politics in comics

[phonogram12]

I can definitely see both your points, and as for Agent Z's point about "superheroes" repeatedly letting their own get away with things that they would've come down hard on the actual "supervillains" for, that could definitely be aimed at the likes of the Avengers and the X-Men. The X-Men at least have the excuse, such as it is, that the justice system is irrevocably biased against them for being mutants feared and loathed by the vast majority of human society and thus would never grant them a fair hearing or trial (aside from when Magneto went on trial in Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men #200, but still). The Avengers, on the other hand, have a number of members --- founders included --- who, in a setting that at least pretended to abide by real-world criminal law, would have been put in jail or tied up in litigation for years on account of (some of) the things they've done in the past and yet they're still recognized, if not trusted and respected, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Also money. Don't forget about the likely army of lawyers that Tony Stark probably has on retainer for the Avengers.

[Electricmastro]

Also money. Don't forget about the likely army of lawyers that Tony Stark probably has on retainer for the Avengers.

Huh, now that I think about it, how many rich mutants are there anyway?

[phonogram12]

Huh, now that I think about it, how many rich mutants are there anyway?

Professor X. Warren Worthington III. That's all I know of off the top of my head. There may be more, but I really doubt their wealth even begins to compare to IM's.

[Huntsman Spider]

Professor X. Warren Worthington III. That's all I know of off the top of my head. There may be more, but I really doubt their wealth even begins to compare to IM's.

Emma Frost, for starters, along with the rest of the erstwhile Hellfire Club. Monet St. Croix/M is also a child of wealth and a mutant.

[Chris0013]

Huh, now that I think about it, how many rich mutants are there anyway?

Professor X. Warren Worthington III. That's all I know of off the top of my head. There may be more, but I really doubt their wealth even begins to compare to IM's.

Emma Frost, for starters, along with the rest of the erstwhile Hellfire Club. Monet St. Croix/M is also a child of wealth and a mutant.

Bobby DaCosta's got bank...

[phonogram12]

And this is what you forget when you haven't read an X-Men book since the Whedon run.

[Ultimate Captain America]

Wolverine must be insanely rich, because of the royalties of the many works about him (Marvel Comics exists within the 616 universe, after all). Because, he's getting paid, right? Right?

[Huntsman Spider]

Bobby DaCosta's got bank...

Thanks for the reminder. He actually bought out AIM and turned it into a branch of the Avengers. Fun times.

[Electricmastro]

After seeing Nick Spencer’s Captain America: Sam Wilson, I came to realize that, as valid as it is to talk about politics and race, perhaps superhero comics aren’t the best setting to analyze racial issues in and the possible solutions that can be actively carried out, at least with Marvel’s.

[Huntsman Spider]

After seeing Nick Spencer’s Captain America: Sam Wilson, I came to realize that, as valid as it is to talk about politics and race, perhaps superhero comics aren’t the best setting to analyze racial issues in and the possible solutions that can be actively carried out, at least with Marvel’s.

That's because Marvel, along with comics in general, is a capitalist enterprise that has to appeal to the most people possible, so you're never going to get a full-throated condemnation of things like racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other bigotries from them because they're scared of alienating a (possibly significant) portion of their readership that may feel unfairly attacked. That's all it is.

[Snoop Dogg]

Hulk should smash America, though.

[Electricmastro]

That's because Marvel, along with comics in general, is a capitalist enterprise that has to appeal to the most people possible, so you're never going to get a full-throated condemnation of things like racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other bigotries from them because they're scared of alienating a (possibly significant) portion of their readership that may feel unfairly attacked. That's all it is.

I’ve no doubt the possibility of certain bosses at comic companies disgustingly valuing money over ethics. I just recall that after talking to some others over Hickman’s X-Men, and how the could reflect real life minorities and politics, we came to the realization that comics, at least with Marvel, tend to exaggerate problems to the point of being dystopian and world-ending for the sake pumping up the drama and tension between the superheroes and supervillains, and shouldn’t always be used to apply to real life even if they insert real-life concepts such as racism and class and crime. I think that if we always applied the social/political issues in comics as happening exactly as that in real life, then would all just go crazy after awhile and would perhaps even come to assume that life is so terrible that life isn’t worth living. That’s something I’m sure many black comic book fans, as well as other minority comic book fans, could understand and agree on, and that perhaps some subjects are perhaps best done justice in specifically academic-oriented settings, as opposed a Marvel comic which tends to shrug off academics for the sake of having epic full-scale battles.

[Huntsman Spider]

Hulk should smash America, though.

That's why I've been enjoying Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk since he started tackling Roxxon and Dario Agger as the preeminent symbol of the corruption eating away at human society.

I’ve no doubt the possibility of certain bosses at comic companies disgustingly valuing money over ethics. I just recall that after talking to some others over Hickman’s X-Men, and how the could reflect real life minorities and politics, we came to the realization that comics, at least with Marvel, tend to exaggerate problems to the point of being dystopian and world-ending for the sake pumping up the drama and tension between the superheroes and supervillains, and shouldn’t always be used to apply to real life even if they insert real-life concepts such as racism and class and crime. I think that if we always applied the social/political issues in comics as happening exactly as that in real life, then would all just go crazy after awhile and would perhaps even come to assume that life is so terrible that life isn’t worth living. That’s something I’m sure many black comic book fans, as well as other minority comic book fans, could understand and agree on, and that perhaps some subjects are perhaps best done justice in specifically academic play-oriented settings, as opposed a Marvel comic which tends to shrug off academics for the sake of having epic full-scale battles.

Possibly. The thing is that for a lot of people in real life, those issues really are that bad, or even worse than depicted on the comic book pages, as unlike in the comic books, they don't have a superpowered savior swooping in to save the day.

[JudicatorPrime]

That's because Marvel, along with comics in general, is a capitalist enterprise that has to appeal to the most people possible, so you're never going to get a full-throated condemnation of things like racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other bigotries from them because they're scared of alienating a (possibly significant) portion of their readership that may feel unfairly attacked. That's all it is.

They've forgotten the first rule of comics: Show why reality would be different in the comic book world. Instead, they've let the real world have its say more often than not on their fantasy world. And make no mistake, Marvel's readership is vocally right leaning. No matter what we may think of the creative teams or their personal views, they are scripting for their audience's pleasure, by and large.

[JudicatorPrime]

That's why I've been enjoying Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk since he started tackling Roxxon and Dario Agger as the preeminent symbol of the corruption eating away at human society.

Roxxon is just the can that got kicked down the street. It's been a symbol for corporate evil since the 1970s. I don't think that will ever change. It plays too well.