Heroes

At different points, comic book references allude to the friendship between Frank and Stanley, their childhood innocence, the ideals of heroism, and anti-Asian racism. A shared love of comic books cements the friendship between Frank and Stanley, despite their differences. When they feel their friendship is in danger, they each try using comic books to relieve the tension between them. Comics also symbolize childhood innocence and its loss during the Pearl Harbor attack. When Frank sees his house destroyed by debris from the explosion on the Arizona, he realizes both his comic book collection and his own comic scripts are lost—along with his former life.

Comic books also symbolize the ideals of heroism. The boys borrow traits from their favorite comic book heroes to form an image of what a true hero looks and acts like. Stanley argues that, like Superman, a true hero works to help and protect others, even at the expense of their own safety, and even when a situation does not affect them personally. Comic books symbolize strength and invincibility, particularly for Frank, who compares the battleship Utah to comic book heroes; he imagines that the ship is invincible and therefore safe. Safety is especially important to Frank, who is afraid of everything. 

However, Frank realizes that many of the comic books he loves also symbolize the larger problem of anti-Asian racism. Depictions of Asian characters in comic books reduce them to stupid and monstrous villains with ugly faces, buck teeth, and cartoonishly broken English. This inspires the boys to challenge racist expectations of what heroism looks like and to make Arsenal Japanese American.