Spoilers Crisis on Infinite Earths Discussion (CW Event Spoiler Thread)

[theenglish]

Comics were often political in the '50s too, if only in that they toed the party line of being rabidly anti-Communist (like the "Commie-Smasher" version of Captain America that was retconned later on into a mentally ill impostor). Even the Comics Code's insistence that comics heroes must be wholesome supporters of police and government authority was a political statement. Protest of the status quo is political, but so is endorsement of it, especially if that endorsement is mandated by the state or done out of fear of punishment by the state.

Very good points.

After looking at the story, this is not really a comic book/character thing but more of a CW thing and entirely on brand for the CW and what they are trying to represent. If somebody doesn't like it then don't bid on the script or don't watch the shows. The comics still exist as entities separate from the CW.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Politics has been a part of the comic book character world for a long, long time. Might have taken a break in the fifties but returned strong with Lee/Kirby. It was just allegorical or fictionalized.

Comics would occasionally address social or political issues, but with one exception--World War Two, where nearly all publishers were on board with the pro-America / allies narrative--issues were not the constant that one sees on the CW/Berlanti series, where that often takes center stage over actual plots related to the character(s), and its often heavy handed. or myopic in their messaging. If one can point to at least one of the many reasons the series are so low rated, its particular handling of sociopolitical issues would be a cause.

In fact, DC dedicated the majority of its Golden / Silver Age messaging to one-page PSAs featuring their superhero characters, rather than create an actual story for said messaging.In other words, they separated the serious issues from most of their titles.

 

[The Realist]

Black Lightning is the most intensely sociopolitical of all the Arrowverse shows, rivaled only by Supergirl. Not coincidentally, they're also the best and most interesting of the series, because they have something to say beyond "Zap! Pow! Whoosh!"

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning is the most intensely sociopolitical of all the Arrowverse shows,

...and unlike the other series, it is not heavy handed. or myopic in their messaging.

Black Lightning was developed by an entirely different group of people (the Akils and Oz Scott) than Arrow, Legends, The Flash, Supergirl, etc. (Berlanti was not hands-on), and the differences in quality and execution are glaring; Black Lightning always handled its messaging through the lens of those with a sensitivity, historical awareness and direction based closely on real world events that happens to be framed in fantasy. Its so natural a part of why the in-universe characters act as they do in their city, that its not the heavy-handed Very Special Episode of the other CW series by any stretch of the imagination.