Superman no longer American - and Comic Books no longer relavent

America is a nation blessed with many wonderful things that personify it. The Bald Eagle. Apple Pie. Superman. Baseball. Well, courtesy of a recent comic book involving the last son of Krypton, we may need to change that to just bald eagles, apple pie and baseball.

Although it might have been lost in the never ceasing torrent of news coverage about the British Royal Wedding, a few of my more media savvy or comic obsessed readers may already know that Superman renounced his American citizenship in a recent issue of Action Comics. Having for the longest time been one of America's most sterling patriotic symbols, the very personification of our national traditions of liberty, equality and justice, in a recent story arc he tells an advisor to the President he will renounce his American citizenship in front of the UN in an attempt to become a more global force, stating 'Truth, Justice and the American Way... It's not enough anymore'. Understandably, long time fans of the character, myself included, are upset and outraged over this dramatic shift in the character.

The comic book industry, like many long time media staples in the digital age, is struggling to stay both relevant and financially afloat in this new age where the web page may very well replace the printed page in the coming years. Tragically, just like those other struggling media staples, instead of adapting to the new medium or keep doing what made them great in the first place, most of the comic book industry has instead chosen to result to a sort of thrashing 'shock and awe' campaign, and so far it looks like it will alienate more and more of that fan base until little remains.

Don't know what I mean?

When I was young, my brother and I, along with some of our friends would spend days in the local comic shop, getting lost in the sea of superheroes and high adventure going back decades. While that hobby of mine began to decline as my age began it's steady climb into the double digits, another fact that helped kill our devotion to the comic book was some of the utterly absurd story lines that began plaguing comic books beginning around the late 1990's. Ranging from the death of Captain America to Spiderman selling his soul to the devil, these poorly planned and executed story lines destroyed decades worth of good reputation earned by the heroes, and did more damage to readership numbers than a dozen Internets.

Sadly, few comics showed this more than my beloved childhood Superman series. Most fans can recall with horror the 'Energy Superman' of the late nineties, or the election of Lex Luthor to the Presidency in the DC universe. Even the slightly less absurd plot points, like his married life to Lois Lane, or his recent trek across the USA on foot, all seemed rather drab or just jumped the shark. Superman Returns certainly didn't help the series either.

While I can understand the Superman writing teams attempt to keep the comic relevant by using this tactic, and no doubt the shock value alone has already driven millions in the short term toward the comic franchise, it has all the long term viability of cutting off limbs to lose weight. The price at driving all these new potential readers toward the franchise, they had to sacrifice one of Superman's central tenants, one he has had since his days in Smallville: his dedication to freedom, justice, and the all-American way of life. Even if the writers manage to make this transition to a truly global hero succeed, it comes at the cost of what makes Superman who he is... and what come out will not be the same Man of Steel that millions have adored since his inception. Worse, if they bungle it in ways only a publicity seeking publishing house knows how - and they will - it will not only fail to draw in new readers and revenue, but will further alienate those that remained.

In light of this, it is becoming easier and easier to understand why the comic book industry is fading away in the modern world. The sad thing is, comic books have, as a whole, never been more mainstream. Each year, dozens of million-dollar movies based of varying comic books in theatres around the country. This summer alone, people will likely go in droves to see Thor, The Green Lantern, Captain America, Priest and Cowboys and Aliens, regardless if they've read the comic or not. Graphic Novels, Comics, and Manga all are becoming more and more mainstream staples of popular culture that cross all demographic lines. I do hope that the comic book industry can find away from becoming a relic, and take advantage of this movement. If not... see them in the funny papers.