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Were comics at the forefront of social transformation or lagging behind in the 1960’s?

Comics are typically a response to social situations that have happened or happening today. So in terms of the comic's relation to the 1960's they were strictly talking about what was going on in the time. I do not believe that Comics are ever on the forefront of the social change, but rather a necessity that society finds during the time. An example of this would be the need for a hero in the great depression. The inclusion of these heroes gave society hope when hope was needed. During the 1960's, people read about what was going on during the revolts and uprisings (especially in schools).
The next generation of heros were a response to a troubled youth. By having heroes with actual problems like their readers, the hero was reborn into characters like Spiderman. Peter Parker is a high schooler who is not well liked but finds himself tossed into being a hero. The fact that during this time characters like Spiderman are faced with a realistic struggle between right and wrong. Also it shows a regular person rising up and accepting the challenges in life. One could say that this is a forefront of social change during this time, but the 1980's wasn't the first time America saw a mass movement of rebelling youth. All in all, Comics are rather are a supporting roll in society rather than a means of change and direction.

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