Personally, it is very interesting to see the X-Men going through a practice session in the first issue. It is a welcomed change from past superhero issues that we have read in class where the superhero (Superman or Wonderwoman) already have a complete grasp over their powers. Seeing the first members of the X-Men making mistakes and honing their powers through a practice session makes it more realistic and believable for me. After all, if people did manage to develop powers, they would presumably be untrained to the natures of their powers at first. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did a phenomenal job of portraying the X-Men characters as untrained teenage superheros. Their general shenanigans between their team is a great depiction of what you would expect from a newly formed teenage superhero team. Also, portraying them as untrained and immature characters really humanizes them in a way we have not seen before in our past readings. I suspect that this method of portrayal makes them more identifiable to young readers going through puberty that are also still figuring out the extent of their capabilities.
That’s a great point, Mark. Lee and Kirby’s characters are intentionally flawed, that’s for sure. Just look at the way all of the male characters swoon at Jean Grey when she shows up to school. They’re just average teenagers. Even the fact that Professor X is in a wheel chair goes against the standard image of the comic super hero. The X Men characters are real people. This makes the comics so much more relatable. Any kid reading these comics could daydream that he’d be recruited by Professor X. I think this is what makes them so much more interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what both of you have said. I think that part of what makes the X-Men unique is its accessibility to a younger audience. The X-Men are a group that are different from normal humans and often do not fit in in normal society yet have the potential for greatness. I think that this is a sentiment that is easy to identify with for a young audience. I think Jasper makes a good point in that I can definitely picture kids reading the comics and waiting with baited breath for to get contacted by Professor X. In many ways it reminds me of another highly successful literary and cinematic series, Harry Potter, with kids reading the books and waiting to receive the letter inviting them to attend Hogwarts.
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