Student posits superhero formula will survive

To the Editors:

It is true that, as the article “Superhero comics face consequences” states, “contrary to the public’s conception, comic books can be relevant and reflect the confluence of pop culture and the media.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean they should.
Unlike Steven Kwan, I have had a lifelong attraction to the superhero genre in comic books; it is a part of me, it is inside my body and my soul, and also my closet, filling up eight boxes. I could go on for pages on what these comic books mean to me, how they have driven me and determined the course of my life; in fact, I did so for my college application essay. But in this case, I would like to address the idea of repetitiveness in superhero comic books.
I would be remiss to argue that there is no formula. Naturally, there is — villain begins plan, superhero saves the day, villain defeated. In reality though, this is hardly a problem, provided there is a talented writer at the helm who can keep the apparently typical formula interesting. Take recent events in Amazing Spider-Man, for example. Looking purely at the formulaic elements of the storyline that ran through Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 2, #30-35, the story can be summarized as follows: new villain, Morlun, emerges. Spider-Man battles Morlun and is defeated. Spider-Man tries again and is victorious. Quite typical.
But there is much, much more to it than that. See, Morlun is driven largely by instinct, with a need to absorb the totem energies inside Spider-Man. Totem energies, you ask? Well, that’s another factor to this tale. A new character called Ezekiel is introduced, possessing the same powers as Spider-Man, suggesting that Spider-Man’s powers may come not from the combination of radioactivity and spider, but rather from something mystical that already existed within the arachnid. Finally, as all this is occurring, Peter Parker becomes a high school teacher. Suddenly, this is a very intriguing storyline.
There is a formula in the background, but it is hardly noticed within the originality of the situation. Themes emerge: power and responsibility as always, but also determination, identity, duty.
It has been said that there are no new stories to tell. But then why do we keep reading, or watching films? Because the stories are still enjoyable if done right, and the superhero comics I read, all Spider-Man, are done very right indeed. Those themes mentioned above are timeless. The idea of good battling evil, or even just individual struggle against the odds — these are formulas that have existed as long as there has been literature, and that is why superhero comics are still wonderful. That is why I have 1,460 comic books in my closet and never get bored with them. A good comic book is timeless and always relevant.
However, a comic book with pop culture references is dated. A comic book that specifically mentions current events and comments upon them is stuck in a given era, and that is a problem I take very seriously. A story that uses the traditional formula in a brilliant fashion is an excellent story, and it will always be an excellent story. One that deals with pop culture will be confusing and irrelevant in a few years, and that is hardly an improvement on the norm. The superhero genre can be extremely varied in content, and there is certainly room for a bit of originality on the pop culture front, but to look at modern trends such as that described as present in X-Statix as the saving grace in a dying, redundant form is unfair and inaccurate.
There is a reason superhero movies are so popular right now, and there is a reason characters like Spider-Man have survived for four decades, Batman for six. So long as clever writers take advantage of the infinite possibilities in specific details and subplots, the superhero genre and formula can never be redundant, boring, or old. And the timeless themes superhero comic books thrive upon will never die.

—Harrison Demchick
College sophomore