I Am God's Regret

You're why this is happening. You ruinous excuses for human life.
You are why everyone will die. Why the rains are coming to wash them all away.
You are God's regret.

 - The Goddamned #2

 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guéra

The Disruption of Christian Patriarchy in The Gospel of Carol and Other Comic Books

Once again I tainted the hallowed halls of Luther Seminary and brought shame upon academic respectability by rambling about comic books at the Upper Midwest joint conference of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.  It was a really fun time had by all.  Or, at least had by me, since I was rambling about comic books.  Here, presented for your pleasure, or agony, is that paper.

Also, much gratitude to John S. Troutman for letting me bug him so much about The Gospel of Carol.  If you want a fun read, you can snag all the issues from comiXology on the cheap.

That Dragon, Cancer: Video Games, Death, and My Problem with Heaven

Recently I played a video game called That Dragon, Cancer. Well, I didn't so much as play it as move the mouse around periodically and infrequently click the mouse when appropriate. The rest of the time was spent futilely trying to hold back tears.

Shut Up, You Believe In Talking Snakes

 

Dwayne: PWNER?
Jimmy: Uh...that was one of my hacker names.
Dwayne: Is that even a word?
Jimmy: Shut up, you believe in talking snakes.

-The Tithe #7
by Matt Hawkins and Phillip Sevy

Why Do You Bother?

Father Leone: I mean, people look to you to save them -- probably most of the time -- from their own mistakes.
They do things -- knowingly -- wrong. And they look to you afterward to make them right.
Why do you bother?
Superman: Because I can.
Father Leone: That doesn't mean you have to.
Superman: Yes, it does.
Father Leone: Why...
...if it's not out of love?

- Superman #206

by Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee

Violence Is Stupid

Alana: Why, because you violated some personal pledge against hurting awful people?
Marko: My reluctance to use force isn't ideological, it's practical.
Violence is stupid. Even as a last resort, it only begets more of the same.

- Saga #5
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

No Other Explanation

Tree: Cedric took the "Vampires Walk Among Us" speech pretty well, I think.
Nick: Might not have been the best time to drop your "Jesus Was A Vampire" theory on him.
Tree: A guy shows up alive three days after being crucified. There is no other explanation.

-Blood Brothers #2

by Mike Gagerman, Andrew Waller, Etan Cohen, and Evan Shaner