Gothic War on Terror: Killing, Haunting, and PTSD in American Film, Fiction, Comics, and Video Games

Description

After 9/11, the world felt the “shock and awe” of the War on Terror. But that war also exploded inside novels, films, comics, and gaming. Danel Olson investigates why the paranormal, ghostly, and conspiratorial entered such media between 2002-2022, and how this Gothic presence connects to the most recent theories on PTSD. Set in New York/Gotham, Afghanistan, Iraq, and CIA black sites, the traumatic and weird works interrogated here ask how killing affects the killers. The protagonists probed are artillery, infantry, and armored-cavalry soldiers; military intelligence; the Air Force; counter-terrorism officers of the NYPD, NCIS, FBI, and CIA; and even the ultimate crime-fighting vigilante, Batman. Acknowledgements Praise for Gothic War on Terror Contents About the Author List of Figures Part I: Introduction: The Sandstorm of War Chapter 1: Interpreting Gothic Presence Inside the Global War on Terror’s Novels, Comics, Movies, and Video Games Via Trauma Theory References Part II: Novels Chapter 2: Jess Walter’s The Zero (2006): Terrorism, Lovers, & WTC Apparitions Critical Reception Autoimmunity Disease Ghosts Torture Interrogation Ghost Bars and Familiar Strangers Conclusion References Chapter 3: J. Robert Lennon’s Castle (2009): Behaviorism, Protégés, & Ghost Detainees References Chapter 4: Joyce Carol Oates’ Carthage (2014): Death, Maidens, & Revenant Witnesses Frankenstein’s Creature References Part III: Comics Chapter 5: Rick Veitch and Gary Erskine’s Army@LOVE (2007–2009): Recruitment, Orgies, & Hairy Monsters References Chapter 6: Kyle Baker’s Special Forces (2009): Jihad, Infantrywomen, & Orphan Kidnappers References Chapter 7: Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint’s Haunted Tank (2009–2010): Bastards, Civil War, & Spectral Generals References Chapter 8: Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ The Sheriff of Babylon (2015–2016): Contracting, Insurgents, & Dead Policemen References Part IV: Films Chapter 9: Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005): Vigilantism, Poison, & Mad Doctors The Rat, the Cat, and the Bat The Dark Knight Trilogy Orphans and Ghosts Doctors and Flashbacks References Chapter 10: Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008): Interrogations, Lies, & Anarchic Jokers Torture and the Force Drift References Chapter 11: Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Prisons, Bombs, & Catalytic Catwomen References Chapter 12: Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022): Assassinations, Gangs, & Conspiracist Riddlers References Part V: Video Games Chapter 13: Gonzalo Frasca’s Kabul Kaboom! (2002) and September 12th: A Toy World (2003): Motherhood, Blood, & Mortar Gunners References Chapter 14: Cory Davis and Francois Colon’s Spec Ops: The Line (2012): CIA, Renegades, & Missing Civilians References Chapter 15: Juan Benito and Jaime Griesemer’s Six Days in Fallujah (2022): Marines, Doors, & Furious Phantoms References Part VI: Coda Chapter 16: Debriefing References Closer to Carthage: An Interview with Joyce Carol Oates (Conducted 15 July 2022 and Original to This Volume) Index