Comics

Nemesis by Mark Millar is a comic that is centered on a sadistic and wealthy villain who systematically dismantles the lives of top law enforcement officers. With that context in mind, does this story actually say anything? That is to say, what does the violence and shock do for the plot and what the story hopes to communicate?

How does Nemesis challenge traditional ideas about morality in the superhero genre, and what might this say about our cultural fascination with anti-heroes? In what ways does the depiction of wealth as a tool for chaos reflect or critique societal power dynamics today? Does the comic’s shock-value storytelling serve to deepen its critique of heroism, or does it undermine its long-term impact on the genre?

A comparison of characterization, compatibility, and narrative function of the Robins within the Batman and greater DC universe.

The writer has five potential options to choose from, Dick Grayson a.k.a Nightwing, Jason Todd a.k.a Red Hood, Tim Drake a.k.a Red Robin, Stephanie Brown a.k.a Spoiler, and Damien Wayne.

Each served as Robin for an extended period and all contrast Batman in their own ways. The writer can present a case for and against each of them both from the text and metatexually such as referring to sales or fan receptions.

Superhero stories are filled with fantasy tropes: wizards, knights in shining armor, dragons and other monsters, gods of various mythologies, and so on. Meanwhile, many superhero and supervillain origin stories seem like science fiction premises (mutated DNA, aliens, and so on). Most superpowers, even the ones that are supposedly based on science, defy science to the point where they would be indistinguishable from magic in a fantasy setting.
Consider the characteristics that differentiate the Fantasy Genre from the Science Fiction Genre. Then consider the central characteristics of superhero stories – Marvel, DC Comics, Invincible, pick your favorite – and analyze whether they fall more on one side or the other. If some superheroes belong to one genre and some belong to another, what happens when those superheroes team up with each other?
What are the implications of which genre superheroes "belong to"? Does this affect the future of superhero stories?

Analyze the variation versions of some of the mediums' most popular characters and the narrative through lines (canon events) that define the character despite the other notable shifts between the character's developments.

A good example of this is the contrast between Communist Superman in Red Son vs. Criminal Ultraman in Justice Lords vs. Tyrant Superman in Injustice vs. All-Star Superman va Mainline Superman.

What makes the character the character when a comic's multiverse can extend infinitely? What traits define the character in relationship to their world and their readers?
What makes a Superman a Superman?
Strictly within DC of course, no pastiches such as Homelander and Omni-Man.
What is the distilled version of Superman and what does it mean when the character becomes alienated from that "ideal" ?

Batman as a character is one of numerous contradictions. He's a normal human but a superhero. He's a vigilante who fights crime. He's a hero who fights in cruel often dark and unethical ways. Batman is often criticized for not taking more systemic solutions to the problems of crime within Gotham. This is not without merit as a billionaire with virtually limitless wealth when it comes to supplying his crusade of crime and punishment. But, at the same time, what actually can be done within the continuity of DC comics to counteract the criminal element in Gotham? He's just as likely to fight a woman with the power to control every nearby plant as he is to fight a carjacker. Even if he was able to use his liquid funds to curb homelessness and food insecurity, he'd still have a killer clown shooting poison gas. How does one reform that?

At what point does the reality of comics diverge from the goal of realism many fans and writers desire?

Major comic book publications DC and Marvel have been around for the better part of the century. In that time, the most popular superheroes in the world have been through a lot — far too much for just one life. Comic books use a sliding or floating timeline to allow characters to remain relatively ageless and storylines to stay relevant. For example, Peter Parker (Spider-man) debuted in 1962 and aged in real time for 3 years until his high school graduation in The Amazing Spider-man issue #28. Yet, nearly 60 real-time years and 900 issues later (not to mention countless other limited and extended runs), Peter is still a young adult. While engaging storylines can still be written in the ongoing Spider-man comics, some readers may find there is a limit to how far their suspension of disbelief can be stretched. Discuss the prevalence of the sliding timeline in major comic book publications and how it creates problems with continuity, character development, and reader engagement. Consider solutions to these problems, such as with DC's ever-rebooting universe, the increasing popularity of standalone series, 'Elseworlds' and 'Black Label' stories, and limited runs.

The MCU has taken a lot of it's inspiration specifically from the Ultimate line of comics. Thor's Stormbreaker, Spider-Man being in high school again, and Tony Stark's personality. Tony Stark has always been snarky, witty, and a pretty swollen ego, but a lot of the mainline comics' Tony Stark's rough edges have been sanded down. Stark was one of the founding members of the Illuminati, working for Kang the Conqueror, shooting Hulk into space, lots of his actions in both Civil War storylines, and not to mention his stint as Superior Iron Man, exploiting people and lots of other dubious actions.

My question is, have we lost something? Are the rough edges what make Iron Man so compelling in the comics? Has the MCU's more palatable Iron Man worse or just different? What about other comic characters who've lost nuance like Wolverine in every movie besides Logan?

Further, how do we go about adapting these characters from these thousands of issues to hours of film? Is it even possible? Is the loss of some nuance a necessary evil?

From 2011 to 2017, Tyler James and Cesar Feliciano created a ten-issue comic book series in which a parody of the Justice League were mysteriously murdered in a plot eerily similar to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. As in Christie's novel, it was slowly revealed that the superheroes were being killed because they were guilty of dark secrets.
This series bears a resemblance to The Boys, the comic series by Garth Ennis currently being adapted into a TV show. This series has its own parody of the Justice League, hiding their own dark secrets. The titular characters, the Boys, set out to test the heroes' limits and, if necessary, deal out bloody justice.
Compare and contrast these series, their characters, their themes, etc.