Superheroes became dark in the 1980’s because they reflected the dark events happening during this decade. In the 80’s, crime rates, violence, and drug abuse were increasing in society. Cocaine, in particular, was used among many people. As a result, comic book creators added these elements into their stories to gain public interests in the Comic Book Industry. They wanted to attract a more mature age of readers, instead of the children that was their main audience. Also, the political and social events in the 1970’s left a mark on Americans entering the 1980’s. The country’s lost in the Vietnam War, The Watergate scandal, and protesters and riots against the government made many American confused and glum about the future. Superheroes, especially Batman’s in Frank Millers’ The Dark Knight Returns, reflected the countries need to pull out of their “funk” and return to time that was better for Americans. A time when American values were important and the country thrived and prospered off of them.
Why blame comics for societal failure? Society blamed comics for the societal failures because it was a fairly new industry, and as things seemed to go “wrong” they figured it must be comic books. When a child grew up during the war, his father was probably killing people and the military and his mother was probably making things in factories to help kill the opposition. The only things kids had to “babysit” them was comic books, and they read many different kinds. So when kids starting acting differently in this new generation the figured it must be the comic books. Society didn’t want to believe it may have been the internal and external scars war causes on the soldiers and their families. Also the fact that young unattended children are reading these comics may not be able to differentiate between fantasy and reality. When society fails it always needs a scapegoat then it was comic books next it was rock and roll. Society naturally resist change.
Comments