The genre of superheroes is troubling. How to explain the popularity of heroes with superpowers, strange fashion choices, and conservative ideological background? Many authors interpret superheroes in religious context. In contrast to this approach, Umberto Eco's analysis of the genre in his text on Superman traces the phenomenon back to ancient mythologies which the genre combines with the elements of modern age novel. Eco's approach should be supplemented by the analysis of transformations of the genre. The shift from the ironic self-referential tone of the early Superman and Batman films to the more serious tone in later adaptations is not a sign of progress but a regression. Shyamalan's Unbreakable, on the other hand, opens up a new way to interpret the genre.
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