But, I thought that being an outcast was part of the point of Buffy. That while she wanted to be normal, every time she tried she was shown quite graphically that she wasn't. Trying out for cheerleading - denied. Running for whichever queen - denied. Having a "normal" boyfriend - denied numerous times. Getting "outed" and being kicked out of the house. Not until Graduation, where the students give her the class protector award, did I ever feel like she felt she was part of the school.

But she was reasonably popular until she became a Slayer. The article's point is that high school was hell for Peter Parker, and powers were his redemption. That's not the same premise at all. Buffy couldn't balance being a normal high school girl because of her powers, and it never gave her the same sense of empowerment that I'm supposed to dig Spider-Man for.

His powers, while complicating his life, and requiring him to snap out of his childish mentality once his Uncle dies, are his vindication, the fulfillment of a teenaged need for empowerment.

That's not Buffy's story.

Note, this is not my analysis of Spider-Man. This is *entirely* based on the article. I'm just saying that if the article is right, then maybe it's no wonder I never clicked with his schtick.

I always thought that Joss had closely modeled Buffy on Peter Parker. "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" is an abiding theme in the Buffyverse, and there is the constant conflict between her teenage soap opera of heartbreak and cheerleader tryouts played against the apocalypse of the day.

It doesn't map exactly, for the reasons ita notes. They are different characters with different motivations, but their circumstances are very similar.

The article's point is that high school was hell for Peter Parker, and powers were his redemption.

Until you get to Chosen, and then I thought that was where it all came together for Buffy. (Don't read the comics, they undo all the good!)

Still, I can see where there is enough difference that one would appeal and the other not. It's kind of like the divides you find with Star Wars/Star Trek, or right now, Grimm/Once Upon a Time. Similar premises, but appealing to different people for different reasons.

RIP Moebius

He was the main reason to buy Heavy Metal back in the 70s. Well, that and lots of naked women, but mostly Moebius. I really wanted to live in his worlds.

I'm less familiar with the Marvel side of things, but on the DC side, when you look at the new superhero characters that have been created and stuck around in the past 25 years or so, I've noticed that a) most of them are teenaged, and b) a significant number of them are the children of supervillains. Off the top of my head, I can think of:

• Damien Wayne
• Stephanie Brown
• Cassandra Cain
• the new Aqualad
• Miss Martian
• Conner Kent (retconned to be the child of Lex Luthor)

And a bunch more that I'm forgetting. Blue Beetle isn't the child of villains, but his scarab is evil. On the Marvel side, I am at least aware of the Runaways.

In the sixties, the teenaged superheroes were Baby Boomers, and like Spider-Man, their struggle was to live up to the example set by their Greatest Generation parents.

In the 90s and 00s, the struggle for these teenaged heroes is to live down the shameful behavior their Baby Boomer parents. I think that a lot of this is due to the explosion of divorce in the 70s and 80s.

Blue Beetle isn't the child of villains, but his scarab is evil.

But it changed it's mind because of the awesome power of Jaime! (Er, I'm referring to the pre-New 52 Blue Beetle. The New 52 Blue Beetle is more unambiguously adhering to the Reach's evil overlord plans, at least for now.)

I loved Mark Waid's run on Fantastic Four. Any other good FF stories out there?

Any other good FF stories out there?

You mean aside from the original Kirby/Lee which redefined super hero comics in the sixties and were the benchmark for a decade?

Yes. I shall keep my eye out for the Essential collection or something since those should be fun to read.