Customer Reviews

Up, Up, and Oy Vey!: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

I recently went to a reading of Up, Up, and Oy Vey at a bookshop in Brooklyn. I have not yet read the book, but am very interested in graphic novels and thought, what the heck, what about comics! Simcha Weinstein spoke about the book with wit, humor, and heart. His knowledge of comics and the film industry is very impressive and fascinating. He had the entire audience captivated. The book chronicles the influence of the Jewish people in the comic book industry. Some believe that Superman, Batman, and even The Thing were Jewish! I know, it's funny! But with the research that he gives, it totally makes sense. In the end, we know they are just comic book heroes, not people, but the book is an interesting and totally new account about comics. I bought the book and can't wait to read it and I suggest it to everyone!

This book is a must for anyone who read comic books as a child or teenager. It is funny and informative about the origins of our favorite comic book characters, including Superman, Batman, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, the Xmen, the Incredible Hulk and Sabra. Weinstein goes into the origins of each of these superheros and tells us how these talented Jewish comic book artists melded Jewish history, legends and culture into their stories, including the Golem. The author doesn't neglect the female comic characters either. Sabra is the most prominent 'Eshes Chayil' or woman of valor. She proceeds to 'kick tuches and take names' in her comic book appearances. I was impressed with the amount of research that the author did in producing this book. It ought to be part of the curriculum in high school literature classes along with all of those dead goyishe authors like Shakespeare.

This book is a good introduction to the subject of the influence that Jewish history and culture have had upon the comic book industry. Unfortunately it is doomed to stay an introduction due to its lack of depth and relatively short pieces. It is more or less a collection of short essays on various superheroes and superhero teams, none more than twenty pages long. That it not to say that this is a bad book. One thing I really like about this book is that it covers not just the expected superheroes like Superman and Batman, who are always referred to in Comic Theory books like these, but also heroes that aren't thought of to be studied in conjunction with Judaism like the Justice League, The Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. It is extremely informative and to pack so much information in such a small space is to be commended but if the reader is looking for an in depth study of religion in comics, specifically Judaism, that goes into great amounts of detail then he should look for something else. However, if one is looking for more of a light read that packs serious, scholarly information in an introductory manner, then this book could not be more on the mark.

This book is a must read for everyone who takes superheros seriously, Weinstein studies the psychology behind each of our favorites icons, and draws the links between their creators and the personage.
Batman, Superman, and all the other heroes are put in the context of their creator's biblical and cultural heritage, and Weinstein does a great job on documenting and arguing that connection

Who would've thought Bruce, Peter and Clark were jewish names? Simcha Weinstein handles the subject matter of connecting comic book superheroes with their biblical and judaic origins with profound thought, wit, and a healthy dose of humor.
Seperated into sections breaking down the major (and sometimes minor) heroes, Weinstein details the accounts of their origins and shows how, much like authors Roland Barthes and Joseph Campbell before him, how our own modern mythologies and achetypal heroes are rooted in cultural history and religion.
Of special note is a centerpiece section that reprints actual comic book pages from some of our favorite heroes in full color that further drive the author's points home, sometimes with a startling clarity, such as a piece of art featuring X-Men villain Magneto wrapped in a Tallit.

If you like Judaism and you like comics this is a must have. An overview on the history of Judaism's influence on comics. It is really fascinating. As a rabbi it became clear to me that Judaism molded the comic world. I always say that Moses was the first Jewish Super Hero, this book proves it. Really a lot of fun and a great Bar Mitzvah gift for a comic book lover.

Growing up as an avid fan of comic books,video games, and science fiction in general, its hard not to have some interest in a book about the philosophical background behind a number of these fabled superheroes. Up, Up, & Oy Vey does an excellent job of depicting how these characters were sculpted from the history, culture, and values of the Jewish people. The author does a great job of embedding humor alongside the well researched facts within the text, while still allowing the reader to relate to their own childhood memories of these characters. This quick read makes a fabulous addition to any fan of imagination, creativity and science fiction, be it within the framework of comic heroes or others.

This book makes some interesting observations about the influences of judaism on comic books, showing how many of the most important comic book writers and artists were Jewish and how Jewish folklore (especially the tale of the Golem) offered themes for the comic book genre. The material repeats itself pretty quickly, and this reads like a worthwhile article stretched into a (thin) book.

If you ever wondered the actual origins of the golden era super-heroes and those insightful individuals who created them, this is the book for you! A fun, quick read, who knew that Superman would have his origins in the Golem myth? Great stuff!

Up, up, and Oy Vey is an excellent addition to the library of social anthropologists, as well as serious comic book afficionados. This book looks at the historical setting behind the various superheroes selected, as well as the personal history of the creators. Rabbi Simcha does an excellent job of substantiating his claims that these superheroes were (and are) shaped by Jewish history, culture, and value. While well-researched and of real academic value, this is no dry reading. Rabbi Simcha's sense of humor and his obvious affection for the comic book superheroes of his childhood, makes this a fun-filled, yet informative, reading.