Because they are teenagers in high school, it could be very hard to make an R-rated teen superhero story unless you just make it a raunchy comedy like American Pie or Good Boys.
Their dating pool is much wider; if most “young” superheroes are 22-25, then their love interests can be in their 30s, 40s, 50s, etc., and they could be in adult relationships dealing with adult relationship problems.
Overall, teen superheroes is an annoying trope that goes nowhere. and exists only to create drama. Look at Superman and Lois. The only reason Jon and Jordan are teens is so there can be conflict with the parents. If Jon and Jordan were 21, they could be superheroes and go out and be vigilantes, and if Clark and Lois tried to stop it, Jon and Jordan would be in their rights to justifiably say, “Go suck our dicks,” because they are adults and can do what they want.
You don’t even really have to go into detail about their jobs; just give the characters a bullshit office job that you can argue pays good money, and just focus on the superhero aspect more, and the office job can replace the school setting as the place some of the other supporting characters or antagonists are. It’s that simple. It’s the same with American sitcoms with characters in their 20s who have nice apartments or houses; “they have good jobs” is a simple enough explanation.
And just for reference:
Peter Parker became Spider-Man when he was 15.
Matt Murdock became Daredevil when he was 22.
That means they are canonically 6 years apart or supposed to be.
But because Marvel won’t let Peter grow up, they make them 20+ years apart.
I want to see fewer teen heroes.
Superheroes in general are boring and for manchildren.
You still don’t read the comments you get, do you?
Why are you so obsessed with age? Also, why does it need to be R rated?
Some comics are going to translate better if you can go R. Like if you want to portray something truly cruel, dark, painful, tragic, I feel like you’re not really going to get that on anything less than an R. Like DC’s Identity Crisi. Or you could just look at movies that did come out like Logan, or Deadpool. If there’s a Peacemaker film you probably would want that rated R.
Those plots aren’t for teen superheroes. There’s plenty of adult content that fills that gap too. Hell, X-force Sex and Violence delivers exactly what the title says it does.
I actually like Peter in the recent Spider-Man games. He’s has a day job and adult responsibilities throughout. Miles is at the tail end of high school, so you still get the teen story (but no focus on love interest!) in the MM game, but then back to a focus on adult responsibilities for SM2.
I disagree. I find teenage super hero stories the only enjoyable ones. I don’t want my heroes to have to deal with quotidian grownup issues like paying the mortgage, having to work overtime, or worrying about their octogenarian parents. I want the biggest issue in their universe - apart from saving Earth from total destruction by a comical villain - to be the history paper that is due next Monday or how mom reduced their pocket money. I prefer the simplicity of interpretational relationships in a school setting. There is the bully jock and the nerdy girl who when she takes her glasses off becomes instantly attractive. Give me all the tropes. And I don’t need or want an R rated version of all of that.
In closing I just want to take a moment and applaud your personal growth. In showerthought after showerthought you’ve struggled with people dating much older people. And in this one you’re quite open to and positive about a twenty-something dating somebody twice their age! Well done you.
I don’t want my heroes to have to deal with quotidian grownup issues like paying the mortgage, having to work overtime,
They don’t have to; most of the time their jobs aren’t even really important to the overall story; they’re just there to explain what they do during the day or just to have another setting. And as for paying the mortgage, you don’t have to go into detail about that or show it; just give the character some “easy” or “explainable” day job and have them live a middle- or middle-upper-class lifestyle, and you’re good.
