Comics Don't Have A "Political Problem"

Why do people do this? Why do people complain about superhero comics "shoving their political agendas" down their throats? Are these people really that narrow minded? Superhero comics have always been political, have always had stories that tackle social issues, and have complex themes and characters that reflect real life events. Superman, a character who was from a foreign land but was raised in the United States was created by two Jewish children of immigrants, a man meant to represent the ideals of the American way while also criticising the system when it lead to people suffering. Exact same thing could be said about Captain America, a character who's most popular image is still him punching Adolf Hitler in the face, a comic that was published before America was even part of the war. Sure, reflecting on it now it might not seem like a big deal (Well, actually, there are some morons who think it's wrong to punch Nazis for some reason), but it's still a political statement. The X-Men are a metaphor for discriminated groups, most notably people who are LGBT. The Hulk is a character created to show the dangers of nuclear weapons, as well as a representation of psychological issues. Green Arrow was a commentary on the unbalanced economic nature of supposedly developed countries, where the 1% do very little to help those in need.

Comic books have always been political. They've always represented progressive ideas, even when that wasn't the popular opinion, similar to what they do now. Ms Marvel tackles the very real issues of discrimination against immigrants and Muslim citizens, Green Lanterns deals with a superhero suffering from agoraphobia, and Harley & Joker have always been a representation on abusive relationships. Not just in the comics but in adaptations as well, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a commentary on the US Government's invasion of privacy, as well as drone attacks. Supergirl Season 2 featured villains who were very similar to Donald Trump. This is what superhero stories do, they're not just about punching the big alien bad guy, they take real world issues and villains and turn their stories into people challenging those villains, representing an idea of progression, decency and freedom. Yet people who have been reading comics for decades and have somehow never picked up on that, claiming companies like Marvel and DC are just giving into the "SJW propaganda" as if characters like Superman or Spider-Man wouldn't identify as SJWs is baffling to me that these people can actually call themselves fans of a genre that they so clearly don't understand.

-Danny