long time passing

David Harsanyi wonders where all the superheroes have gone:

In a world crawling with merciless terrorists, corrupt politicians and sociopath hedge-fund managers, we need a fictional hero to save us.

Or are we so unsure of ourselves, so morally conflicted, that we can’t even win in fantasy?

Well, not quite.

Back in 1941, Captain America, a purely political creation, was charged with a single task: to kick Nazi butt. The Captain, in fact, confronted the Germans before the United States did, in one issue punching Adolf Hitler’s lights out.

I think we’re a little confused. Also: it’s hard to make a comic book about kicking Terrorist butt. How do you draw “Terrorist”? Not to mention: how do you draw “Terrorist” without being accused of racism or something?

Or perhaps we simply exaggerated the threat.

On the other hand—to call some people “superheroes” means that you’re privileging them. Brad Bird made a really popular movie about that a while back.

I’ve been saying for a good long while that we’re living through a very fallow time culture-wise. Luckily we have such a rich and deep pop and high culture that we’ll have enough to satisfy our souls for a good long time in the unlikely event that nothing new and exciting catches fire culturally.

As for stories that tell us something about how we live now and who our heroes are … well, that’ll have to wait. People aren’t ready to tell those stories yet.

But “we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for,” so maybe something will come of that.