Symbols:  The symbols used in this cartoon are two comic book characters, Ironman and Batman.  The third is the Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps.

 Current Event:  The current event being referenced in the cartoon is the Beijing Olympics.  At it the American swimmer Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals, including setting world records such as swimming the 200m butterfly in 1:52.03

Opinion:  In my opinion I think the artist is right on.  We should elevate our sport heroes into superhero status.  This will give young kids role models they can copy.

 Artistically Effective: The artist has done a good job of using current events and easily recognizable figures to illustrate his point.  The artist has combined hit summer movies and the summer Olympics to create a moral statement.  This was very effective.