Saving the Hero

The last few years have seen a spate of super hero films, culminating in this summer's glut of spandex-clad protagonists. But for every Dark Knight there seem to be many more Green Lanterns. For every Iron Man, there are a score of X-Men 3s. For every Captain America, there's a Captain America.

Despite the rare critical and commercial hits that continue to justify the comic book movie genre, superheroes are faring even worse on their home turf.

My associates and I were pondering this strange state of affairs, and we resolved to try our hand at writing a superhero story that avoids the pitfalls and cliches that got the comics industry stuck in its current rut.

Our first step has been to compile a list of source material intended to exemplify what comics have done right in recent decades. For inspiration, we chose seminal graphic novels and miniseries that rescued superheroes from past periods of malaise. Our hope is that what these magna opera did for Batman, Superman, adult trade, and the industry in general can be done again in these turbulent times.

Yet the question still remains. How did superheroes' ray-deflecting wristbands lose their lustre? What tarnished their reputation? Comments regarding how the superhero genre can regain its appeal are most certainly welcome.