Why I Write About Superheroes?

Why Deconstructing Superheroes Could Be Ruining More Than Stories

I grew up watching Spider-Man and the Superfriends on Saturday mornings. Spider-Man was the first comic book I ever read. I’ve been a fan of superheroes for a very long time and while most people these days are moving away from superhero comics, and heroes in general, I’m remaining firmly planted in the genre.

There’s been a trend in comics to deconstruct the superhero. To show the public a hero that’s not as virtuous or heroic as they make themselves out to look. These comics make the heroes just as bad, or worse, as the villains. It’s as if the writers hate superheroes and want everyone else to hate them too.

Call me old fashioned, but I like my superheroes to be selfless and heroic. Superheroes show us who we can be. Their goodness and morality are something we should all strive for. Not for power, that’s a fantasy. But to do the right thing. Very few people today aspire to do the right thing and walk through life focused on their own lives and block out everything else around them.

Comics, for better or worse, reflect the current culture we are in, and it doesn’t look good. Why are people more interested in writing about, and reading about, jaded heroes that go out and do worse things than the villains they used to fight? Have we, as a society, fallen so far that the thought of a heroic character makes us retreat into the darkness like vampires avoiding sunlight? Is there a way back from this or have we moved too far away from it and the way back has been lost to us?

I, for one, will not give up on superheroes. I believe in their goodness and selfless nature. I believe, given enough time and a small push in the right direction, we can find our decency and morality as a society. We will once again distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. We can make heroes great again.