zrondinelli

This is where suspension of disbelief needs to come into superhero comics. It is totally illogical to simply lock prisoners away and hope for rehabilitation. Aside from the utilitarian desires that lie hidden underneath the concept of “rehabilitation” (criminals as a means to an end), assuming they will not break free and re-commit is simple ludicrous. Indeed some of the best stories involve criminals and failed rehabilitation (Two-Face in Miller’s Dark Knight comes to mind). Also, I think that an extension and important aspect of this concept are the heroes that refuse to believe in this rehabilitative mindset. Moore’d Rorschach or The Punisher come to mind as two characters who truly embrace Retributivism. Obviously, as the article discussed, Retributivism puts some limitations into the actual writing of a long-term serialized story, but it is still an option that has been explored only minimally within traditional superhero canon and could deserve some further development.

This is interesting and a really thought provoking article… two thoughts: the first is the philosophical world view that most of these characters share which seems to be very utilitarian. The world around them in a means to an end; Walter White sells drugs to pay for chemo, Lex Luthor does “good” deeds in order to best Superman & prove the superiority of the human race, Dr. Horrible wants to rule the world, etc. I agree that they all work to caution us but I might suggest that they caution us about the dangers of utilitarian thinking which seems to dominate “villainous” heroes (how very Heideggerean…). Second, I wonder if these works could be coined as alternate perspective pieces? Antagonist-centered narrative only functions in works that have established traditions of the character as an antagonist (I.e. Lex Luthor and Doc Oc as Superior Spider-Man). It doesn’t work as well with characters like Jerry Macguire or Walter Ehite. Just a thought.

Another element that played into this was the necessity for authors and writers to be creTive with their stories. Superhero comics are inherently violent and with the code in place, it become important to utilize the comics form in innovative ways. Take Frank Miller’s Wolverine run for instance. Even in the late-code era it wasn’t ok to show a bad guy getting SNIKTed in the face, yet it could be implied by combining the gutter with creative artistry forcing the reader to “imagine” the violence. That doesn’t happen as much now… shame.

For those looking to continue their reading on the subject, Amy Nyberg’s Seal of Approval: the History of the Comics Cose Authority is great and very enlightening!

Homestuck is a great example of a creator who has truly embraced McCloud’s call for “digital comics designed for a digital environment”. The way in which Hussie ensures the interface functions within the larger ideology of the software it’s built from is wonderful to see!