Up Up and Oy Vey : How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero is a book by Rabbi Simcha Weinstein. In the book, Weinstein contends that because the creators of many famous superheroes, such as Superman, were Jewish, those superheroes were inspired by Jewish values and Jewish figures, such as the patriarchs (for example, Moses and David), the Golem, and Samson.
The book argues that the Jewish creators of early comic books, as the children of immigrants, tried to escape the feeling of inferiority occasioned by their being a minority religion by creating superheroes who would fight for truth and justice. Up, Up and Oy Vey argues that the secret, dual lives of many superheroes mirrors the dual lives of their creators, privately Jewish, publicly American.
The book contains a section of full-color excerpts from some comic books.
People of the (Comic) Book
Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton
Batman and the Spirit: Urban Darkness
Captain America: Star-Spangled Salvation
The Justice League of America: A (Justice) League of Their Own
Fantastic Four: "F" for Dysfunctional
The Incredible Hulk and Sabra: Anger Management
Spider-Man: "Wherever There's a Hangup"
X-Men: Mutation Generation
Spiritual Metaphors in Spandex