Caped Crusade?

Was just thinking today that there has been a recent cultural revival of comic book characters. The first great explosion was in the 40s and 50s, when WWII was ongoing and then still fresh in the collective memory. People were searching for superhumans: ones that had a clear view of right and wrong and always chose right. They were a strict foil to the realization that the appearance of a "Hitler" meant that the human spirit, and hence our own individual spirit, could turn enexorably evil.


Superheroism on the rise?

Recently, almost all media has been saturated with Superheroism. A few examples...
Books: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Fortress of Solitude
Movies: a great amount- The Incredibles, Spiderman, X-Men, Electra, Daredevil, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Batman Begins , Sin City etc etc.
TV Shows: Smallville, Cartoon Network Shows
Commercials: the Visa commercial with Underdog at the end
Video Games: always thus, but a personal favorite in City of Heroes
and the crossover of "anime" (Japanese Animation) into American culture.

Is this trend a harbinger of a great national tension? Even with the War in Iraq, battling in Afghanistan, and terror tension around the world, the average American doesn't seem to be that affected. Are we searching for a true and virtuous hero in fiction again?