Nickie D. Phillips – författare

Superman, Batman, Daredevil, and Wonder Woman are iconic cultural figures that embody values of order, fairness, justice, and retribution. Comic Book Crime digs deep into these and other celebrated characters, providing a comprehensive understanding of crime and justice in contemporary American comic books. This is a world where justice is delivered, where heroes save ordinary citizens from certain doom, where evil is easily identified and thwarted by powers far greater than mere mortals could possess. Nickie Phillips and Staci Strobl explore these representations and show that comic books, as a historically important American cultural medium, participate in both reflecting and shaping an American ideological identity that is often focused on ideas of the apocalypse, utopia, retribution, and nationalism. Through an analysis of approximately 200 comic books sold from 2002 to 2010, as well as several years of immersion in comic book fan culture, Phillips and Strobl reveal the kinds of themes and plots popular comics feature in a post-9/11 context. They discuss heroes' calculations of "deathworthiness," or who should be killed in meting out justice, and how these judgments have as much to do with the hero's character as they do with the actions of the villains. This fascinating volume also analyzes how class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are used to construct difference for both the heroes and the villains in ways that are both conservative and progressive. Engaging, sharp, and insightful, Comic Book Crime is a fresh take on the very meaning of truth, justice, and the American way.

Superman, Batman, Daredevil, and Wonder Woman are iconic cultural figures that embody values of order, fairness, justice, and retribution. Comic Book Crime digs deep into these and other celebrated characters, providing a comprehensive understanding of crime and justice in contemporary American comic books. This is a world where justice is delivered, where heroes save ordinary citizens from certain doom, where evil is easily identified and thwarted by powers far greater than mere mortals could possess. Nickie Phillips and Staci Strobl explore these representations and show that comic books, as a historically important American cultural medium, participate in both reflecting and shaping an American ideological identity that is often focused on ideas of the apocalypse, utopia, retribution, and nationalism. Through an analysis of approximately 200 comic books sold from 2002 to 2010, as well as several years of immersion in comic book fan culture, Phillips and Strobl reveal the kinds of themes and plots popular comics feature in a post-9/11 context. They discuss heroes' calculations of "deathworthiness," or who should be killed in meting out justice, and how these judgments have as much to do with the hero's character as they do with the actions of the villains. This fascinating volume also analyzes how class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are used to construct difference for both the heroes and the villains in ways that are both conservative and progressive. Engaging, sharp, and insightful, Comic Book Crime is a fresh take on the very meaning of truth, justice, and the American way.

From its origins in academic discourse in the 1970s to our collective imagination today, the concept of “rape culture” has resonated in a variety of spheres, including television, gaming, comic book culture, and college campuses. Beyond Blurred Lines traces ways that sexual violence is collectively processed, mediated, negotiated, and contested by exploring public reactions to high-profile incidents and rape narratives in popular culture.The concept of rape culture was initially embraced in popular media – mass media, social media, and popular culture – and contributed to a social understanding of sexual violence that mirrored feminist concerns about the persistence of rape myths and victim-blaming. However, it was later challenged by skeptics who framed the concept as a moral panic. Nickie D. Phillips documents how the conversation shifted from substantiating claims of a rape culture toward growing scrutiny of the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. This, in turn, renewed attention toward false allegations, and away from how college enforcement policies fail victims to how they endanger accused young men. Ultimately, she successfully lends insight into how the debates around rape culture, including microaggressions, gendered harassment and so-called political correctness, inform our collective imaginations and shape our attitudes toward criminal justice and policy responses to sexual violence.

How is crime constructed, represented and contested in contemporary media, and how can we make sense of this complex relationship? This book provides a clear, critically engaged answer, moving beyond description to empower students to analyse the power, influence and consequences of these representations.

This fourth edition remains the go-to resource for students and includes:

      Dedicated chapters covering topics including law and order politics, the crime entertainment industry, and media constructions of criminalisation and victimisation;      An exploration of changes to the media, journalistic practices, and audience engagement and their impact on how we understand crime and the media;      Updated content examining the relationship between the media and criminal justice institutions;      Brand new resources and curated resources for instructors, including podcasts, videos, and other contemporary materials, plus lecture slide templates for a rich multimedia learning experience.

Much loved and now fully updated, this fourth edition remains essential reading for undergraduate students of criminology, media studies, cultural studies and sociology.

How is crime constructed, represented and contested in contemporary media, and how can we make sense of this complex relationship? This book provides a clear, critically engaged answer, moving beyond description to empower students to analyse the power, influence and consequences of these representations.

This fourth edition remains the go-to resource for students and includes:

      Dedicated chapters covering topics including law and order politics, the crime entertainment industry, and media constructions of criminalisation and victimisation;      An exploration of changes to the media, journalistic practices, and audience engagement and their impact on how we understand crime and the media;      Updated content examining the relationship between the media and criminal justice institutions;      Brand new resources and curated resources for instructors, including podcasts, videos, and other contemporary materials, plus lecture slide templates for a rich multimedia learning experience.

Much loved and now fully updated, this fourth edition remains essential reading for undergraduate students of criminology, media studies, cultural studies and sociology.