For the last several year there has been a trend in comics. This is a trope that is so old that soap operas and professional wrestling were almost founded upon this. It’s when the hero, or protagonist, goes dark. We’ve all seen it before. We all remember the classic episode of Star Trek where everyone ran into their evil self (usually in a goatee). Or in Knight Rider when Michael meets an evil adopted brother (who still looked like him), Garth. I can fully explain how and why this makes sense, just not here. Message me and we’ll talk! Or, the episode of South Park where the kids run into their evil selves (all in goatees)! 

At any rate, we have all seen it. We even see it on the big screen, but in different ways. In Man of Steel we see Superman willingly kill. In Mission: Impossible we see Jim Phelps turn into a dirty agent and in S.W.A.T. we see veteran team member McCabe become a cop on the take. I get it, we like to see our heroes fall, but do they have to do it without some type of redemption? Do they have to show that they are human and just be shameless about it?

I love for my heroes to have depth. I don’t think that I could handle “Lawful Good” for too long, mind you. But, if you’re going over to the dark side, at least come back with a deeper understanding of who you are, a renewed commitment to your mission, some sweet ninja skills… something?! I think that as society continues their love affair with tearing their heroes down we will soon come to realize that we won’t have someone to look up to, to aspire to be more than ourselves. If that day is coming, how dark will that be and is there the day that we’ll remember why we want our heroes to be our best selves?