America's comic book industry, a shrinking business to be sure, may be taking cues from Japan's popular manga.
Batman still runs around in tights and a pointy-eared cowl. Superman, Spiderman, and the X-Men still wear tights, too. American superheroes may still run around in costumes that look like children's pajamas, but they have abandoned such cornball phrases as "Stop, evildoer!" Now they threaten enemies, express self-doubt, and deal with inner torment. In fact, in the newer, darker vision of American superheroes, good guys often use the same tricks as bad guys, only for different reasons.
But even the motivations have changed. Wonder Woman started out protecting the United States from Nazis, and Captain America was unabashedly patriotic. Not anymore. The battle used to be for "truth, justice and the American way." Now it's just for "truth and justice."