Spectra: The Original Laser Superhero
The American Physical Society has a comics series called Spectra, about a high school girl whose abilities are the same as those of a laser. It’s a funny superhero story with an educational slant, but unfortunately it’s pretty corny and I didn’t find the artwork all that great. It’s a shame, because I really did want to like it, but in the end I’m not sure that it’s something that readers would consider comparable to their other comics. Still, if you had to do some reading about lasers, I suppose Spectra is preferable to a dry textbook despite the cheesy dialogue. Physics teachers might get some use from the comics even if they’re not top-notch.
A little better is their 2008 comic about Nikola Tesla, a short overview of some of Tesla’s discoveries and in particular his contributions to our use of alternating current today. Both comics are available as free PDF files on the website.
Really, though, the coolest thing that APS had at Comic-Con was the Spectra Sound kit I wrote about before—sending music via lasers is a nifty idea.
Wired: Spectra’s laser powers are scientifically accurate; also, Nikola Tesla is a fascinating character in any format.
Tired: Scientifically accurate isn’t necessarily enough of a draw by itself sometimes, especially in a comic aimed at teens.
