Voices in My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast) Episode 628: Truth, Justice, and the Way - Episode 11: Supergirl - Redemption or Revenge?

 

This week on Voices in My Head, i'm sharing an episode of my other podcast that I host with David Dault, Truth, Justice and the Way.

What happens when a superhero story trades redemption for revenge?

In this episode of Truth, Justice, and the Way: Superman & Spirituality, Rick Lee James and David Dault explore one of the most surprising changes in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and ask what it reveals about heroism, justice, mercy, and the moral imagination. Comparing the film to Tom King’s original graphic novel, they wrestle with questions of violence, forgiveness, redemption, and whether we still believe people can truly change. Along the way, they reflect on Superman’s enduring example of hope, the power of storytelling to shape our moral lives, and why the best heroes call us not simply to defeat evil—but to become better people.

In This Episode

• Rick shares the story behind his new single, “Heaven Is Full of Criminals,” featuring Phil Keaggy, and the surprising conversations it has sparked about grace, worthiness, and hope.

• The theological inspiration behind the song includes the Good Thief, the possibility of redemption, and the question of whether God’s welcome extends farther than we imagine.

• A spoiler-filled discussion of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrowand how its ending differs dramatically from Tom King’s acclaimed graphic novel.

• Why the graphic novel’s ending offers a vision of redemption, while the film chooses an act of lethal justice.

• The idea of redemptive violenceand why so many modern stories assume evil can only be defeated through killing.

• Superman’s refusal to kill and why restraint—not power—has always been one of his defining virtues.

• Whether James Gunn may be setting up a larger redemption arc for Supergirl as his new DC Universe unfolds.

• Why stories shape our moral imagination, influencing what we believe is possible for heroes, villains, and ourselves.

• Mark Waid’s famous criticism of Superman killing General Zod in Man of Steel, and why he insists, “That’s not Superman.”

• Comparisons to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Odyssey, Avengers: Infinity War, and the Gospels as examples of stories that wrestle with hope, loss, and redemption.

• Reflections on Pope Francis, Karl Barth, and the Christian hope that no one is beyond the reach of grace.

• Why Superman continues to matter—not because he is the strongest hero, but because he refuses to let violence have the final word.

• A closing reflection inviting listeners to consider how the stories we tell shape the people we become—and whether hope may be the bravest choice of all.

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“Heaven Is Full of Criminals”

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