Why Spider-Man is Such a Huge Hit with Young Audiences

Spider-Man is an iconic figure in the American consciousness, made all the more so by the spectacular success of the film series. It should come as little surprise that the Spider-Man film franchise has staked out a niche as the most intelligent comic book translation to film in cinematic history. Compared to the mindless escapism of such franchises as the unfortunate pre-Batman Begins series and the overrated X-Men series, Spider-Man compares in the same way that one might compare a Scorsese film to an Ed Wood movie. Spider-Man connects especially well with younger viewers and why not? After all, Peter Parker is a young kid, a nerd who can't get the girl without having special powers; he's no good-looking millionaire or alien who see through women's clothes.

Spider-Man is a hero to the youth of America precisely because, as Peter Parker, he reflects many of the problems they face every day. During his job as a stringer photographer for the newspaper, Peter Parker must daily accept the mistreatment heaped upon him by the solipsistic editor J.J. Jameson. He must deal with a parental figure who, considering his age, might be thought of a hovering, interfering interloper into his efforts to mature and establish his independence. And, finally, when Peter Parker slips on that form-fitting Spider-Man outfit and slings his web, flying from building to building, he symbolizes the utter freedom that all young people yearn for. Spider-Man is truly the superhero for the young; it is only when one grows older and accepts the fact that breathtakingly tedious and mundane reality intrudes upon one's more noble values that Batman begins to take over. Billionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman are the embodiment of the middle-aged realization that there must be more to life than making money. But for those young and eager to break free from the castigation of adults at every turn and the imposition of deadening maturity upon their flights of fancy, Spider-Man is the spectacle that must be worshipped.