience growth.

    6. I am a big fan of both Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's portrayals of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (though not necessarily of every film they were in), and Tom Holland's version adds yet another unique take on the character. He played a relatively small role in the movie, and didn't have much to do with the Civil War storyline itself (unlike in the comics, where he was a major player), but we see much more of him than I expected, in and out of costume.

    7. The Stan Lee cameo was perfect. 'Nuff said.

    If I have one criticism with the film, it's with the ending. I can't say much more without giving anything away, so I'll just say that I thought some things were left unresolved, but I trust the Russo brothers to be setting up their first Avengers film (which cannot come soon enough).

    The ending notwithstanding, I thought the movie was exceptional. It was more of an action movie than a political one, but there was enough of the latter to make this fan of the comics story happy.

    —–

    As I mentioned, I have a number of interviews planned over the next week in which I'll speak to the ideological debates in the movie and the comics, so stay tuned, both here and on Twitter. And don't forget to check out my book, A Philosopher Reads…Marvel Comics' Civil War: Exploring the Moral Judgment of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man, available now!

  • Now available, in print and ebook: A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics’ Civil War

    Civil war coverAt long last, today is the release day for A Philosopher Reads… Marvel Comics' Civil War: Exploring the Moral Judgment of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man, published by Ockham Publishing in both paperback and ebook.

    Comic book readers and moviegoers love to see superheroes fight, whether to protect innocent people from supervillains or to save the world from invaders from outer space. But superheroes also fight each other, and if we can look past the energy blasts and earth-shattering punches, we can find serious disagreements over principles and ethics. This was certainly the case when Captain America and Iron Man went head-to-head over liberty and security in Marvel Comics’ epic Civil War storyline, a fictional allegory to post-9/11 America (as well as the basis for the third Captain America film).

    In his latest book, Mark D. White, author of The Virtues of Captain America and editor of Iron Man and Philosophy, carefully leads you through the ethical thinking of the three characters on the front lines of the Civil War:

    Iron Man, who has taken charge of the US government’s efforts to register and train superheroes to enhance safety and security

    Captain America, who leads the resistance against registration in the name of individual liberty and privacy

    Spider-Man, who is torn between his two mentors and has a uniquely personal stake in the battle

    In his characteristically light and humorous tone, White lays out the basic ethical foundations of each hero’s thinking and highlights the moral judgment each must use to put his ethics into action. He also explains how the Civil War affected the three heroes after the battle ended and how the experience continued to test them in very different ways as events in the Marvel Universe continued to unfold. Finally, he uses examples from Civil War to show how conflicting principles such as liberty and security must be balanced in the real world, lest both be lost.

    Written in a style that will be easily accessible to those new to philosophy or superhero comics, A Philosopher Reads… Marvel Comics’ Civil War will be a fascinating read for diehard comics fans and philosophy buffs as well.

    If you want to find out more about the book, there are several places to look (and listen):

    • My podcast with Nerdsync, in which Scott Niswander and I covered many of the topics and issues in my book, the Civil War comics, and what we could surmise about the upcoming movie, and still only seemed to scratch the surface!

    I am available for interviews, podcasts, signings, or lectures—just contact me at profmdwhite@hotmail.com.

    If you read the book, please let me know what you think, either in the comments here; on Amazon, Goodreads, or elsewhere; or on Twitter (@profmdwhite) or email (profmdwhite@hotmail.com).

  • What a month it’s been… (A new personal update)

    Civil war cover smallerWow, this has been a wild month (not even a month, actually), both Invigorating and exhausting, leaving me feeling in a very different place than I was when it began.

    Most important, A Philosopher Reads… Marvel Comics' Civil War comes out today, and I've been very lucky to have gotten some exposure for it online and in real life:

    First, I had a blast recording a podcast with Scott Niswander for Nerdsync, which is available at the link as well as the player below. We covered many of the topics and issues in my book, the Civil War comics, and what we could surmise about the upcoming movie, and still only seemed to scratch the surface!

    Northwood picIn late March, I gave a lecture at Northwood University (at the kind invitation of an old friend, Glenn Moots, shown at the right, courtesy of Northwood's Facebook page) on the topic of superheroes, liberty, and security, which also drew from the book. The video can be found here, although the player can be very touchy with respect to browsers (Internet Explorer and Edge seem to be best, and Firefox works sometimes). Northwood was extremely welcoming and the audience was great, with both students and faculty anxious to talk afterwards.

    Finally, Comics Worth Reading generously ran an excerpt from the book on their website, and The Philosopher's Magazine is planning on doing the same in an upcoming issue. Finally, back in February, Troy Powell (a contributor to The Avengers and Philosophy) presciently interviewed me about the book for Graphic Policy.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    In other news…

    More directly related to The Virtues of Captain America then the Civil War book, writer R.G. Dole graciously interviewed me for her blog. This interview is particularly meaningful for me, not just because R.G. asked wonderful questions, but because it is the first time I've been interviewed as an author, rather than specifically about the topic of a book. (I've written before about my issues with calling myself an author or writer.)

    In support of our co-edited book Economics and the Virtues, Jennifer Baker and I chatted with Tom Woods about the relationship between economics and the virtues for his podcast. This was a great conversation hitting on a lot of points from the book, and I hope to have another talk with Tom soon.

    Batmansbrain guysIn my last update, I mentioned the event "An Evening with Batman's Brain" at Victoria University in mid-March, hosted by neuroscientist E. Paul Zehr (author of Becoming Batman) and featuring myself and psychologist Travis Langley (author of Batman and Psychology). Here's a nice write-up of the event, courtesy of Otaku No Culture. It was a fantastic night and trip overall: seeing a little of the Pacific northwest, and Victoria specifically, for the first time; meeting Paul and Travis in person after knowing them online for some time; appearing with them in front of a crowd of 800 under theater lights (so we actually couldn't see the audience, which was new to me); speaking afterward with so many students excited to talk about comics and philosophy, and with even more in Paul's class the following day; and marveling at the antics of the guys from Launchpad Productions, whose performances as Batman, Joker, Scarecrow, and Two-Face opened and closed the night's proceedings. (I will never forget the sight of Batman and the Joker doing the dance from Morris Day and the Time's "Jungle Love" in the green room before the show.)

    While we're on the topic of Batman, the blog of the American Philosophical Association featured an discussion between me and Skye Cleary on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; I also had some fun with the film on April Fools' Day at The Comics Professor.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    As far as ongoing work is concerned, as you might expect, not a lot was accomplished over the last month. Work still continues slowly on the insanity defense book and various articles and chapters, as well as other embryonic book ideas. But one major project has changed…

    The book on superheroes and philosophy that I was working on for the last half year met an untimely end, not at the hands of the spotlight hero's arch-enemies, but rather an inability on my part to arrive at an approach and structure for the book that I was happy with. After struggling for months to find a way to make it work, I finally put an end to it, at least in the format in which I planned (and was contracted) to write it.

    I may still write a book on this particular character, but with the way I came to think about him after months of reading, rereading, and thinking, I would have to write a more critical book than I've done about comics to this point. My previous work on superheroes has all been written from the viewpoint of a fan, using the characters and storylines to make an argument rooted in philosophy rather than analyzing or critiquing the source material itself. This is why, to this point, I've never called myself a comics scholar, which would be inaccurate and an insult to those who do actual comics scholarship. But the latter approach is the only one I feel comfortable taking with this character, with whom I developed significant problems over the course of my research. So, if I do write about him I will have to take the rose-tinted glasses off and go full bore in an academic way, which I'm certainly accustomed to doing with economic or philosophical arguments, but not superheroes!

    (As it happened, I just heard back from my publisher about new directions for this book as I took a break from writing this post; discussions will continue.)

    Other than that, my friends, there are of course the same old unsettled feelings about academia, and a persistent yearning to write fiction and play music that for some unknown reason continues to go unfulfilled. But no time to ramble on about that; this post has gone on long enough. Let me simply say that this was definitely a month that inspires me to consider other options for how I go about my life.

  • Six reasons why Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the best superhero movie yet

    Batman-vs-supermanI saw Batman v Superman last Thursday, and meant to get a post up more quickly, but it took me this long to digest all the Snyder-y goodness packed into those two-and-a-half hours of sheer cinematic bludgeoning.

    Let me list some of things I loved about this movie (there may be spoilers):

    1. I was very happy when Superman broke the fourth wall and addressed the audience, admitting that he was completely out of character killing Zod at the end of Man of Steel, and apologized for the resulting disillusionment of the next generation of Superman fans. But the following 20-minute discussion with Batman about why heroes don't kill was even better, and validated my faith in Snyder that he never really thought that Superman killing could ever be appropriate. (In general, the in-depth treatment of all the issues raised in the movie was much appreciated; I was so relieved Snyder didn't just gloss over these points to focus on grandiose, emotionally-laden set pieces with little meaningful content or narrative coherence.)
    2. Jesse Eisenberg's subtle, delicately nuanced portrayal of Lex Luthor added the gravitas necessary to offset the goofy antics of the title heroes. Most of the film was a bright and giddy celebration of fun-filled adventure and superheroics, and it needed Luthor to lend it solemnity to give it the careful balance between unrestrained joy and emotional depth we've come to expect from Zack Snyder.
    3. Speaking of lighthearted fun, I howled at Batman and Superman's impromptu vaudeville-style tap routine to the Beatles' "Martha My Dear." It allowed Affleck and Cavill the opportunity to show off their dance skills, which will come in handy in Justice League (which my sources tell me will be a broad reworking of A Chorus Line, Snyder's favorite Broadway-themed movie other than all the others).
    4. Wonder Woman was integrated very well throughout the entire movie. I was so afraid she'd be shoehorned into the end of the movie to clean up after the boys nearly killed each other (silly, right?), or used for gratuitous eye-candy earlier, but I should have known Snyder was better that. (That would have been a real sucker punch indeed.)
    5. The dream sequence where Batman turns into the Punisher and then Superman turns into the Punisher and then one Punisher goes all Punisher on the other Punisher but it's even better because it's Batman and Superman and everyone really wants them to be the Punisher because wow the Punisher's just so awesome and… yeah. The seven-year-old in me who really doesn't understand Batman or Superman loved that part.
    6. My favorite moment:  before the final throwdown, when Superman shouted "Speedos!" into Bruce Wayne's pool and Aquaman jumped out and said, "hey, I'm in a movie!"

    I could go on, but I'll leave something for my review of the R-rated cut, in which I hope Batman and Superman can really cut loose and engage in some more uncharacteristically brutal violence and the rumored epic breakdance battle, which was too intense for PG-13. (Wait until you see Batman pop and lock… and load!)

  • A book is reborn, and two big talks coming soon… (A new personal update)

    Today doesn't seem to be a very productive one, so I'll take a moment to let you in a few big things happening around here.

    Civil war cover smallerFirst… you may have noticed that my book A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics' Civil War was taken down from Amazon Kindle Direct. There is a reason, and it's a good 'un: it will soon be published in paperback and ebook by Ockham Publishing, and the rather striking cover is shown to the right. I'll provide more details about pre-ordering and such when they become available.

    (Should I have called this post "Civil War: Rebirth"? Too cheeky by half, I think.)

    But there's more! Not only are they publishing my book on Civil War, but Ockham also signed me for the A Philosopher Reads… series, for which I will write more books on comics and the philosophical thoughts they inspire. As I suggested in my post at The Comics Professor announcing the Civil War book, this was in the back of my mind when I chose "A Philosopher Reads…" for the beginning of the title, but Ockham and I have made it a reality.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Batmans brainNext… I'll be participating in two very exciting events over the next several weeks.

    The first is "An Evening with Batman's Brain," a panel on March 16 at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, hosted by neuroscientist E. Paul Zehr (author of Becoming Batman) and also featuring psychologist Travis Langley (author of Batman and Psychology) and myself. The three of us will highlight our individual perspectives on the Dark Knight from our respective disciplines, with some significant overlaps and contrasts that are sure to prompt fascinating discussion. Personally, it will also be the first chance I've had to meet either Paul or Travis in person, which I'm very much looking forward to.

    In the meantime, here's a short radio interview Paul and I did with Joe Travis at CFAX 1070 (starting 17:15 into the hour), and some press coverage from Metro Vancouver.

    Northwood flyerThe second is "What Superheroes Can Teach Us About Liberty and Security," a talk I'm giving at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, upon invitation from my good friend Glenn Moots (chair of political science and philosophy at Northwood). In the talk, I will cover many of the themes from my book on Civil War as well as The Virtues of Captain America.

    Add those to my quick trip to the Central Division meetings of the American Philosophical Association last weekend to participate in a session on punishment—which rekindled some dormant thoughts on retributivism I hope to explore more later—and this March will have been the most travel-filled month in my academic life so far.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Other than that, my life the past month and a half since my last update has mainly been taken up by working on two books-in-progress and a handful of papers, as well as normal chairing duties at the college. (I do have a major editing gig to announce soon, but I'll hold onto that until the contract is signed.)

    I'm sorry to say that my latest attempt at scheduling time failed (as every preceding attempt did); maybe I'll discuss my suspicions why in a later blog post. I've been managing to get what I need to do done, but as always, with far too much stress and anxiety. Frankly, I'm tired of waking up every morning—very early—feeling like I'm starting the day already behind. That can't be a good way to live, but until I find a better way, that's the way it is.

  • How were this week’s comics? (February 3, 2016)

    HeykidsIf you missed it last week, this is a new thing I'm trying here, registering my very brief thoughts on the comics I buy each week.

    NEW COMICS FOR FEBRUARY 3, 2016

    Big week this week, with 13 books (10 Marvel, 3 DC). I'll be brief with the last few.

    FAVORITE: A-Force #2. I tend to be drawn to clever books these days, and while these tend to be the more humor-oriented books like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Howard the Duck, they also include more traditional super-books, and A-Force is a perfect example. Full of wondrous action and punches galore, this comic is also replete with sharp writing from G. Willow Wilson and Kelly Thompson and attention-grabbing art from Jorge Molina and Laura Martin. The story of Singularity trying to connect with unfamiliar versions of her Battleworld teammates is both heartbreaking in her disappointment and uplifting when she sees the same heroism in these people that she remembers from that world long gone. And when the heroes assemble near the end to confront the danger facing the world, you might get chills as Molina and Martin nail their strength and resolve.

    CLOSE RUNNER-UP: Howard the Duck #4. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a unique Galactus story, and no one does unique like Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, and the rest of the Howard team. The promise of Howard the Silver-Surfing-Duck from last month is fulfilled; we see guest stars galore; and we get one of the best meta-comments on the resolution of Secret Wars we might ever see (at least until next issue). 

    Spider-Man #1. Finally, Miles Morales is back in his own book and firmly ensconced in the 616 Prime universe. (They couldn't just pick a prime number? You know, like 617?) Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, and Justin Ponsor do a fantastic job of welcoming readers new to this Spider-Man while making oldtime fans feel at home with Miles' new dimensional address (and the return of his mother, thanks to a generous gift of a burger to a hungry Molecule Man). As well as elevating a deserving new character to the big leagues, this book also retains the essential high school setting of the classic Spider-Man comics (also seen currently in Spidey and Ms. Marvel) but from a new and fresh viewpoint. The Avengers storyline may have felt a little forced, and it sets up a guest appearance that might have come too soon, but I have faith that both will pay off next issue.

    Batman: Europa #4. I didn't know what to expect from this loooong-delayed series when it finally came out, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's been a fantastic, old-fashioned Batman-and-Joker story by Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello with an interesting twist, and terrifically lush art by a different team each issue, reflecting the shifting locales, unified by Giuseppe Camuncoli's layouts. And Batman hasn't looked this good in years–classic and timeless.

    Invincible Iron Man #6. One of my favorite artists, Mike Deodato Jr., joins this title's second arc and brings a significant shift in visual tone that matches Frank Martin's subdued color palette, both contrasting interestingly with Bendis' characteristically chatty and hilarious scripts. Dr. Doom returns in a big way in this issue, stealing every scene he's in, and Rhodey also gets some much-appreciated screen time. Bendis is definitely showing a different side to Doom here; I never thought I'd like seeing him out of armor for this long, but I do. (Doom, that is, not Bendis.)

    Doctor Strange #5. This book continues to impress with stunning work from Jason Aaron, Chris Bachalo, and an Avengers team of inkers (Bachalo's colors in particular standing out from his always amazing line work). While Stephen continues his epic and draining fight against mysterious forces, we see more of Wong's character come to the fore, including a surprising (and somewhat disturbing) view of just how far he'll go to help his caped friend. (Definitely got a Kazuo Ishiguro vibe from this.)

    Batman & Robin Eternal #18. In this issue we get the payoff we've been waiting for and in a way that makes sense and that I did not see coming, thanks to very clever plotting by James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, with script by Ed Brisson, and fine art from last issue's team: pencils by Scot Eaton, inked by Wayne Faucher, and colored by Allen Passalaqua (with Gabe Eltaeb filling in on the last four pages). (There was a jarring decline in the quality of the art in the last four pages, but I can't blame it on the colors.)

    Captain America: Sam Wilson #6. The Serpent Solutions storyline wraps up with a partial return to the status quo with a new addition (which will not be a surprise if you read the solicits but I'll keep mum all the same). I felt Nick Spencer's editorializing went a little overboard in this issue; it's been an important aspect of previous issues but seems to dominate this one, and the characters involved come off as caricatures more than they did before. Joe Bennett's clean pencils, inked here by Belardino Brabo and colored by Romulo Fajardo, are always a joy; appropriately, Bennett also illustrated a fair bit of Priest's short-lived Captain America and the Falcon run, which had a similar narrative tone to the current book.

    Scarlet Witch #3. Steve Dillon acquits himself quite nicely here in a different context than I'm used to seeing him in, and James Robinson mines more of Wanda's past than in previous issues, which is appreciated. With colorist Frank Martin and an art assist from Chris Visions, this book shows the formidable (and in control) Scarlet Witch we always knew was there.

    Captain Marvel #2. Had I been doing these reviews when the first issue came out, Captain Marvel #1 likely would have been my favorite, and this issue continues the high quality, making great use of Carol's new supporting cast, including Agent Brand of S.W.O.R.D. and members of Alpha Flight.

    Rocket Raccoon and Groot #2. Like Captain Marvel, another #2 that maintains the quality of the first issue; the focus shifts almost entirely to Groot, with some nice Memento-like touches and commentary on Groot's rather limited word use.

    Uncanny Avengers #5. The best issue of the run so far, even though it featured only half of the cast (and very little of Steve Rogers). I liked the art much better (pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Mariano Taibo and Dave Meikis, and colors by Richard Isanove), I appreciated seeing more of Johnny Storm, and the reveal at the end was very well executed.

    Detective Comics #49. A nice Gordon-and-Bullock story within the current status quo by Peter Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, and Chris Sotomayor. Even though it's not fair to the work done by this fine team, one can't help feel the higher-ups are playing out the clock until Bruce comes back in Batman #50. Or do have I simply been led to expect every story these days to be huge and have impact, so I don't appreciate the delights of a simple superhero/detective yarn any more? That would be sad indeed.

    So… what are your thoughts on these books or any I missed?

  • Two new books and sundry items of interest: A personal update

    Well that was a month, wasn't it? David Bowie's passing hit me much harder than I would have imagined, and it hasn't totally subsided. I wrote a bit about how I felt about him here. Words cannot explain, but they're all I've got. (Of course, in January we also lost Alan Rickman, Paul Kantner, Glenn Frey, Abe Vigoda, and Dale Griffin, not to mention Lemmy late last December, but Bowie's death made the most impact on me by far.)

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    In brighter news, I've two new books out, both of which I've talked about here before, but if you will bear a little more:

    E&V coverFirst, we have Economics and the Virtues: Building a New Moral Foundation, co-edited with Jennifer A. Baker for Oxford University Press, which is out now in the UK and March 7 in the US. It has its own page on this site and a blog post at Economics and Ethics, and there are some preview pages available at Oxford's site. Adam Gurri was kind enough to provide an early review at Sweet Talk as well, and the book already seems to be generating some buzz.

     

    Civil war cover smallerThen we also have A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics' Civil War: Exploring the Moral Judgment of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man, my first self-published ebook, out February 3 almost everywhere in the world, priced at a measly $4.99 in the States and Canada, £2.99 in the UK, €3.99 in most of Europe, and similarly elsewhere.

    UPDATE: This will soon be released in print and ebook by Ockham Publishing; more details soon—but for the time being, the new cover is here for your viewing pleasure.

    I blogged about it a bit over at The Comics Professor, where I provide a little more background than I had before, and the table of contents and international ordering details are available at the dedicated page at this site.

    I'm sure I'll be blathering about both of these here and there over the next month—my apologies in advance.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    The last month since returning from the ASSA meetings has been a busy one, not least with getting the Civil War book ready for upload to Amazon Kindle Direct. Besides that, I revised a paper on Beccaria for a special issue of a law-and-economics journal; reviewed the proofs of the introductory material for the four-volume Social Economics collection I co-edited with some ASE friends and colleagues; wrote a comment on a paper on punishment and disenfranchisement for the APA Central Division meetings in March; wrote an invited paper on nudges and personal finance for a special journal issue on the ethics of debt; and most momentously, finally settled on a structure and approach for the superhero-and-philosophy book I'm to write this spring. (That last one was really weighing on me, but I think I've got a handle on it now.)

    Looking ahead, in addition to work on the aforementioned book (and being back in the office for meetings and other chairpersonly duties), I hope to complete my paper for the Mercatus Center on "right to try" and medical paternalism, as well as my edited book, The Insanity Defense: Multidisciplinary Views on Its History, Trends, and Controversies, for Praeger.

    This past month I also blogged a bit more than usual (in addition to informational posts):

    In general, I'm hoping to plan my time better in coming months, inspired by this blog post by Raul Pacheco-Vega and Paul J. Silvia's book How to Write a Lot. I've tried many times and have never succeeded, but it's getting to the point where I have to make it work.

    Finally, I was honored to be invited to give three talks, two in March (!) and one in July; more on those when plans firm up. Add jury duty to the mix next week, and my need to schedule my time better starts to make sense!

  • DC Comics surprised by reaction to “Blue Beetle: Rebirth” teaser, plans line-wide reboot instead

    Dc rebirthNEW YORK BURBANK – Executives at DC Comics were taken by surprise by the reaction and speculation in response to their image promising a "Rebirth," which many online fans and sites took to mean a line-wide relaunch or reboot.

    However, it wasn't the rebirth they had originally planned. "We were going to bring back Ted Kord as Blue Beetle," revealed Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics, who killed Kord in the lead-up to his event series Infinite Crisis. "We thought fans would be excited about that. We like to bring back a beloved character from before the New 52 from time to time so there will be someone in the DC Universe for fans to like now."

    But now that Johns and DC Comics co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee have seen the online reaction to the "Rebirth" teaser, they are switching gears and making plans for a total reboot. "We never knew there was such passion for another reboot," said DiDio. "I knew fans appreciated our complete obliteration of 70+ years of continuity with the New 52, but I never imagined they'd be ready for us to do it all over again so soon!"

    Ted kordExpect The All-New All-Different 52 to hit stores this fall. But without Ted Kord. Or joy.

  • How were this week’s comics? (January 27, 2016)

    HeykidsThis is something I've wanted to do for a while, a round-up of the new week's comics, made up of short thoughts and comments rather than any attempts at longer, in-depth analysis (although I'll still try to do that when appropriate). Not full reviews either, so apologies in advance when I don't mention every creator of every comic by name. I'm thinking more along the lines of Hannibal Tabu's "The Buy Pile" column at CBR, where he gives brief comments on a few comics and his general impressions of others. Really, these are the same kind of quick and easy comments I'd shout out on Twitter, but this format gives me a little more space.

    If nothing else, this will give you an idea what I'm buying these days: still a lot of Marvel and very little DC (just Batman titles, Justice League, and Aquaman). I try independent, non-superhero books from time to time, such as Monstress and Black Magick, but while I admire the craft, I just can't seem to get into them enough to follow them regularly (although I plan to get the two I mentioned in trade). (I'm all about the capes, I guess.)

    My goal is to get this online Thursday morning; I'm trying to schedule my time better, and that includes setting aside time on Wednesdays for reading the week's new comics and writing about them. No promises about how long this will last or how timely it will be, but I hope it's fun while it lasts!

    NEW COMICS FOR JANUARY 27, 2016

    What order to do these in? I like alphabetical, or by company, but part of me also wants to do my favorite book of the week first. But maybe I should leave it until last? But will people read that far–or will that get them to read that far? (Are you even still reading this? Whew.)

    FAVORITE: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4. Practically guaranteed to be my favorite book of the week any week it comes out, Ryan North and Erica Henderson's Squirrel Girl is a delight month after month, and this issue is one of the best yet. What's more, it has almost as much Doctor Doom as it does Squirrel Girl, and I find it very interesting how Doom can be mocked so mercilessly as he is here (and elsewhere) and still remain the most feared and respected supervillain in all of comics. (There's also a cute dig at Old Man Cap–get them in while it lasts, folks!) 

    Spider-Woman #3. It's such a relief to find a superhero comic these days that's nonstop action; last week it was Captain Marvel #1, and this week it's Carol's bestie Jessica Drew's book. But the exciting plotting and clever dialogue by Dennis Hopeless is outdone this month by the brilliant art from Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, and Rachelle Rosenberg. Not since the days of Kirby and Steranko have I seen such mindblowing layouts as when Jessica is traveling through the intergalactic maternity ward. A feast for the eyes indeed, and a fantastic comic all around.

    Daredevil #3. Most of this issue is a battle in which Daredevil, Blindspot, and Tenfingers' gang fights the Hand. (Hey, I've got ten fingers too, but you don't see me making a big deal out of it.) There isn't a lot of character work here until the very end, where a couple quick hints are dropped about Matt's new status quo as well as possible changes to it. Ron Garney's new style for this series remains a joy to behold, but I find the pacing in Charles Soule's approach to the series to be slower than I would like, and I am eager to find out more about Matt's new life aside from his job in the district attorney's office.

    All-New All-Different Avengers #4. I find myself underwhelmed by all of Avengers titles since the relaunch, but because this seems to be the "main" Avengers book, I am more disappointed by it than by the rest. (I'm not counting The Ultimates as an Avengers book, and it is incredible. If you're not reading it, fix that right now. Go!) ANADA (really?) has a terrific line-up but seems slow to get off the ground. The team is still finding its feet, building a new headquarters (with very little funds), confronting minor threats–even Jarvis doesn't know what to make of them yet. I don't mind trying out new Avengers concepts in the other books, but I'd like one Avengers book, the main Avengers book, to feature an experienced, confident, and capable version of the team from the get-go. (It has been eight months since Secret Wars ended, after all.) Hopefully this book will get there soon, because the creative team is as impressive as the team of Avengers, and I know they can produce a knockout book. But for the time being, it seems almost as if they're holding back. (At least the kiss on the cover was well played out inside, and Mark Waid and team got a nice jab in at folks who complain about a diverse range of superheroes.)

    Grayson #16. We don't see any of the fallout from Robin War in this issue, but we do get a lot of exciting spy work from Agents 37 (Grayson) and 1 (Tiger) while they try to take down Spyral, with the Matron (the New 52 version of Helena Bertinelli) appearing to fight back, including recruiting some interesting new protagonists for our titular hero. Best of all, and most surprising from a book from the reliably dour DC Comics, this book was fun, not only because of the witty dialogue given to Grayson by Tom King, but from the entire approach to the book, plotted by King and Tim Seeley and illustrated by Mikel Janin and Jeromy Cox. I think the best word for the this book is "romp"–nothing heavy, just action, humor, and charm. It's not often I smile or laugh while reading a DC book these days, but I certainly did with this book, even more than usual.

    Batman & Robin Eternal #17. A much more consistent and tightly-plotted affair than the first weekly Batman title, Batman Eternal, this installment should have been more satisfying, as we finally learned more about Batman's dealings with Mother in the past. It may have given away too much too quickly, though, and was somewhat disappointing because of it; but it seems there are still secrets to be told. While the art in this series has been up and down, this issue was very well drawn and colored, thanks to Scot Eaton, Wayne Faucher, and Allen Passalaqua.

    Aquaman #48. This issue wraps up Cullen Bunn's storyline, and I'm sad to see him go. I have to admit that this storyline didn't excite me, but I like Bunn's work and I stand among those who feel he got a tough break from Aquaman fans and DC. (Who knew there were so many Aquaman fans and that they were so vocal?) As for the story, Aquaman and Mera's reunion was very nicely portrayed, and Bunn ended the arc and the issue with a nod to current global events that I hope his successor Dan Abnett picks up on when he starts his run next month. (Having been a huge Tempest fan before the New 52, I hope Abnett continues to develop Garth's character as well.)

    Well, there's my first try at this–we'll see how I do next week with thirteen books as my list compared to this week's seven! If you have any comments or thoughts on these books, or any others I didn't read, be sure to leave them in comments, and I hope to see you here again soon!