foreign policy and aggressive nationalism which contributes to America’s signature brand of white supremacy, violent imperialism, and capitalistic greed. Homelander is an arrogant, bigoted, and violent monster, corrupted by his own god-like powers and the blind worship his world gives him. New superhero TV series like “The Boys,” which features its own dark twist on Superman named Homelander, also contributed to my cynical view. His catchphrase is “truth, justice, and the American way,” for God’s sake. Superman was the main target of this cynicism: to me, he was emblematic of naive optimism and reductionist American nationalism. I didn’t know it then, but these stories would subconsciously fuel my more cynical perception of superheroes as far too idealistic for a world as dark as the one we live in today. “Watchmen” detailed the multitude of dark implications of how superheroes would act if they existed in a more realistic world. “The Dark Knight Returns” featured an aged, violent, and slightly mad Batman who pushed the ethical boundaries of what a superhero could do and still keep his title. They were smartly written, politically subversive, and led me to question the mythological underpinnings behind each hero. I’ll never forget reading “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Watchmen,” where tight, self-contained stories took center stage. Instead, I read classic limited edition series.

I never kept up with any of the modern serials - far too much self-indulgent power fantasy and soap opera bullshit for me. When I was in my early teens, I got into superhero comics.

Jeph loeb tim sale superman