History CentralTheme / ComicBooks

* ''ComicBook/IHateFairyland'': The dangers of the "NeverMyFault" mentality. Particularity in volume 3.

* ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine'' - Moving on with your life and not repeating your predecessor's mistakes. Pretty much every story is Laura either stopping her own past from ruining her life or learning to avoid Logan's bad decisions.
* ''ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}'' How even the most flawed, weak, failed, and underestimated of us can still rise to the call.

* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'': The ordinariness of the extraordinary.
** Multi-issue arcs tend to have their own central themes as well. ''Confession'', about a sinister superhero training a sidekick while public opinion turns against supers, is about doing the right thing regardless of what people think. ''The Tarnished Angel'', a noir mystery about lowlife supervillains being murdered, is about shame and the hold of the past.
* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'': How far are you willing to go to make the world a better place?
* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': No matter how great you are, there are problems you will not overcome alone.

* ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy'': Choosing to do the right thing, even if other options are easier.
** Also, acknowledging and learning from past tragedies without letting them define you.
* The three different series of ''Comicbook/{{Batgirl}}'' each have three different overarching themes:
** The [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2000}} 2000-2006 series]] featuring Cassandra Cain is about innocence and redemption; specifically, about how innocence can be corrupted and what is required to redeem someone for the wrongs they've done in the past.
** The [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2009}} 2009-2011 series]] featuring Stephanie Brown is about heroism, and what it takes to be a hero even if no one else thinks you're capable of it.
** The post-ComicBook/New52 series ([[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2011}} 2011-present]]) featuring Barbara Gordon is about healing the wounds of the past, whether physical, emotional or psychological.
* ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'': How the traumas of the past affect the choices we make, and thus how they shape us into the people we are in the present.
** In particular, practically every member of Batman's Rogue's Gallery either reflects a part of Batman himself and/or like him has an over-arching trauma that has shaped their lives ever since -- except where he has used his trauma to make himself a better man by defending the innocent and trying to prevent what happened to him from happening to others as much as possible, they have succumbed to despair and evil and use their traumas as an excuse to hurt others.
* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'': To bring justice, do you have to operate outside the law, or become enslaved by it?

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'':
** Is [[GoodIsOldFashioned truth, justice, and the American way old-fashioned]]?
** The ideals of America vs the realities of America, and whether or not they can be reconciled with each other.
* ''ComicBook/Champions2016'': Young people can change the world for the better.
* ComicBook/CarolDanvers has been described by one of her writers as an exploration of being TheDeterminator even after a series of traumas:
-->'''Kelly Sue De Connick:''' Carol falls down all the time, but she always gets back up — we say that about Captain America as well, but Captain America gets back up because it's the right thing to do. Carol gets back up because [[PrecisionFStrike 'Fuck you']].
* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' - The self-defeating nature of {{Pride}} and superiority of knowledge and wits over raw power.
** ''Doctor Strange and ComicBook/DoctorDoom: Triumph and Torment'': There is a price for every victory.
** ''Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme:'' No matter how weak or troubled we are, we can still contribute to a group being greater than the sum of its parts.

* Creator/WarrenEllis' run on [[ComicBook/{{Gen13}} DV8]]: A really dark take on ThePowerOfFriendship - The world is a harsh place you won't survive in without real friends.
* ''ComicBook/ExMachina'': Do the ends justify the means? And, does anything ever really end, anyway?
* ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'': The nature of family.
** Also the sheer bizarre wonderfulness of the universe and the dangers -- and opportunities -- that exploring it can hold.
* ''ComicBook/FlexMentallo'': Don't throw away things you love because they are seen as [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids immature, silly, or stupid]].

* The work of Creator/GeoffJohns frequently revolves around themes such as family, managing your emotions, and finding your place in the world, with the theme corresponding to the overall motif or theme of the character(s) he's writing for. For example:
** His ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' run spanning pre- and post-ComicBook/New52 revolves around overcoming fear and accepting your emotions.
** His ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' run focuses on family.
** His ''Franchise/TheFlash'' run explores the character's need to 'slow down' (i.e. take time out every now and again).
** His ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' run looks at what it is to be an outsider.

* ''ComicBook/GothamAcademy:'' Childhood innocence preserving in face of a dark world.
* ''ComicBook/GothamCentral:'' Even in an extraordinary world the professional and personal challenges of the police force remain the same.

* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules'': What does it really mean to be a god?
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The dangers of repression and the need to accept all sides of yourself.
** ''ComicBook/TotallyAwesomeHulk'': Hubris of thinking you know yourself and that you can solve problems your predecessors struggled with, without [[HistoryRepeats making the same compromises and mistakes they did]].
** ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'': How we're all shaped by our relationship with death.

* ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'', Creator/KieronGillen run: Is true change really possible? Or do [[StatusQuoIsGod all things have to revert to their former state sooner or later]]?

* ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'':
** One bad day can drive a normal man to madness, but we have the choice to stay sane even when confronted with tragedy and suffering. Truly evil people are [[EvilCannotComprehendGood often convinced]] that ''everyone'' is as bad as they are, and they'll go to extreme lengths to prove it. That doesn't make it true.
** Can you actually help the mentally ill by treating them? If you can't treat them and if you keep them alive knowing they will keep killing, can TheHero be considered saner than the villain who realizes the absurdity of the situation?
* ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'': What exactly ''are'' the differences between TheCape and the NinetiesAntiHero?
** The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

* ''ComicBook/LexLuthorManOfSteel'': Might even a monster be convinced he's the hero of his own story?
* ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'': How truth can hurt and be used as a weapon.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': Faith, friends, and family are every bit as important as battling supervillains.
** It's your actions that define who you really are.

* ''ComicBook/NewSuperMan'': Balance, be it between western and eastern systems of values, progress and tradition, focusing on the past and focusing on the future, detachment and emotion or strength and weakness.
* ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}'': When the world is completely insane, the only way to handle it is to go a bit mad yourself.

* ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'': The world is full of wonders and we should do everything we can to stop anyone who wants to hoard them for themselves

* ''ComicBook/{{Punisher}}'': Do the experiences learned from war have any application towards criminal justice?
* ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'': GodIsEvil. Why else would the world be like ''this?''

* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'': Creating your own family.

* ''Comicbook/TheSandman'': All things change, all things end. Neither of these are terrible. And there is always more to everything (and everyone) than you expect.

* Creator/ScottSnyder's work on ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'', ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueNoJustice'' and ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2018'' are all connected by a theme of there always being more to everything than you think. Things we thought familiar might hide a DarkSecret, hope might shine even in the DarkestHour, we might find strength in our failures and even if it's true HumansAreBastards by nature, they can rise above it.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderGirl'' - carrying on your parent's legacy, even if it means going against their wishes.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderGwen'': The horrors you experience (or, in certain cases, [[ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied experienced by versions of you]] across multiple {{Alternate Dimension}}s) do not define who you are. You can carve out your own place in the world.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility; what it means to have power and to use it in a socially and morally responsible way. It could be said that this theme applies to most, if not all superhero stories to some extent, [[TropeCodifier but none more so than Spider-Man]].
** With Spider-Man, it's being a hero even when there is no reward for being one; it won't get bills paid, it won't help your love life and it won't get you fame and respect. But you do it anyway, because it's the right thing to do.
** Your actions and choices have consequences, including the ones you didn't intend or expect, and you have to live with them whether you like it or not.
** Everyone has some kind of secret, either a big one or a small one, and there's always more to people than you assume. Just as the world assumes little of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, Peter himself often underestimates or misjudges the people around him.
** You have to work for everything in your life, whether it's your job, your superhero calling, your marriage, your relationships. People are complicated, messy, and demanding, and you have to be there for them and make things work and never take people for granted.
** ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'' takes the theme of responsibility and explores how to balance conflicting responsibilities, like those of a superhero with responsibilities towards one's family or country, what happens if we neglect some in favor of others and how the idea what that means has changed over the years.
** ''ComicBook/MilesMorales'' takes the themes of Spider-Man and adds to it that all of this remains true regardless of who you are and what way of life you come from. Anyone can be a hero. Power and responsibility will not disappear from your life just because you think you don't have what it takes.
* ''{{Franchise/Superman}}'':
** What it means to be a hero, a good person, and an inspiration to others -- and how these three qualities are not necessarily the same.
** One doesn't need powers to make the world a better place, just the will to do so.
** Hope and idealism always beat brute-force and cynicism.
** Brain beats Brawn. Every time. Superman, [[DumbMuscle despite his reputation]], more often than not has to rely on his quick-thinking and creative applications of his powers to fight and beat enemies. The real drama comes from how many people get hurt before he can find a way to end a fight passively.
** The complex nature of identity--[[SecretIdentity secret]] or otherwise. The writers have gotten a lot of mileage out of exploring the fact that Superman is essentially three different people: "Superman" (a superhuman crusader for truth and justice), "Clark Kent" (an unassuming journalist from Middle America), and "Kal-El" (a tempest-tossed refugee from a dying alien race). There are many different possible interpretations of which of them--if any--is his "real" identity...which is kind of the point.
** YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood and UpbringingMakesTheHero are major themes for Superman's rogues gallery, and how they are [[EvilCounterpart dark reflections]] on the Man of Steel himself. His enemies have all lucked into abilities that set them apart and above regular people, but generally only utilize them for selfish and petty reasons because they literally can't see beyond their short-term desires. Superman is the Man of Tomorrow, while his adversaries are very much People of the Past.
* ''ComicBook/SwampThing'': What makes us human? Is there a part of our humanity that will not disappear even if everything else is taken away from us?

* ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'': The ways in which societies remain the same even in the face of [[TheSingularity inconceivable and massive-scale technological advancement]], particularly with regards to social and political corruption, greed, prejudice, class systems and [[BreadAndCircuses apathy]].
** And, by WordOfGod, the idea that it will always be the people willing to stand up and raise their voices who will change society.
* ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool'': Don't expect your journey to be easy just because you're the hero of your own story.
* ''ComicBook/UnstoppableWasp'': Helping others help themselves is better than either forcefully trying to "fix" them or expecting them to "fix" themselves on their own.
* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'':
** What does it mean to have freedom? What price is it worth?
** Can {{justice}} ever be attained through {{revenge}}?
* ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'':
** What would inspire someone to dress up in an elaborate costume and fight crime as a vigilante outside of the fantastical world of comic books.
** Also, explicitly: "Who watches the Watchmen?" (Who protects the people who protect us? And if they go wrong, how will we know, and who'll protect us from them?)
** The choice between [[StrawNihilist living without morals]] and [[KnightTemplar letting your morals define you]], and the inevitable pitfalls that come with both choices.
** "Who makes the world?" When even a PhysicalGod doesn't have all the answers, when the "world's smartest man" is filled with doubt and the Presidents and businessmen are equally confused, why do ordinary people keep believing that they are more powerless or that [[HoldingOutForAHero they need heroes]]?
** Do the ends ever justify the means? Is sacrificing a ton of people for “the greater good” ever right?
* ''ComicBook/TheWickedAndTheDivine'': Accodring to WordOfGod, the relationship between art and its creator, how choices and compromises artists make influence their creations, their audience and their very lives.
* ''Comicbook/WonderWoman'': The conflict between the desire for peace and how it may be sometimes necessary to fight in order to ensure it.
* ''Comicbook/XMen'':
** Choosing to do the right thing in the face of prejudice and injustice.
** Is it better to protect the world that you ''have'' or to fight for a better world? Who is ultimately more heroic: those who defend the innocent and fight for peace, or those who strike back against injustice and fight for change?
** ''[[ComicBook/NewMutants New X-Men: Academy X]]'': People and their rivals probably are not as different as they would like to believe.
*** Craig Kyle and Chris Yost's run: InnocenceLost, especially loss of trust in your idols and authorities.
** ''X-Men: Legacy'' vol.2 ([[ComicBook/NewMutants Legion's]] book): Are you really in control of your life? Or are you controlled by your past burdens and people around you?
* ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan'': What does it really mean to be a man?

** One bad day can drive a normal man to madness, but we have the choice to stay sane even when confronted with tragedy and suffering. Truly evil people are [[EvilCannotComprehendGood often convinced]] [[NotSoDifferent that]] ''[[NotSoDifferent everyone]]'' [[NotSoDifferent is as bad as they are]], and they'll go to extreme lengths to prove it. That doesn't make it true.

** ''[[ComicBook/NewMutants New X-Men: Academy X]]'': People and their rivals probably are NotSoDifferent as they would like to believe.

** The ideals of America vs the reality of it, and whether the former can be reconciled with the latter.