From Publishers Weekly
Zimmerman, an IVP associate editor, is a devoted yet critical comics fan who wears his enthusiasms on his sleeve. The book's best moments are its riffs on superhero convention, such as a tribute to the costume as "likely the single most ludicrous device in the comic book universe" or a cogent summary of the laws of superhero sexual chemistry: "If a woman is a villain, chances are some male hero has a thing for her. If a woman is a hero, chances are two male heroes have a thing for her." Zimmerman also displays a strong sense of historical and political context for the comics, as in his discussion of the shifting significance of Captain America or the distinctive worldviews of the Marvel and D.C. universes. By comparison, his efforts to bridge between superhero and biblical universes, or to discuss specifically Christian content, are less spontaneous and seldom break new ground. Zimmerman's strong suit is not relating theological principles but posing theological questions with the vividness of superhero symbolism: "If you were a superhero, how could you get through a day without wondering about the origin of reality, without questioning how you came to be so specially gifted?... how could you avoid demanding an accounting from God for the pain and suffering you witness day in and day out?"
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From the Inside Flap
"Jesus found and shared images of the kingdom of God in simple, common things--a seed, a field, a business deal, a dysfunctional family, a barn-builder. David Zimmerman follows in that tradition, finding surprising meaning in caped, masked and mutant crusaders. Comic Book Character is an instructive delight." Brian McLaren, pastor, author of A New Kind of Christian
"David A. Zimmerman's bright and breezy Comic Book Character is a wonderful combination of old and new: a pleasure for comic book veterans and newbies alike." Robert Darden, assistant professor of English, Baylor University, and senior editor of The Wittenburg Door
"David Zimmerman has risked much in unmasking himself as a comic book fanboy, but his amazing powers of humor and wisdom, matched with his breathtaking breadth of comic book lore, are more than a match for any who may believe that comic books are inconsequential. Comic Book Character reveals the startling truth that we are all called to be superheroes in the epic and episodic adventure of which God is the author." Mark Eddy Smith, author of Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues
"Comic Book Character is a thoughtful analysis of how comics have both reflected and shaped our culture. It teaches us that comic book heroes and their villains are not mere entertainment, but they reflect our own individual struggles with significance, purpose, identity, justice and other transcendent values that define who we are as human beings in God's universe. But Zimmerman's writing is also fresh, witty, conversational. Zowie! As a matter of fact, it kinda reads like a comic book." Brian Godawa, screenwriter and author of Hollywood Worldviews
"David Zimmerman blazes an important trail for those of us who are brave enough to follow! By taking both our culture and the Christian faith seriously he is able to begin doing theology in a very powerful way. By diving fully into comics and their subtle, iconic, powerful images he is able to speak in relevant ways to many in our generation." Don Everts, author of Jesus with Dirty Feet and The Smell of Sin
