Comic Books… What is your comic book ideology? An Ideology is: the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.
Take a look at the media and you will see that the stories of superheroes are on the rise. Heroes, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, Iron Man, Hellboy, Fantastic Four, Jumper, Hancock, Star Wars, The Matrix, Unbreakable, Who Wants to be a Superhero?… the list stretches on for miles. How does your view of superheroes influence your life?
From graphic novels to television, Hollywood to the Internet, people are trying to capitalize on the Superhero and the “never ending struggle between good and evil.” Even more of a reality is that the Superhero genre seems to speak to a large segment of society - all over the globe - in every culture. What does the Superhero archetype convey to us? How do their choices reflect our choices? How do their methods speak to the way we handle situations? What about those who choose to use their abilities for evil… the villains? Why do people write stories about Superheroes at all?
I grew up on Superheroes. Give me a good story and I’m hooked. But when does our belief go too far - to the point where the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred? To the point where we can no longer learn from the storyline? How does a person move from the freedom that comes from inspiration to the bondage of literally wanting to BE the character?
As a writer and author , I have crafted a number of essays relating to Superheroes specifically and in general; in an effort to begin to delve deeper into the phenomenon. You can click on the links below to read them. In addition to these, I’m working on several books, two of which deal with Superheroes. Lord willing, these books will be released next year, so stay tuned.
Some people think Superheroes are a waste of time. I disagree. It is my belief that the world is better for them. There are truths to be unearthed. The genre speaks to deep seated issues within all of us. Then we have to ask, what do we do with what we find? We all WANT a hero - even if we ourselves don’t actually want to be one.
Take some time to read through these articles. Bookmark the ones you like. Let me know what you think and share them with your friends. When I write a new post, I’ll add it here. Who knows where this will go! -Allen Paul Weaver III-
The Power of a Saiyan: Part One
The Power of a Saiyan: Part Two