Written in 1996 by Mark Waid this is a good old morality tale dressed in a superhero costume. And it is dressed to the nines! The artwork by Alex Ross, in his Norman Rockwell realism style, elevates the story, providing cinematic page spreads that match any sci-fi blockbuster.
Taking place in an unspecified time in the future, the age of the superhero has eclipsed human endeavour. The Olympics are gone, there are no more Nobel prizes. What is the point, people asked, when there are so many superhumans. With many of the superheroes we know in their 50's, their children have taken on the mantle of "protecting the world". In reality, they are self-involved, fighting amongst themselves, unaware or, worse, unconcerned with the consequences of their behaviour on the "normals" around them. but mostly drifting about without a moral direction. Instead of role models, they have become more like reality stars with super powers Don't worry this isn't just a old man "in my day" type of story. This is simply the launching point to ask interesting questions and provide exciting, but also thought provoking answers about what you should do when the world you grew up in and the friends you knew change in ways you didn't expect.