(Jewish Group) Marvel's latest adversary for 'Daredevil' exposes its blindness to antisemitic art [View all]
Daredevil, the popular Marvel Comics series, was relaunched this month with a new creative team and several innovations, including a new adversary for its swashbuckling blind superhero that has drawn fire from interfaith scholars.
Starting with a new issue #1, Daredevil, whose civilian identity is Matthew Murdock, is now a Catholic priest in New York City. The nameless new villain, meanwhile, has long horns, a long white beard and a hooked nose imagery straight out of anti-Jewish Nazi propaganda, the commentators say.
This illustration draws from an ancient tradition of demonizing Jews in literature and art to portray a clash between good and evil, said Malka Simkovich, director of Catholic-Jewish studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
The hooked nose and the beard, as well as the weathered and wrinkled forehead, suggest that the antagonist in question is a demonic rabbi. It doesnt help, Simkovich added, that Daredevil is shown fending his enemy off with a cross.
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Oh the irony.