Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: Unmasking Superheroes

Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “Unmasking Superheroes,” a thoughtful look at the meaning and messages of Superman, Batman, and other powerful pop icons, with Matthew Brake, associate professor of philosophy at Northern Virginia Community College, former religious studies instructor at George Mason University, and editor of the book series Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture and Studies in Comics and Religion.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-superheroes .]

The buzz surrounding the latest Superman movie shows how superheroes continue to flex muscle at the box office. They also remain forces to be reckoned with on television, in comics, and in video games.

Recently, however, such masked and caped figures face a new challenge: Critics who argue that they represent empty entertainment or something much more insidious, such as fascist strongmen.

Would we be better off if today’s superhero fans found other characters to follow? Would Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, or Diana Prince be doing us a favor by not revealing themselves as beings with incredible powers?

Join Matthew Brake, a philosophy professor who has written extensively about the theological and philosophical value and meaning of superheroes, for a deep discussion of whether superheroes teach us anything important about ourselves and our potential to change the world for better or worse.

We’ll start by grappling with the criticisms of superheroes offered by legendary film directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, who argue that superhero movies don’t represent “true cinema” and are instead akin to amusement park rides, offering thrills and little more. Then we’ll venture into a deeper realm to look at what superheroes stand for if not pure escapism.

You’ll hear Bill Maher’s take that the dominance of the superhero genre undermines efforts to encourage all citizens to be proactive, by teaching us instead to wait for some strongman to come save us. You’ll learn how one of mainstream comics’ most celebrated writers, Alan Moore, created the Watchmen as a critique of the very idea of the superhero, arguing that superheroes are fine for children, but fascist tendencies are enforced by adults’ celebration of superheroes and their powers.

Taking a more positive view are comic creators like Grant Morrison, known for All-Star Superman—an inspiration for the recent movie—who depicts superheroes as a type of humanist ideal worth striving for in their goodness.

You’ll learn about the great thinkers whose ideas underly such debates. Watching someone leap tall buildings in a single bound will never be the same. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image by Canva.