Super-heroes, said to represent justice, have saturated popular culture at a time when the American criminal justice system is under intense public scrutiny and re-evaluation. Do the super-heroes we celebrate really represent the best we can be? How do the stories we tell ourselves about justice help society understand the endeavor of protecting citizens and making itself better?

In this book of essays, contributors from around the world explore these questions and more from many perspectives, encouraging a more conscious discussion about the most fundamental element of super-heroes.