In reacting to the zeitgeist, or prevailing focus, of an era, the superhero has previously fought Nazis, participated in Cold War tensions, and addressed the careful balance of government oversight and civilian independence following acts of terrorism and subsequent legislation. How, though, are superheroes reacting to our zeitgeist, the age of digital media? How have superheroes adapted to this new world, and how might they help us understand it and our place within it?

While superheroes as depicted in comics, film, and television are popular scholarly areas of inquiry, less attention has been paid to the intersection of the digital and the superhuman. Digital elements not only provide the tools or backdrops for the superhero, digital pieces can also permeate and compose the superhuman body. Superhumans can be digital themselves, their stories are increasingly delivered in digitized ways, and their use of technology can be prominent features of their superhero identity (e.g. Iron Man, Batman).

We invite article abstracts on the theme of digital superheroes and their relationship with the internet and data to form a collection of essays addressing this unexplored intersection.

We are particularly interested in topics that explore:

  • Digital superhumans

  • Superhero video games

  • Digital distribution of superhuman genres

  • Importance and use of new/digital media and digital media aesthetics in superhuman genres (how do these effects change the ethos of the super?)

  • Superhero fan cultures and the internet

  • Surveillance and/or privacy and the superhuman.

We encourage contributions from all disciplines and interdisciplinary approaches as we aim to address a wide spectrum of angles on this new intersection. Article abstracts of 300 words and a short author biography should be submitted to sarahyoung@arizona.edu and freyja.mccreery@york.ac.uk by 5pm GMT on Friday 3rd December with the subject line “SuperData”. Manuscripts of approximately 5000 words will be due the following June.