It’s past time to cultivate some newer, younger comic book readers. That means giving them their own new sets of heroes and villains. That means holding back the trembling damn that separates material for children and early teens from material suitable for adults.
When selling to kids, keep race, sex and gender issues to a bare minimum. Race, sex and gender issues should not be THE story. Keep the stories about weaponry, science fiction, early romance or humor. A little well placed violence can go a long way in such stories. Stay outta the Bushes!
While American comics are on life support, manga has moved in on that “young middle grade reader” market and is eating their lunch. Why? The japanese comic creators don’t give a rat’s rear about wokeness and keep their focus on material their readership actually wants. This is something their counterparts on this side of the Pacific desperately need to re-learn.