Investigating such topics as what comic books have to say about Armageddon, and whether some story lines express the rejection of science in favor of faith, Oropeza (biblical studies, Azusa Pacific U.) and contributors find both breadth and depth amongst the bright colors and rippling muscles of this most popular cultural artifact. Exploring how superheroes seek to regain paradise, they examine the various teams of mutants who won World War II, the god-human hybrids of the cynical 1960s and 1970s, and the dark and violent creatures who embody the pre- and post-millennial crises of faith. Lavishly illustrated, the articles come to startling conclusions about what we have really been reading under the covers with flashlights for generations. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)