The cinecomics thanks to James Gunn’s “Superman” and shortly at “The Fantastic 4” by Matt Shakman have returned to fashion. But if there is one thing that is evident, it is as this genre can no longer do without a connection, of a profound bond, with reality, and by reality we mean that of the chaotic, violent and uncertain geopolitical panorama in which we live. The new Kal-El is only the last example of the link between politics and cinecomics.

Much more than simple superhero movies

Cinecomic rhymes with politics. “Superman” by James Gunn has rekindled the centrality of this bond, in reality already inherent in the original source, the paper one, where the various characters, not only the superheroes, have been in the decades of the real society, of its upheavals and its problems. If and how much the new film is balanced in this element it does not matter, what matters is to remind us how often between cloaks, masks, superpowers, the genre has been able to talk about ourselves, of our world and the difficulties that we have in making it a more liveable place for everyone. I have no problem saying that James Gunn’s “Superman”, beyond loyalty to the paper source, plays its political contents in a often dozen, populist way, also wanting quite predictable. However, what matters is that they had a profound impact on the public, Gunn himself spoke of Kal-El as an immigrant, taking a very precise position, at a complicated moment internationally on the topic. With this film he points his finger at a certain political frotne, against Israel, the various hi-tech guru and whoever has more.

But it is certainly not the first time. Just think of the original trilogy that Bryan Singer dedicated to the X-Men, with whom he guided us from America Pre, to America Post 11 September, and did it by putting the theme of discrimination at the center. From the minorities, from the African Americans to which Stan Lee was inspired in the 1960s, to create that group of characters, persecuted as different, here we found ourselves at the time of the Patriot Act, of George W. Bush, of the return militarism. The much divisive Zack Snyder brought “Watchmen” on the big screen, objectively an excellent cinecomic, in which the cynical, lucid and destabilizing political message of the great Alan Moore shown. Also from Moore, James Mctigue’s “V for revenge” would have been taken, who became a cult film for the various antagonist fronts in the last twenty years. Still Snyder, gave us with “Man of Steel” a superman more for adults, which he himself has always declared to be a metaphor of America in crisis of the 21st century. In all this, however, it is certainly not possible to leave aside how and how much the Marvel Cinematic Universe has sometimes been able to touch not indifferent peaks of depth.

When a genre knows how to talk to us about the real world

I still consider “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” the best MCU film, precisely because of its ability not only to recover the rhythm, the atmosphere, of the spy action of the 70s and 80s, but precisely for the ability to guide us in an infido, chaotic world, to face the theme of security, which led to an increasingly dictatorial control of our lives, of our data, to an armed technocracy. New names but ancient vices, the enemies were then internal, were the heirs of that Nazi -fascism that, in reality, America saved in part to win the Cold War against the USSR, making it infected. Then there is “Captain America: Civil War”, perhaps among the most underestimated cinecomics from this point of view, which introduces the concept of preventive war, of collateral victims. The villain, the Baron Zemo, is such as a consequence of an arbitrary, unilateral action, which destroyed his family. In both these films, there is a criticism of America that has brought death and destruction all over the world, feeling a mistress. From this point of view, Gunn, with “Superman” he did the same, paroding Putin, the India-Pakistan crisis, as well as Israel.

Covering his gaze also to the trilogy of Christopher Nolan, at his Batman, there is also talk of manipulation of the masses and public opinion, of fake news, the revolt of the masses was anticipated, with an incredible precision, the anger as the fuel of the reversal, offering us a ruthless analysis on a future made of prevailing classism, of social inequality. That trilogy described what everyone calls the era of post-democracy today. The cinecomics remain a genre made to entertain, to entertain, but, also want often for the strong authorial characterization, as well as for the aforementioned connection with authors who often took a decisive position on the printed paper, from “Black Panther” to the “The Bather” of Reeves, from the Avengers cycle, up to the last “Superman”, the cinecomic have shown the ability to get to a particularly large audience, perhaps elementary messages, But certainly centered, important. More and more this genre knows how to move consciences in a paradoxically more effective way than that more political and committed cinematography.