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Alan Moore pops up every so often just to bum everybody out. Superheroes are a fun, stupid and occasionally brilliant genre. They're the Westerns of the 21st

Alan Moore pops up every so often just to bum everybody out. Superheroes are a fun, stupid and occasionally brilliant genre. They're the Westerns of the 21st century. Lighten up Al.

calibraxis 11y ago
You might like to read deeper on why mainstream superhero plots follow such a peculiar formula... Are they trying to teach adolescent boys something? > "These “heroes” are purely reactionary, in the literal sense. They have no projects of their own, at least not in their role as heroes: as Clark Kent, Superman may be constantly trying, and failing, to get into Lois Lane’s pants, but as Superman, he is purely reactive. In fact, superheroes seem almost utterly lacking in imagination: like Bruce Wayne, who with all the money in the world can’t seem to think of anything to do with it other than to indulge in the occasional act of charity; it never seems to occur to Superman that he could easily carve free magic cities out of mountains. > "Almost never do superheroes make, create, or build anything. The villains, in contrast, are endlessly creative. They are full of plans and projects and ideas. Clearly, we are supposed to first, without consciously realizing it, identify with the villains. After all, they’re having all the fun. Then of course we feel guilty for it, re-identify with the hero, and have even more fun watching the superego clubbing the errant Id back into submission." > "It’s in this sense that the logic of the superhero plot is profoundly, deeply conservative." (http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/super-position/ http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/super-position/)
- notacoward 11y ago
  The point about making and building is one that has always seemed odd to me. For the most part, superheroes can't help what they are - they became that way through genetics or accident. (Counterexample: Iron Man) On the other hand, many of the supervillains demonstrate very high levels of ingenuity and determination. Many of them have had to overcome even greater adversity or tragedy than the heroes. I'm not fond of seeing distinctions between entrepreneurship and criminality blurred like that, while the hereditary aristocracy get a moral pass. Things have gotten more nuanced since the so-called golden era, but these themes/memes need to die faster.
- yummyfajitas 11y ago
  Almost never do superheroes make, create, or build anything. The villains, in contrast, are endlessly creative. They are full of plans and projects and ideas. Interestingly, Metropolitan Man touches on this. At a certain point in the plot, Superman approaches a villain and asks him to identify the most productive things he can do with his superpowers, recognizing that stopping robberies isn't it. It's actually a fantastic work of fiction, I highly recommend it. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10360716/1/The-Metropolitan-Man https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10360716/1/The-Metropolitan-Man
  - thaumasiotes 11y ago
    http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2305 http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2305 > seems... a bit monotonous... > Oh, that reminds me. Keep your speed constant at all times.
- buckbova 11y ago
  A superhero is a balancing force. He does not create because that tips the scales the other way. Superman cannot play god, but instead only intervene when evil goes too far.
- mercurial 11y ago
  You have a few superhero stories exploring these themes (eg, The Authority or the old Squadron Supreme miniseries from the 80s), but yes, most superheroes seem to lack ambition and imagination.
- thaumasiotes 11y ago
  This is related to the observation that while superheroes are frequently rich, they never earned the money themselves. The explanation I've seen is pretty straightforward -- the morality of things requires that superheroes not care about money or other human goals, since if they did care about them, they'd just take them. Villains can work to service their own goals because they're villainous.

Alan Moore pops up every so often just to bum everybody out. Superheroes are a fun, stupid and occasionally brilliant genre. They're the Westerns of the 21st century. Lighten up Al.

calibraxis 11y ago

You might like to read deeper on why mainstream superhero plots follow such a peculiar formula... Are they trying to teach adolescent boys something? > "These “heroes” are purely reactionary, in the literal sense. They have no projects of their own, at least not in their role as heroes: as Clark Kent, Superman may be constantly trying, and failing, to get into Lois Lane’s pants, but as Superman, he is purely reactive. In fact, superheroes seem almost utterly lacking in imagination: like Bruce Wayne, who with all the money in the world can’t seem to think of anything to do with it other than to indulge in the occasional act of charity; it never seems to occur to Superman that he could easily carve free magic cities out of mountains. > "Almost never do superheroes make, create, or build anything. The villains, in contrast, are endlessly creative. They are full of plans and projects and ideas. Clearly, we are supposed to first, without consciously realizing it, identify with the villains. After all, they’re having all the fun. Then of course we feel guilty for it, re-identify with the hero, and have even more fun watching the superego clubbing the errant Id back into submission." > "It’s in this sense that the logic of the superhero plot is profoundly, deeply conservative." (http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/super-position/ http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/super-position/)

notacoward 11y ago
The point about making and building is one that has always seemed odd to me. For the most part, superheroes can't help what they are - they became that way through genetics or accident. (Counterexample: Iron Man) On the other hand, many of the supervillains demonstrate very high levels of ingenuity and determination. Many of them have had to overcome even greater adversity or tragedy than the heroes. I'm not fond of seeing distinctions between entrepreneurship and criminality blurred like that, while the hereditary aristocracy get a moral pass. Things have gotten more nuanced since the so-called golden era, but these themes/memes need to die faster.
yummyfajitas 11y ago
Almost never do superheroes make, create, or build anything. The villains, in contrast, are endlessly creative. They are full of plans and projects and ideas. Interestingly, Metropolitan Man touches on this. At a certain point in the plot, Superman approaches a villain and asks him to identify the most productive things he can do with his superpowers, recognizing that stopping robberies isn't it. It's actually a fantastic work of fiction, I highly recommend it. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10360716/1/The-Metropolitan-Man https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10360716/1/The-Metropolitan-Man
- thaumasiotes 11y ago
  http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2305 http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2305 > seems... a bit monotonous... > Oh, that reminds me. Keep your speed constant at all times.
buckbova 11y ago
A superhero is a balancing force. He does not create because that tips the scales the other way. Superman cannot play god, but instead only intervene when evil goes too far.
mercurial 11y ago
You have a few superhero stories exploring these themes (eg, The Authority or the old Squadron Supreme miniseries from the 80s), but yes, most superheroes seem to lack ambition and imagination.
thaumasiotes 11y ago
This is related to the observation that while superheroes are frequently rich, they never earned the money themselves. The explanation I've seen is pretty straightforward -- the morality of things requires that superheroes not care about money or other human goals, since if they did care about them, they'd just take them. Villains can work to service their own goals because they're villainous.