Reconsidering the Superhero

Alan Moore. Hmmmm. An interesting character.

This week we were asked to look at some of the newer ideas of superheroes. I think that when the word 'superhero' is thrown around people immediately think of an all american good boy in tights (tight tights) that can do anything. They are not always relatable. When looking at Alan Moore's works, Watchmen, etc. or Arkham Asylum (Batman reconsidered), I think that there are many ways that these "heroes" are more relatable to the reader. Most notably these characters are way more developed. There are layers to them that allows the readers to see the flaws and not only the glistening exterior. In many cases, like my favorite, V for Vendetta, the hero must do something much darker or harsher in order to do good. They are not necessarily all clean and shiny, almost like anti-heroes. The line between who is the hero and who is the villain may be extremely blurry. Overall, the tone of the worlds these "reconsidered superheroes" inhabit is much more dark and grimy than the golden metropolises of yesteryear. I think that this was the most interesting assignment for me because for some reason I relate to these the most. They are still fantastic enough to keep me interested but the characters are so human and relatable.