Just so w’re clear this isn’t really about the origins of the individual origins of the many different superheroes and villains, but a very detailed and in depth look at what made the comic book industry what it is. The origin of the comic book is something that goes far beyond the heroes and villains that people have come to love and hate. The real origin of comic books is based largely on the idea of telling a story and showing its progression as it goes along. Comic books have become such a large part of American culture, and many others, that they’ve come to define what it means to be good or evil in some regards.
In many ways they’re a fantastic escape for those that need, or want, something to look to when they require inspiration or just a safe spot to relax for a moment. Comics allow a person to lose themselves in the story and traverse the many different pathways that exist in order to feel something other than their normal lives for just a moment. The stories told are often very much over the top and so far out of left field that they have little if anything to do with reality, but some comics also cling to the myths and legends that have belonged to various cultures throughout the history of humanity.
In a sense comics are a reflection of the world, greatly magnified, that is used in an attempt to entertain and in some ways inform people of what has come before and how it relates to the world of now. The comics also signify social change in many ways since they tend to reflect the era in which they’re created. As a good example look at the Black Panther, a popular comic character that is also an upcoming movie. The Black Panther was the first black superhero ever, and as a result helped to change the landscape of the comic world even as the real world was changing.
Captain America was an important figure during the time of World War II when the Nazi’s were such an issue. He stood for freedom from oppression and valued patriotism and liberty, and stood against blind loyalism. Thor is an Asgardian god that was worshiped by many far back in history. There are many, many others that have been created in an attempt to reflect social issues and tell a story that includes such characters and their involvement in the world of today, and all of them have roughly the same origin story beyond their own back story.
Comics were created to show what people strive for, and what they wish to strive against. It’s not a perfect world, it’s not even a particularly pleasant world at times. But it is a medium that allows people to use a platform that is readily available and popular among many cultures, and to tell a story instead of preaching their agenda to the masses without any type of filter.
Comic books are essentially the story that is told to entertain the masses while holding up a mirror to society.
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