From young to old, disabled to abled, man and woman have read at least one comic book in thier lifetime. If not, I suggest you do. Its crazy how much a couple pages of graphic art and dialouges can impact a reader. Well, brace yourself because Comic Books are going to impact the WORLD!
Is this another scientifically based theory, you ask? Well the answer is yes and no. Comic books have been subtly impacting the world since...well forever!! Think about it, all the best superheroes reflect the fears and themes of the societies that created them. Spider-Man (bitten by a radioactive spider) and the Incredible Hulk (accidently bombarded by gamma rays) first appeared during the Cold War, a time when everyone was worried about radiation. Some believe the X-Men, a community of mutants persecuted by humans, were allegorical of the civil rights movement. The world has reflected itself through Comics and still does.
In today's society, the biggest concern people face are monsters under the bed. Okay fine, maybe thats just me. Terrorism. The word sends chills down our spine. We remember that fated day when terrorism caused 'America to fear'. The after-effects of surprising bomb blasts and airplane crashes reflect on kids. In school's its not uncommon to hear racist jokes. For some, it may just be a joke, but for many its an uprising of discrimination. With terrorism rising, discrimination seems to target a specific type of race, or rather religion; Islam. By now you must be wondering, how in the world are such serious topics going to be reflected in a Comic?! Well folks, a superhero is here to save the day!
Like mentioned before, a Superhero reflects the fears of the time period. As discrimination is a big one now, Silver Scorpian shows the world that the loss or gain of certain pigments and the belief in a different religion doesnt determine who you are, nor can be. Silver scorpian is the alter ego of teenager Bashir Bari, who comes from a fictional Arab city and loses his legs in an accident triggered by gangsters. Confined to a wheelchair and consumed with anger and grief, Bashir retreats into isolation — until he witnesses the murder of a mysterious metalsmith and is unknowingly chosen as the new guardian of an ancient power that allows him to manipulate metal with his mind. As the series continues, readers will be introduced to various other superheroes — some disabled, some not — who must join forces to combat an evil force that threatens the peace and stability of their world. To do that, they learn to overcome adversity in the face of physical, social and gender limitations. The message is simple: just because we're different doesn't mean we can't work together toward a common good.
Terrorists are nothing but the result of anger, hate and misunderstanding. Taking those same causes and channeling them through a different path can yeild a superhero. It is nothing but creative genius of a collaboration between Los Angeles–based comic-book company Liquid Comics and the Open Hands Initiative — a nonprofit stemming from President Obama's pledge to extend America's "open hand of friendship" to the rest of the world that created this character.
Launched in Arabic earlier this month, the Silver Scorpion comic book will debut in English in the U.S. this month. With each of the characters representing a common bond between Americans and Arabs — everything from the experience of coping with inequality to the love of a good pop song — the series aims to show comic-book fans in the Muslim world and the U.S. that their counterparts are really a lot alike and hopefully brige the gap youngsters seem to be forming.
This comic will definately be an eye opener for the younger generation. It shows that there are two sides to everything...all that matters is which one you choose..because one can make you a superhero and another can make you a superzero.
**This post is built upon the Time Magazine review of the Silver Scorpian. Excerpts from the magazine are embedded within this post**
Is this another scientifically based theory, you ask? Well the answer is yes and no. Comic books have been subtly impacting the world since...well forever!! Think about it, all the best superheroes reflect the fears and themes of the societies that created them. Spider-Man (bitten by a radioactive spider) and the Incredible Hulk (accidently bombarded by gamma rays) first appeared during the Cold War, a time when everyone was worried about radiation. Some believe the X-Men, a community of mutants persecuted by humans, were allegorical of the civil rights movement. The world has reflected itself through Comics and still does.
In today's society, the biggest concern people face are monsters under the bed. Okay fine, maybe thats just me. Terrorism. The word sends chills down our spine. We remember that fated day when terrorism caused 'America to fear'. The after-effects of surprising bomb blasts and airplane crashes reflect on kids. In school's its not uncommon to hear racist jokes. For some, it may just be a joke, but for many its an uprising of discrimination. With terrorism rising, discrimination seems to target a specific type of race, or rather religion; Islam. By now you must be wondering, how in the world are such serious topics going to be reflected in a Comic?! Well folks, a superhero is here to save the day!
Like mentioned before, a Superhero reflects the fears of the time period. As discrimination is a big one now, Silver Scorpian shows the world that the loss or gain of certain pigments and the belief in a different religion doesnt determine who you are, nor can be. Silver scorpian is the alter ego of teenager Bashir Bari, who comes from a fictional Arab city and loses his legs in an accident triggered by gangsters. Confined to a wheelchair and consumed with anger and grief, Bashir retreats into isolation — until he witnesses the murder of a mysterious metalsmith and is unknowingly chosen as the new guardian of an ancient power that allows him to manipulate metal with his mind. As the series continues, readers will be introduced to various other superheroes — some disabled, some not — who must join forces to combat an evil force that threatens the peace and stability of their world. To do that, they learn to overcome adversity in the face of physical, social and gender limitations. The message is simple: just because we're different doesn't mean we can't work together toward a common good.
Terrorists are nothing but the result of anger, hate and misunderstanding. Taking those same causes and channeling them through a different path can yeild a superhero. It is nothing but creative genius of a collaboration between Los Angeles–based comic-book company Liquid Comics and the Open Hands Initiative — a nonprofit stemming from President Obama's pledge to extend America's "open hand of friendship" to the rest of the world that created this character.
Launched in Arabic earlier this month, the Silver Scorpion comic book will debut in English in the U.S. this month. With each of the characters representing a common bond between Americans and Arabs — everything from the experience of coping with inequality to the love of a good pop song — the series aims to show comic-book fans in the Muslim world and the U.S. that their counterparts are really a lot alike and hopefully brige the gap youngsters seem to be forming.
This comic will definately be an eye opener for the younger generation. It shows that there are two sides to everything...all that matters is which one you choose..because one can make you a superhero and another can make you a superzero.
**This post is built upon the Time Magazine review of the Silver Scorpian. Excerpts from the magazine are embedded within this post**
