Graven Images

"Every art form has told stories of faith, and sequential art embodiments have included Egyptian tomb paintings, the traditional Stations of the Cross, and Bible comics from the last century. With the recent graphic novel boom, religious themes and interpretations abound, mostly summarized in a dozen or so popular books like Stephen Skelton's The Gospel According to Super­heroes, Arie Kaplan's From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, and Jeff Dunn and Adam Palmer's The Soul of Spider-Man: Unexpected Spiritual Insights from the Legendary Superhero. Graven Images appears to be the first to take a broader and more academic approach, collecting 21 essays from a conference of the same name held at Boston University. While most of the contributors have faculty appointments, five are comics creators. Themes range across religions and denominations, from expected topics (animistic and Christian themes in the manga/anime Nausicaä) to surprising ones (connections between religion and underground comics). VERDICT This varied and thoughtful collection invites more serious consideration of the medium thematically and hopefully presages additional conferences and collections. For all academic and larger public libraries." — Library Journal
"Graven Images excels at offering sophisticated interpretations of comic books and graphic novels that demand critical attention...Undoubtedly, Graven Images is a valuable contribution to the study of religion and popular culture. For religion scholars engaged in comic book/graphic novel criticism, the collection sets a high mark and will likely become an essential reference point for those in the field. For general scholars of religion or popular culture, Graven Images offers insight into how religion is a self-conscious engagement for comic book authors and readers, yielding works of depth and power within genres frequently dismissed as child's play." -The Journal of Popular Culture
This scholarly anthology is a brilliant work on a number of levels. First and foremost, it is a beautifully written and often gripping read, with all of the essays demonstrating a similarly high level of academic rigor and accessibility... it would make an ideal starting point for anyone who wishes to explore the world of “serious” graphic novels (read: not just superheroes punching communists). In addition, Graven Images would make an excellent, in-depth secondary source for students and scholars of graphic novels from the undergraduate level up through the faculty. This volume is highly recommended. * Religious Studies Review *
[…]the range and social-scientific sophistication of this collection makes it central to the current analysis of religion in comics/novels, of vernacular religion, and indeed of religion as such. I hope that anthropologists attend to this subject and bring our unique perspective to the fascinating and fertile topic. -- Jack David Eller * Anthropology Review Database *