With his flattering tights and his resemblance to an anabolic body-builder, the super hero is the only primate who, despite being very good at running, can always fly faster than his shadow and is endowed with supernatural strength. He leads a double life but his morals are impeccable and, what's more, he never makes love. He loves to travel, particularly in the worlds of mythology or legends.
Like Tintin he never grows old, however, he has occasionally been known to have a mother and father. He hands out gold stars to honest citizens and thrashes the enemies of humanity. Aided and abetted in this by his relations in the local police force and the CIA. He confronts cosmic dangers with no qualms on the societal front.
From an economic point of view, the super hero is a « franchise », blessed with a highly visual identity and an infallible behavioural bible.
The picture book displayed on the picture rails of La Maison de l'Image is, however, no artist's agent; it tends rather to be sceptical in the face of international glory. So, welcome then to the world of the mildly autistic super heroes, those slightly clumsy, grand patriotic vigilantes who fall over their capes. Super heroes with limited powers and badly-cut costumes, a bit like those in the comic strip 'Les Pieds Nickelés'. Welcome to these bumbling, lovable anti-heroes and to all those others suffering from a mild handicap.
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