Renegades

The true origins of the superhero genre are difficult, if not impossible, to trace, since even ancient literature contains notable examples of people with superhuman abilities. (Prime examples include the titular character in The Epic of Gilgamesh, as well as the various Greek heroes featured in Homer’s Iliad). Likewise, the theme of “hidden identities” or alter egos also proliferated throughout literature from the 19th and 20th centuries, such as The Scarlet Pimpernel. 

Modern superhero narratives are often characterized as an American phenomenon due to the widespread prevalence of Marvel- and DC-owned stories, but the genre has appeared in other countries as well—particularly in Japan, where kamishibai, or street storytelling, created heroes like Ōgon Bat, or Golden Bat. This largely overlooked character first appeared in 1931 and predates Superman’s debut by seven years. In fact, Ōgon Bat is considered to have influenced the creation of both Batman and Superman and is arguably the first modern superhero in fiction. 

However, the true rise of the modern superhero genre is popularly attributed to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster of DC Comics, who created the character of Superman. The popularity of this iconic figure sparked the “Golden Age” of superhero comics, which was followed by the Silver Age. Now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the various DC-created characters have been joined by countless other superhero narratives that proliferate through comics, novels, cartoons, and live-action movies. As the genre has evolved, modern superhero fiction has begun to adopt key elements of both science fiction and fantasy. While the traditional “good versus evil” conflicts persist, the genre also focuses on themes of identity, discrimination, death and loss, and the ethical dilemmas involved in wielding power. 

The superhero genre has become so broad that the term “superhero”—once trademarked by Marvel and DC—was, as of October 2024, removed as a legal trademark due to the ubiquity of the term in modern media. The superhero genre’s common reliance on story structures like the hero’s journey only further cements the archetypal nature of the stories under its aegis. For example, Renegades uses many elements of the hero’s journey, even if they are split between two protagonists, and the novel also borrows many themes and world-building elements from a variety of existing superhero narratives. The themes of discrimination, for example, are reminiscent of conflicts central to X-Men, while the idea of a modern celebrity hero culture—and the problems therein—is also detailed in the Japanese shōnen manga series, My Hero Academia.

However, Renegades also branches out from these origins by focusing on the issue of police brutality, which is rarely explored in older superhero narratives. In the world of Renegades, both the lawmakers and the enforcers are technically superheroes, as are the clandestine vigilantes whom they oppose. While traditional superhero narratives present vigilantes as necessary parts of a flawed legal ecosystem, Renegades—like some other more modern works—argues that power can corrupt both the system and the individuals who fight against it. This idea represents a distinct shift in the tone of superhero-themed media. The comics in the Golden Age typically featured considerable war propaganda and dramatized American fears at the time, featuring clear-cut heroes who fought to uphold a firmly defined definition of “good.” However, this pattern fell away in subsequent years as the Comics Code restricted what comic artists were allowed to portray. When the Comics Code ceased to be relevant, superhero media once again exploded, featuring more personal stories that depicted superheroes as unique individuals with families and common struggles. Thus, Renegades represents the third age of superhero media, exploring a dystopian world in which the characters struggle to redefine their own freedoms to the detriment or benefit of others.