Superhero Ethics

The Hero's Journey is one of the strongest tropes in literature, and Star Wars its clearest example. How does this troupe limit our stories, and the messages we can take from it? What other kind of journeys and stories c

My guest this week is JP Fairfield, of the Nerdgasm Noire Network and Operation Cubicle podcasts. Together we explore the latest season of Arrow, Oliver’s bad choices, and why long suffering Quentin Lance deserves a b

Krystal Kara joins us to discuss Wonder Woman, the Be Super project, and how we can use Superhero stories to teach about justice in our own world.

"First you have to realize that it's not just a game, it's a community... In the end it’s each of us making the choice, not the character, of what’s going to happen; what we’re going to say, how we’re going to do

What is the value in fighting fair? Paul and Matthew explore the trope of the Fair Fight, looking at its value and its problems. What does a hero do, when the opponent refuses to follow the rules? If one side follows rul

If aliens and superpowers were real, would we need SHIELD? Are Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller right to be scared of Superman? Why do government agencies dealing with powered people have to work in secret? Paul & Matthew co

Logan the guest comes back, to discuss Logan the movie! He joins Matthew for a discussion of violence, the value of seeing the flaws in our heroes, and the movie's implications for our own world.

Paul and Matthew discuss Iron Fist, exploring questions of identity, martial arts, and who to blame when a piece of an extended universe goes wrong.

Is Magneto a villain, or a hero? Can we agree with his goals, even if not his methods? How does the fight for mutant justice echo similar discussions in our own world? Paul and Matthew talk about Magento and the X-men mo

Captain America punched a lot of Nazis - does that mean we should too? We are pretty pro Nazi punching, but we want to explore the questions around it. On this episode, Paul and Matthew explore the ethical issues involve