'Jihadi Cool'

In fact, these comics are tapping into many of the same themes exploited by bin Laden, who is, after all, bent on world domination. The message that Islamic civilization once was a mighty realm of learning and science is dear to jihadi firebrands, who tend to pine for days of old when Muslim knights were bold. The seminal treatise of Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's leading ideologue, is called "Knights Under the Prophet's Banner." But the narrative in "The 99" is a great deal more accessible and potentially more inspiring to the eight-to-14-year-old crowd who will provide us with the next generation of suicide bombers—or not.

As Scott Atran points out, these kids dream of fighting for some meaningful cause that will make them heroes in their communities. Bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri—and Arab satellite television and in some cases their own experiences—have convinced them that fighting against the most powerful country in the world and its allies is the most heroic thing they can do.

No, "The 99" comic books are not going to solve that problem. Their circulation is in the tens of thousands at this point, while bin Laden's violent message gets out to billions. But comic books are "likely to be a lot more helpful than our bullets and bombs in attracting young people away from jihadi cool," says Atran. They might even help convince Washington that "knowledge is the true base of power." But maybe that's hoping for too much.

© 2008