My concern, and reasons for it.
The new comics delve into dark places. They study the profile of the criminal, and present an imaginary nature of the character that allows any pretend justification for the crimes and actions these fictional characters are written to commit. This new incarnation of characters have a clinical reality about them, found in the exhaustive detail the writer puts into the character's past and dossier. In that background is found the justification for the character's actions. Evil is made acceptable because as a prime motivator it has been identified, and is found not to be the character's fault, leaving the character not responsible for his actions.
Never before has a generation of human beings been so awash in an unending, constant and ever increasing torrent of media and the inherent manipulation therein of a profit based entertainment industry, with no holds barred toward the Roman Empire's cliff of demise.
Now, combine early detachment, heightened need for stimulation with the violent imagery, reprehensible actions and foul language that predominate entertainment today. The concept of the anti-hero sounds pretty cool, I myself am something of one. I border on the edge of the mortal law, but I am guided by a moral compass that I find almost painful to align away from.
The fictional anti-hero has no such tangent to remain on, so long has he maintains one rule, most often "thou shall not kill", but in the now darkened world of comic literature, this is found to be a weakness, rather than a virtue. What was once the immovable restraint has now become the ace in the hole for the comic criminal, he can kill right in front of the anti-hero, knowing the anti-hero cannot respond in the only way that will ensure safety for innocents.
The anti-hero is trapped in a false quandary however, because it is imaginary, but the exquisite detail, rich verbal texture and alluring artistry in the stories are taken up by some as better than reality.
I'll not come to any specific conclusion in this writing, other than to say I do not confuse a pleasant rain shower with a suspect wetness being delivered to my leg.
Shrox
