Behind Spider-Man's mask -- a new, multi-racial face - CNN.com

Behind Spider-Man's mask -- a new, multi-racial face - CNN.com

Comic books have long been a staple of American culture. Superheroes have faithful followers and can elicit passionate exchanges between those who have alliances to different caped crusaders. One of the most recognizable superheroes is Spiderman; this character has generated a long-term story line, recognizable arch enemies, made its way into Hollywood and now, is about to change indefinitely. Spiderman's alter ego Peter Parker will be killed off by the Green Goblin and a new alter ego Miles Morales who is half-African-American and half-Latino will debut. This is an interesting development on many levels. It speaks to the changing demographic in our culture as well as the shift in what faces we see in mainstream entertainment. As a student of communication watching this unfold will no doubt be of great interest. What will the reaction be? How will Miles work his way into the hearts of those loyal Superman fans? How do you as a journalist, artist, public relations practitioner etc. think about the culture in which you live, how it is changing and how that is reflected in your work?