Comics are for Everyone: Sometimes that Means Adults

With the upcoming Deadpool movie, some people are expressing concern for the R rating. Old school fans were nervous about the initial announcement that a Deadpool film was happening, because the character is by no means politically correct, or child appropriate. There were concerns that if Marvel, newly owned by Disney, produced the film, it would have to be dumbed down to fit their model. But when lead, Ryan Reynolds, was cast, it helped assure fans that they would stay true to the character.

Mary Sues on the road of a Hero’s Journey

If you’ve read or written fanfiction in the last forty or so years, you’ve probably come across the term ‘Mary Sue’ or ‘Gary Stu’. There is even a prolific feminist-geek online news site by the name. While the original definition of the term related mainly to fanfic authors (presumably female), inserting themselves into their favourite fandom universe in order to help save the day. And possibly get it on with the main character, it has transformed to mean any character that is deemed ‘too perfect’. Usually its female characters that get the bad rap. As numerous fans have pointed out in defense of The Force Awakens’ main character Rey, most of the male leads in the other trilogies fall into the same pitfalls that critics are highlighting in Rey.

Vigilantes, Politics, and Heroes

Comics and popular culture are not new platforms for politics. Heroes have always been asked if they really serve the people they claim to. And readers have always seen current political issues reflected in the pages of their favourite comics. From the Alan Moore classics, Watchmen and V for Vendetta, to 2016’s upcoming Captain America: Civil War, and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, we’ve watched heroes battle each other, government, and general wrongdoing alike.