Spidey & Comix

In my last post I focused mainly on the X-Men aspect of the Silver Age of comics because it seemed like the dominant theory of the chapter. Although extremely intriguing, I forgot about a few other things I found interesting.

Although I have never read a Spiderman comic, I have seen recent movies associated with Spiderman. And, although I thoroughly enjoyed these, I had not once associated Spiderman as a metaphor for teenagers going through the unfamiliar aspect of life known as puberty. I think by using Peter Parker as a way for teens to associate themselves was a really smart move on Marvel’s part. Because comics were changing and focusing on broader audiences, this was a character that young adults could feel they related to. Not only this, but I also really liked the idea that Spiderman was realistic when he first discovered his powers. Of course most superheroes fight crime and protect the city, but this was not Spiderman’s first intention after discovering his power. Spiderman used his power selfishly to win money on things like tv shows and wrestling matches. Although this is not the type of hero we normally read about, I think it can be admirable because it’s realistic. Spiderman eventually uses his power for good because of the death of his uncle, which I think can be justified. I think it would be safe to say that many people put in Peter Parker’s place would do the same thing if they realized they had powers capable of many inhuman things.

“Comix” are a form of underground comic books that also became popular during this time. Because they contained subject matter that focused on sex, drugs, and politics, they were not the kind of comics you would see mainstream. I had never heard of Comix before Kaplan’s chapter on them, but they sound quite interesting to me and I’d like to look into them a bit more.