Last year I set myself the task of trying to in some way explain or contextualize Hickman???s run on the Avengers. I struggled and failed to explain what I was feeling then, which was that Hickman???s Avengers???itself a continuation of his run on Fantastic Four???is in some way representative of a new way of thinking about superheroes. I put aside the topic as one I wasn???t ready to deal with. However, another year???s worth of comics and some recent conversations have helped shape and clarify my thinking. I???ve come to the conclusion that what I was perceiving was more than a single writer handling supers in a unique way. Rather, I believe we???ve entered into a new era in superhero comics???by my count the 6th.
I want to talk about why I feel that???s the case and what I see as the defining aspects of this new era. But I need to back up a little first and talk about the previous superhero eras to put these thoughts in context. I???ll address the first three very briefly because they are generally well understood, and then talk in a bit more depth about the second three???all of which have at various times been called ???The Modern Age.??? Continue Reading