The amazing spider-man and the evolution of the comics code: Case study in cultural criminology

Abstract

Cultural criminologists suggest that realities of crime, deviance, and criminal justice practice cannot be understood outside the context of media and criminal justice forces that act, consciously and subconsciously, to shape hegemonic definitions of "crime" and "justice." Because the comic book medium has historically thrived on mythologies of crime and justice, comic book research can provide valuable insights into the practical implications of cultural criminology. By directly and intentionally challenging the editorial guidelines of the Comics Code Authority, Marvel Comics' publication of issues 96, 97, and 98 of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1971 represented a turning point in the construction of criminal justice ideology in American comic books. This case study is relevant to the study of criminal justice in popular culture because (a) it illustrates the evolution of criminal justice ideology in the medium of comic books through the processes of cultural criminology; and (b) it confirms the hegemonic paradox of the modern superhero mythos as critical criminological discourse. © 2008 School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany.

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