11-06-2006
"Do you think that superheroes will remain the dominant genre comic books in the next decade or so? And if not, what other genre do you expect will challenge their dominance or replace them entirely?"
 Ron - (a.k.a. Rocket2600)For the most part, yes. I think they come and go in popularity, but I think there will always be a super-hero comic and story out there. With new titles such as Mouse Gaurd, The Walking Dead and such, you can see there is room for other types of comics. Which is always a good thing for us readers. I like a little varity in my library of comics.
 Karen - (a.k.a. klindsay)I think the world will always need it's Superheroes. I see a trend towards off-beat stories, like Girls, The Walking Dead, Wanted, etc... but I don't think they'll ever replace spandex stories. When people are writing book like DC New Frontiers and Astro City it keeps the genre fresh. Also, the comic book companies will continue to try to get younger readers, and Superhero books are the things that draw them in.
 Sean - (a.k.a. thespectre)Well Superheroes will always be on top for the most part. The Reason being as a social society normal people look up to heroes. We want to aspire to what the stand for and how they live thier lives. It's anti superheroes that seem to be picking up steam and real life put to comics are makeing more of an appearance. I don't think they will take over but we the buying public will have more to choose from. And that's A good thing.
Just for @#$! and Giggles I looked at my stacks and stacks of comics to choose from, I searched though most of the comics only to find that each comic I looked at had a superhero type in it. Each comic had a Good VS. Evil when you break it down. It does not have to be straight forward but it is in most comic books. So I think Superheroes comic books will always be on top.
 Jeremiah - (a.k.a. Gambit80)With regards to the superhero genre being replaced entirely - I don't think that will fully occur. There may be a decline in sales/interest in superheroes but they will persevere. After World War II, the public began to lose interest in superhero comics and gravitated more towards romance, horror, cartoon animals and crime comics. Then with the witchhunts lead by Wertham and the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency chaired by Estes Kefauver began, comics nearly disappeared completely.
However, in the late 50's to early 60's there was a resurgance with comics - especially of superheroes. DC had begun to use new variations of older characters such as Flash and the Green Lantern, including creating the Justice League of America. Marvel began to create such enduring characters as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the X-Men, etc. The response was very postive and helped revitalize the medium.
With today's comics, there are so many different types out there, reading is not exclusive to superheroes. There are crime noir comics such as "Fell", horror comics such as "30 Days of Night" and "Wormwood", fantasy such as "Fables", "Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M" and other such books. Though these are gaining popularity, they won't topple superheroes.
Superheroes represent archetypes - Superman is a paragon of virtue, Batman is an avenging crusader, Spider-Man is the everyman, the X-Men are representative of the oppressed. These characters are more symbolic than just the simple cape and emblem, they represent abstract ideals that reside within all of us. Some people read comics and visualize themselves as the character - not just for the "look" but because they would be in a better position to help others.
Thus, despite potential drops in sales and interest, the superhero genre will endure for future generations of readers.
 Clyf - (a.k.a. Clyfft)I think that superheroes will remain at the forefront of the comic book world for the foreseeable future. Recent movies and future releases (Ghost Rider, Spider-Man 3) will ensure the popularity of that genre. The only catch is that with the rising price of comics, a good story needs to be told month in and month out to keep readers on some of the lesser known titles, but Superman, Batman and Spider-Man will not have to deal with this problem. With that being said, I do feel that there are a few things that could take some of the limelight away from our favorite superheroes. DC's Vertigo line produces a number of non-superhero books (Fables, Hellblazer) that have a good following. Also, Joss Whedon is rumored to be doing a Buffy "Season 8" comic for Darkhorse. There is also the line of books from Virgin Comics to consider. They may not challenge the dominance of Superheroes in the US, but other parts of the world may be more receptive to that kind of storytelling.
 David - (a.k.a. Johnturned51)I fully expect that superheroes will remain domminant in the United States. Its just the perception our puplic has, and our puplic is very slow to change their perspective. Elsewhere around the world though Other genres are very popular, but i dont forsee an influx of foriegn comics other than manga, which can be argued, is mostly super hero type books.
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