This 19-minute documentary covers a good deal of interesting and illuminating ground on the history and evolution of comic books. Among the topics discussed are how people believe in superheroes because they want to be greater than they are, superheroes are put on this earth to fight evil, comics are basic morality plays on good versus evil, Superman is the story of an immigrant, many writers of the early comics grew up in the slums, comics have a magic realism that offers a funhouse reflection of reality, and how comics got darker in the 1980's by having flawed and/or corrupt heroes with feet of clay. Will Eisner points out that male readers get into comics as a means of getting in touch with their manhood, Alex Ross notes that the superhero genre is a mishmash of all kinds of fiction, and Frank Miller describes himself as an outlaw for strives for emotional reality in his work. Worth a watch for comic book fans.
2 Reviews
Superheroes: Then And Now
ccthemovieman-13 July 2007
Samuel Jackson, the co-star of "Unbreakable," with Bruce Willis, hosts this extra feature on the two-disc special-edition DVD.
Jackson and others talk about their days as kids enjoying superhero comic books and how that is a normal thing young boys do: pretending and dreaming of being some sort of super hero. A woman gives her opinions here, too; it isn't just all males.
The topic of "good" vs. "evil" also is discussed.
Later in the feature, today's comic book artists talk about their work. It's a sad statement that these guys, men like Frank Miller ("Sin City") have a such a bleak outlook toward superheros and paint them with such "feet of clay." Today's comic "heroes" are anything but good role models, as is acknowledged here, and that's frightening because this what young kids today are reading. They don't get any feel for "good," just "evil," because nobody is pictured in a positive light in today's action comics.
It's a far cry from the days of "Superman" and "Batman." I was glad to see a few people point that out because Miller, to me, comes across here just like his characters: a dark person with a twisted, very cynical outlook on life.
Jackson and others talk about their days as kids enjoying superhero comic books and how that is a normal thing young boys do: pretending and dreaming of being some sort of super hero. A woman gives her opinions here, too; it isn't just all males.
The topic of "good" vs. "evil" also is discussed.
Later in the feature, today's comic book artists talk about their work. It's a sad statement that these guys, men like Frank Miller ("Sin City") have a such a bleak outlook toward superheros and paint them with such "feet of clay." Today's comic "heroes" are anything but good role models, as is acknowledged here, and that's frightening because this what young kids today are reading. They don't get any feel for "good," just "evil," because nobody is pictured in a positive light in today's action comics.
It's a far cry from the days of "Superman" and "Batman." I was glad to see a few people point that out because Miller, to me, comes across here just like his characters: a dark person with a twisted, very cynical outlook on life.
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