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The interest in superheroes and comic books is phenomenal. And in this post, Bijou Concierge investigates why we love comic superheroes so much.
Meet The Superheroes!
Superheroes first caught our attention in the 1930s when characters such as The Phantom, Superman and Batman appeared in American comic books, and we’ve been fascinated ever since.
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According to the Oxford Dictionary, a superhero is “a benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers”.
Superman: The Original Superhero
The original superhero was Superman. Superman provided the template for all the superheroes to follow and he was gifted with multiple powers. He was super strong, he could fly, see through walls and move faster than the speed of sound. He could melt lead just by looking at it and his very breath could surpass the strength of a hurricane. Bullets and lasers bounced harmlessly off his skin. He could pass through the heart of a star unharmed. If ever there was a man with absolute power, it was Superman!
Superheroes Are A Popular Aspect of Contemporary Entertainment Culture
Whether you become a fan spending hours engrossed in the pages of a comic book or encounter them for the first time at the cinema, chances are that the average person knows and loves at least one superhero. And superhero films are almost guaranteed blockbusters! Today, superheroes are a popular aspect of contemporary entertainment culture.
And the influence these larger-than-life characters wield over our society and media has never been more ubiquitous—or more reflective of the increasing importance our culture is placing on diversity.
This embrace of diversity not only makes for better storytelling; it makes for a better bottom line. According to a recent study by talent agency CAA, movies with diverse casting earn more at the box office. “One of the interesting things most successful movies share is that they broadly appeal to diverse audiences,” said Christy Haubegger, leader of CAA’s multicultural development group. “People want to see a world that looks like theirs.”
Is it a coincidence that black superheroes are stirring excitement at a time when ethnicity and race relations are in the spotlight?
But why do we love them so much? Apparently, it’s in our genes!
We Are Wired To Worship Superheroes!
Humans are wired to worship superheroes! There is a strong relationship between comic books and superheroes, and the field of psychology. The former have a long history of reflecting societal change: they are often progressive and this challenges both children’s and adults’ moral development, while the characters are so exaggerated that they give people the opportunity to compare and contrast individual traits. They are based on us, and we feed off their images, integrating their characteristics into our personalities, ethics and morals.
Comic superheroes regularly tackle major, philosophical, cultural and narrative concepts such as the nature of good and evil, man’s inner struggle, the anti-hero, the feminist, and the savior. Five major, iconic characters particularly exemplify this concept: Wonder Woman, Batman, The Hulk, Superman, and The Silver Surfer.
Hollywood’s Booming Comic Book Age!
Superhero infatuation is at an all-time high. And more than 20 of the top 100 grossing films of all times are borne out of superhero comic book lore.
But why are films based on comic books so popular? The answer is technology!
Technology Has Brought Comic Books To Life!
The biggest reason for Hollywood’s booming Comic Book Age, of course, is technology. Computer imagery can now bring even the most outlandish images of comic book fantasy to life. Hollywood has taken the 20th century Marvel comic book and transformed it into a lucrative movie brand that is nothing short of astonishing.
Comic book superheroes are stars of the big screen as well as television, not to mention the clothing, bags, toys, mobile phone cases and collectibles.
These superheroes impart life’s lessons. And although they have been part of popular culture for decades, the surge in popularity increased after 9/11. America became terrified and insecure after 9/11 and the superhero movies provided a sense of comfort about American’s ability to respond to these very real threats.
In the days pre-9/11, depictions of superheroes were variously considered to be “camp” (in the case of the Batman series, for example), simple entertainment, fantasy and escapism. But post-9/11, preoccupations have slowly propelled a fundamental change in how superheroes are used to reflect the societies in which they exist.
Superheroes Are Not Just For Kids!
Kids love superheroes and comic heroes are even teaching our children about finance! And they are also helping young people cope with mental health issues like depression.
However, adults are openly and actively embracing their inner child, debating often at extreme lengths about the minutiae of Jared Leto‘s Joker look, whether or not Ben Affleck will be a good Batman, or the finer points of the “Star Wars” universe. Simon Pegg Worries That Adults Obsessed With Comics & Sci-Fi Have Become “Infantilized By Our Own Taste”!
The bottom line is that superhero movies serve a purpose. They have much more than mere video game depth. They help us cope with the external world. They provide hope to people of any age, race and gender. They are stories of empowerment.
The trend in multi-superhero-universe movies is ever growing with ISIS and the political discourse in both the U.S and U.K. Maybe our obsession with superhero movies is because, now more than ever, we want someone to save us.
Comic Cons are also increasingly popular with the grown ups. They are basically a fiesta of costumes, comic books and celebrities that sit at the centre of a multi-billion dollar industry.
Superheroes Are A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
Superhero films are on the rise. And the fascination with the superhero genre shows no signs of letting up judging by the adventures of characters such as Black Panther, The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America and Superman!
Live-action superheroes have also found their way onto television screens with series like “Arrow,” “Marvel Agents of SHIELD,” “Gotham,” “The Flash,” “Agent Carter,” “Daredevil,” “Supergirl,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Powers.”
The film companies are seeing the payoff of producing superhero movies. They are building cinematic universes with characters showing up in other films across the genre.
We know that America has a love affair with superhero movies. And recently, films such as Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War have shattered box office records and captured the public’s affection.
2017 Became The Greatest Year For Superhero Movies Of All Time. It was the year five of the 10 highest grossing films were about superheroes, as are three of the top five so far this year. But markets in Europe and Asia (especially China) have also embraced superheroes. According to an article by the BBC:
It used to be the case that the US box office was the be all and end all for commercial success. But, for recent superhero movies, the US typically accounts for no more than $4 out of every $10 made.
Adding to the popularity of the blockbusters is the related merchandising of all of the superhero properties. Superhero T-shirts, bags, shoes, phones and collectibles are available everywhere, which means superheroes are more visible than ever before, well beyond their onscreen presence.
Nostalgia is big business. Millennial adults are the number one target for superhero movie merchandise, and they’re buying it more for themselves than for their children!
The comic book, graphic novel, manga, and anime industries are some of the fastest growing areas in all of literature, and the demand for great artists continues to grow with each passing year. With the rise in comic-book-based movies over the past decade like Deadpool, Ant Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, the comic book industry has witnessed an all-time high not seen since 1997. And although the comics industry has been making strides toward bringing in a bigger female audience, superheroes are still mostly marketed to and consumed by men. Consumers spent $4.5 billion on DC Comics merchandise in 2016. That merchandise includes things like toys, t-shirts, and video games. It doesn’t take the box office receipts into consideration, of which Batman v Superman and Suicide Squadmade an additional $1.6 billion!
Battle Of The Superheroes: DC v Marvel
Any comic book or superhero fan knows there are two major universes: DC and Marvel. For DC, think Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman. Marvel’s universe is home to Ironman, Thor, Hulk and the rest of the Avengers. Marvel and DC have managed to remain the two biggest players in comic books since the 1940’s.
However, according to a new study from automated market research tech provider ZappiStore, people prefer Marvel superhero flicks over DC because audiences can emotionally engage more with Marvel superheroes, and humans are all about that emotional connection!
Batman Greatest Superhero Ever?
Batman has been named as the greatest superhero ever! But, although many of us aspire to be Batman, deep down we’re all pretty much Spider-Man. Spider-Man is the inner superhero inside all of us and by far the most understandable one!
The Role Of Superheroes Post 9/11
Superheroes are a comfort in times of crisis. And the themes within the modern superhero genre reflect society’s concerns about politics, gender, ethnicity, patriotism and consumerism. This seemingly contradicts the idea that these films and shows are only created as simple-minded entertainment. Often the tragedies of 9/11 are reenacted through fantasy and aliens with the superheroes being the ones to save the day. There are thousands of story patterns that revolve around protecting the homeland.
Over time, superheroes’ characters have shifted — from the 1940s when Captain Marvel, The Batman, Captain America and Superman were introduced — to the 1980s when the action heroes were musclemen like Rambo, and from the Ronald Reagan era when strong masculine heroes were the order and after 9/11 when superheroes were re-masculinized and set up to save the day.
Today, another shift is in process, with superheroes questioning tactics such as wiretapping and waterboarding. But, superheroes don’t torture and they don’t kill—unless they have to. And since we know that, they can torture and kill as much as they’d like, and still be righteous, and pure, and good.
Superhero Therapy Is A Thing: Yes Really
There is even Superhero Therapy! Yes, that’s right! Superhero Therapy is a concept that integrates a complex understanding of the internal motivations of pop culture heroes in order to psychoanalyse and facilitate the recovery of troubled ordinary people.
One demographic likely to be severely traumatised is military veterans. Like comic book superheroes, they can find it difficult to cope with their intense experiences, while also trying to conform to high expectations.
Which Superhero Are You?
To find out which Supehero you are click here
Annie is a superhero copywriter, events organiser and virtual PA helping to put London based tech startup Shout on the map! If you need help writing copy for your website, blog, crafting engaging social media posts or any other writing projects, please get in touch – annie@bijouconcierge.co.uk.
