Years ago I proofread a college paper for my late sister where she had to analyze the 2010 film Kick-Ass. It’s based on a comic book about a high-schooler who decides to become a superhero, and right away he gets the crap kicked out of him by hardened criminals. The protagonist notes that it’s not as glamorous as the movies make it look, and that “nobody wants to be Spider-Man.”
My sister went on to examine that idea for three pages. All these years later — I still haven’t seen the movie — that line pops back into my head whenever I read a story about a vigilante. If someone were to play that part in real life, chances are it would be extremely unpleasant … unless you’re already familiar with unpleasant things, and you’re determined to do something about it.
