Skelton leads the reader through fast-paced discussions of such striking phenomena as the influence of Christ's life on superheroes, and the similarities between the devil and comic book protagonists.

And 1970s, and the dark and violent creatures who embody the pre- and post-millennial crises of faith. Lavishly illustrated, the articles come to startling conclusions about what we have really been reading under the covers with flashlights for generations. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

When cultures such as ours toss Jesus out one door, He comes in – albeit disguised – through another. That’s why author Jim Papandrea turned to Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, Terminator, Spider-Man, Batman, Dr. Who, and half-a-dozen other modern shows, discovering in each one powerful images of Christ and salvation. Nor is that surprising. In stories of alternative universes, people always need rescuing; somebody needs to save the day; and sometimes the whole world cries out for a savior . . . which is just what a hero is. About the heroes of some of the most popular sci-fi stories of all time, author Papandrea here answers questions that concern Christians who are also Trekkies, Whovians, Matrix Dwellers, or aficionados of popular science fiction: What kind of “Christ-figure” is the hero of this story, and what does that say about the show’s vision of Christ, humanity and salvation? In the interest of being scientific, Papandrea even gives each hero a Numerical Orthodoxy Score based on the description of Christ in the Nicene Creed, Christianity’s common definition of orthodoxy. Included herein are astute Christian analyses of: Batman * Captain * America * Doctor Who * The Fifth Element * I, Robot * Iron Man * LOST * The Matrix * Planet of the Apes * Pleasantville * Spider-Man * Star Trek * Star Wars * Superman * The Terminator * The Time Machine * Tron * Wonder Woman Here you’ll read about: The pervasive Christian imagery in Doctor WhoStar Trek’s predicted “death of God”Free-will: the stumbling block in the first MatrixThe crucifixion of Spider-ManWhy Wonder Woman is an image of a gnostic saviorThe meaning of salvation in Star Wars (It masquerades as Christian)How Superman’s life begins as a parallel of Moses.I, Robot: the religious reason why the robot is called “Sonny”Whether, in any Christian sense, Neo is The One?Captain American and Iron-Man: one defends the innocent, the other brings justice to the guiltyThe tomb scene in the Fifth Element: it’s not the resurrection we needMatter vs. Spirit in Tron: gnostic to the coreThe anti-Christian bias of Planet of the ApesWhy the Force in Star Wars is no analogy to Grace or the Holy SpiritThe Star Wars Christ figure: Obi-Wan? Luke? Or even, ultimately, Darth VaderWhat Heaven is understood to be in the LOST universeTime travel as incarnation in The Terminator: a compelling analogyRegeneration as resurrection in Doctor Who: Is it Christ-like?How Pleasantville reverses the dynamism of the FallThe baptismal significance of the plane crash in LOSTPleasantville: a twisted version of EdenThe incarnation of the Christ-figure in Planet of the ApesTron’s parallels between Christianity and the Roman Empire . . . and much more about other science fiction and superhero shows! Christians who enjoy popular culture will greet this fun book with interest and acclaim.

Comic superheroes embody the hopes of a world that is desperate for a savior. But those comic creations cannot save us from our greatest foes—sin and death. Throughout the history of the Church there have been bad ideas, misconceptions, and heretical presentations of Jesus. Each one of these heresies fails to present Jesus as the Bible reveals him. In Superheroes Can’t Save You, Todd Miles demonstrates how these ancient heresies are embodied in contemporary comic superheroes. Miles compares something everybody already knows (who the superheroes are) with what they need to know (who Jesus is), in a book that makes vitally important Christian truths understandable and applicable to a wide audience.