Best/Worst Deconstructions in comics

[QuinnFillory]

Deconstruction is basically take apart certain aspects in something to bring in under a sharper focus and analyze it more closely. While comics have had their own set of rules that work for their reality, there have been times when even they take a closer look at their work and say "Hey! Does this really work after all?"

My favorite deconstruction: Batman in Tower Of Babel. It makes sense that he would have plans for in case the JL went rogue, but it was his carelessness that led to the events of that story. Also, the story didn't end with everyone forgiving him; instead they stayed mad for a good amount of time.

Worst one: Whatever the heck they were trying to do in AvX. If the whole point of it was "Don't mess with powerful things you don't understand, even if it's for the greater good", it either didn't come across or they should have targeted the Avengers instead of the X-Men. Also, things went to war too quickly even by Marvel standards. Finally, considering all of this started because Captain America got information from a very biased Wolverine, whatever they trying to say about Cyclops fell flat. In the end, both teams came off looking like morons (the Avengers moreso).

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Watchmen. If people became heroes they’d still be flawed individuals even the most idealist.

[PaulBullion]

Hmm... favorite may be Reign of the Supermen.

Least favorite was Angel Punisher. Marvel Knight's biggest miss.

[Alan2099]

I'm going to say one of the worst was Deathmatch. As it was built up to be this "how those Contest of Champions" things would really go if the heroes were pushed to their limits.

Most of the time the readers ended up being too distracted by trying to figure out what heroes everyone was based on the reveal to the big mystery of who trapped them and why was about the dumbest thing you could imagine.

[kjn]

Deconstruction is probably the most misused (and misunderstood) word in pop culture criticism. That said, Watchmen is probably the closest thing to a deconstructive tale based on the superhero metamythos we have ever got.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Deconstruction is probably the most misused (and misunderstood) word in pop culture criticism. That said, Watchmen is probably the closest thing to a deconstructive tale based on the superhero metamythos we have ever got.

Yeah. I don’t even consider Tower of Babel a deconstruction. It’s just taking the distrustful aspect of Bats personality to the extreme.

[ed2962]

While it's one of my favorite JLA stories, "Tower of Babel" isn't really a deconstructionist story...the point of it isn't really to take critical/analytical look at the genre. It's just an exciting thrill ride.

AvX definitely wasn't...it was a hero vs hero cash grab. And it's like the fourth or fifth time these teams have fought.

Having said that, I'd suggest "Watchmen," "The Brat Pack", "Miracleman", I haven't read "True Man" but I've heard good things about it. Maybe "Marshall Law" but I've only read a few issues of that.

[Buried Alien]

Seven posts in without a mention of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Seven posts in without a mention of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I was going to suggest that but I feel like it would get a controversial response here. It’s a really great deconstruction though.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

What about Hal Jordan’s fall from grace following the destruction of Coast City and his transformation into Parallax?

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

What about Hal Jordan’s fall from grace following the destruction of Coast City and his transformation into Parallax?

That’s not. Hal acted completely out of character.

[mrbrklyn]

I'm going to say one of the worst was Deathmatch. As it was built up to be this "how those Contest of Champions" things would really go if the heroes were pushed to their limits.

Most of the time the readers ended up being too distracted by trying to figure out what heroes everyone was based on the reveal to the big mystery of who trapped them and why was about the dumbest thing you could imagine.

Warriors of Plasm?

[Sharkerbob]

Agree with Watchmen, not much else to say on that.

While I'm not entirely sure if it would be a deconstruction as such, I think the Squadron Supreme maxi-series acts as something of a deconstruction, in the sense of "what would it actually cost the heroes to save the world." The Squadron, despite their best intentions, effectively have to become supervillains to get the world back on its feet after it's been destabilized by an alien invasion.

Irredeemable is also pretty good at, least at first, as a look at "even Superman could eventually snap from the pressure", but then the second half over-explains the Plutonian's origin to show that he was always a fucked up person from the get go, so that kind of upends its own theme.

There is a prose short story collection called Superheroes which features a story about an alien superhero. He's seen in the vein of Superman, although not nearly as powerful, and this fan girl wants to find out his secret identity and fulfill her dream of being the hero's girlfriend. However, once she actually meets him, and she sees what his life is actually like, the fantasy quickly sours. Life isn't exactly terrible for him, but he is an alien, despite his human appearance. He has a lot of difficulty understand basic human communication queue's like body language, he doesn't understand the human obsession with sex, can't eat human food (to the point he almost died several times as a child while his parents were trying to work out his diet), he prefers his living quarters unbearably hot and humid by human standards, which means the weather on Earth usually bothers him, etc.

Strong Female Protagonist, at least the first eight chapters, is mainly about how stupid and useless being a superhero is, even if you have powers. Not to make assumptions about the author, but I kind of feel it is told from a perspective that doesn't get the point of superheroes. It's a webcomic where superheroes were around for a little while, but essentially mundane life more than anything else just broke down their resolve, and most of them are now just kind of lost, usually psychologically messed up twenty-somethings trying to move on with their lives. It might be more of a millennial life experience allegory than a superhero deconstruction.

[Carabas]

I'm not sure if the Warren Ellis Wildstorm triptych of Stormwatch/The Authority/Planetary is proper deconstruction, but they're at least closely related.

And much less full of gloom and doom than the usual examples.

[mrbrklyn]

That’s not. Hal acted completely out of character.

yup. it was a butcher job