Reinventing ‘heroes’

Posted on by Noelle Campbell

I read this on the “Arrow” Goggle site today:

Reinventing the DC Comics character, the Arrow is not a superhero … but a hero — every bit as dangerous as the criminals he’s hunting. After being marooned for five years on a remote island, billionaire Oliver Queen returns home with a mysterious agenda and lethal set of new skills that he uses in a war on crime in this action series.

And being a former fan of the old “Green Arrow” I have to ask: why do we need to ‘reinvent’ superheroes?

Who doesn’t love the Kevin Sorbo version of Hercules better than the Arnold Schwarzenegger version? Everyone preferred Lou Ferrigno to the reinvented, completely CGI Incredible Hulk. Who doesn’t love the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood better than the Kevin Costner version? Who doesn’t love Excalibur better than Clive Owen/Kiera Knightley’s version of “King Arthur?” Who didn’t like Cyclops in the comics way better than the reinvented Cyclops in the movies?

I think we really need to start understanding the idiom: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The reinventions seem to be actually destroying the idea of hero wholesale.

Published by Noelle Campbell

This blog is about my life and how I see things. I write, I think, I dream, I do. I used to write a lot of fantasy until I realized I was living one. I was married to a deaf-blind Hobbit in a realm we created together. He passed away in 2014, but our life was interesting enough I think you might like it too.