What do we expect from our favorite superheroes? Well, they should be brave, smart, skillful, and strong, as well as having great morals and a desire to fight evil wherever it exists. Of course, they are usually blessed with good looks and perfect bodies too; these cosmetic enhancements are presumably just another characteristic of their ‘superness,’ something else that sets them apart from the average person.
But are these physical exaggerations really necessary? Would you have as much respect for Superman’s ability to triumph over evil if he had the body of, say, Homer Simpson?
Bulimia.com decided to put it to the test by producing a series of comic book covers showing famous superheroes ‘reverse photoshoppped’ to reflect the average American body type
Batman & Poison Ivy
“When it comes to accurate depictions of the human body, comic book heroes are hardly realistic,” they wrote. “Whether they’re sprouting blades from their hands or surviving decades in a deep freeze, these characters regularly push the limits of what’s considered possible. But they also depart from realistic human anatomy in a more mundane sense: Almost none of them reflect the typical physique of most Americans.”
