As I am writing this, I have had a couple of hard years from loss to serious health problems, to intense personal issues; it has been rough. And although my faith has sustained me, like many comic book geeks, I look to my heroes. I have been and always will be a Batman fan, but lately, his example hasn’t been enough. Resilience, determination, and willpower can get you through a lot, but when grief caves in the roof of your heart, you need something more.
You need hope.
I am grateful to say, DC media is doing its best to deliver. First off, in their long-running MMORPG, DC Universe Online (DCUO), they have shifted from storylines that are mostly doom-and-gloom apocalyptic adventures, and are trying new storylines out. I have been playing DCUO for about twelve years now. And most of the time, their episodes have been original adventures, either tied to the comics or due to licensing, continuations of their internal plotlines. For several years, there has been an almost copy-and-paste attitude in releasing new content, and that was as grim as possible, with the darkest palette possible, with redemption and hope thrown away, lines delivered by a non-player-character, just for filler. But with its new approach to storytelling, DCUO is attempting to raise the bar on superhero gaming with its latest chapter releases. Although the plot includes some dire situations, the result they are aiming for is hope. Filled with intrigue, darkness, and larger-than-life action (the game is based on DC Comics after all), there is also compassion, mercy, and hope.
Things are looking different for DC fans; things are looking up. Speaking of looking up, one cannot help but be aware of James Gunn’s new Superman film. From a brighter costume, an intense version of the John Williams theme, and even the best boy in the universe, Krypto, it seems that Superman, as a symbol of hope, is front and center in the new film. So far, most comic fans’ reactions on social media have been extremely positive. Several of the most common phrases used by those who have previewed the film are that it has given those who have seen it a sense of wonderment.
A few have even stated that it has the potential to be a very uplifting film. As far as the pantheon of superheroes is structured, Superman and his best incarnations are a symbol of Hope. And although it may seem corny and naive, with what is being shown in the trailers so far, with this Superman film bringing in his dog Krypto and Superman spending a few moments with some children, in this day and age a superhero that uplifts people around him is a definite change of pace from all of the Doom and gloom and tearing down of our caped crusaders that has been plaguing superhero media for years.
To better understand how we got to where we are in superhero media now, we have to look no further than the deconstruction era of the 80s. Many writers and artists, such as Alan Moore and Frank Miller, pushed a narrative where our heroes were worse than the public they were supposed to protect, rather than examples to aspire to. Somewhere along the way, to keep the deconstruction fans happy, but finagle the sales numbers of their characters, DC and Marvel kept most of their flagship characters in a constant whitewater that bent the types of characters they were.
Batman became an unbeatable vigilante who could beat anyone, at the cost of being borderline psychotic. Spider-Man became a hapless loser who triumphed in most heroic endeavors, but constantly suffered in his personal life. The Man of Steel became constantly befuddled between the concepts of being Super and Man, between connections to Krypton and Kansas. His place in his adopted home world became a burden instead of a bridge.
This idea was a major structure for the Snyderverse version of Clark Kent, which in some ways seems to contrast with Henry Cavill’s gregarious and outgoing personality, especially with his interactions with the fans. Although David Corenswet is showing and the footage released so far is handy both as Clark Kent and Superman, this is a role that would have been a perfect fit for Mr Cavill.
Both of these actors have shown in their unique ways that inspiring hope is part of their personalities, as well as the way they look at Superman. Cavill tried his best to bring that out of his character, but was unfortunately given a very serious, darker road to travel. However, the other areas of DC’s greater media enterprise seem to be leaning more towards the idea of hope and how it connects to their characters. With DC comics and their media outlets pushing towards the idea of hope, as a way to stand out from somewhat controversial stuff from other comic companies, perhaps this is a new era and superhero-based media.
Perhaps, rather than looking at the dark side of those who might wear a mask or cape, the fans can look to a new direction. Perhaps the fans will be able to look up.
