WARNING: The next article incorporates spoilers for Nightwing #89, on sale now from DC Comics.
Whereas superheroes are largely recognized for doing good, a standard criticism of them (each in-universe and in actual life) is that they typically solely concentrate on supervillains and by no means do a lot to alter the system for the higher, solely to keep up the established order. While there have been a number of traditional comedian books over the a long time which have debunked this accusation and even characters which might be created particularly to deal with points that individuals face, evidently a current development in superhero comics in recent times has sought to deal with this situation and we now have seen an uptick of comics exhibiting our heroes to be extra socially conscious and tackling topics resembling wealth inequality, racism and local weather change extra head-on and thus reflecting the actual world.
In each Nightwing and Superman: Son of Kal-El, author Tom Taylor has had the 2 proteges of DC’s two greatest heroes transfer into roles that deal with points associated to structural inequality, social justice points, and human rights.
The 2 characters are presently teaming as much as examine the murders of a number of meta-humans throughout the globe, ultimately main them to a path that includes none aside from Lex Luthor. Beforehand, the unique Superman, Clark Kent, had requested Grayson to observe over his son Jon and act as a job mannequin, one thing that Dick has taken to coronary heart contemplating his admiration for Superman. This ultimately led to the revelation that Dick Grayson is a serious investor within the Fact, the impartial media outlet that Jon and his boyfriend Jay Nakamura work for that exposes the plight of the nation-state of Gamaora.
Whereas discussing the Fact’s future Jay (disguised as Gossamer) says that he thinks Dick’s present work in Bludhaven is “inspiring”. That is in reference to Dick’s founding of the Alfred Pennyworth Basis within the metropolis, investing massive sums of the inheritance he obtained from his former butler after his loss of life and establishing a youth outreach and challenge to assist alleviate poverty within the metropolis. Naturally, this has led to Dick turning into a philanthropist and a public determine, a job that Bruce Wayne has generally adopted with the assorted charities and initiatives Wayne Enterprises invests in Gotham. Nevertheless, while Bruce has performed a variety of philanthropy and charity in his time, he has needed to at all times delegate it to his workers while juggling his position as a C.E.O. and profession as Batman takes up most of his time. Dick in the meantime solely has his position as Nightwing to fret about, that means he can take a extra proactive position as Bludhaven’s wealthiest good samaritan.
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Much like Dick, Jon has additionally taken a way more forthright position in bringing about societal change than his father has. Whereas Clark as Superman is not any stranger to combating social injustices resembling racism and wealth inequality, he acknowledges his limitations as a Kryptonian on dictating how humanity ought to govern himself, a truth he reiterates to his son when Jon requested why he doesn’t do extra. Being half-human and half-Kryptonian, Jon is extra inclined to know his homeworld but additionally is aware of what it’s prefer to be an outsider. The truth that he’s the son of a refugee just isn’t misplaced on the Son of Kal-El, and in his position as each Superman and an impartial journalist on the Fact, he’s dedicated to elevating consciousness of mistreatments of migrants and the upcoming disaster of local weather change as he’s to combating supervillains. Unafraid of the potential backlash, he will be seen standing in solidarity with the oppressed, even when it means going to jail or falling foul of public opinion.
While the heroes of the DC Universe attempt their greatest to make the world a greater place and do what they’ll to battle injustice wherever they are saying it however prefer to preserve their energy in test in order to not overreach what they select to intervene in. Nevertheless, the youthful generations of heroes like Jon Kent and Dick Grayson see the potential for a extra proactive strategy to how they enhance the Earth. It’s an fascinating trendy growth, contemplating many individuals throughout the fictional universes of DC and Marvel and even in the actual world typically criticize superheroes for occasionally solely ever bandaging issues and sustaining the established order. Extra of that not although, we regularly see these heroes doing their greatest to battle points that we face in the actual world and it’s a development in superhero storytelling that appears to be taking place now greater than ever.