What am I going to research?

You will forgive if this post doesn't sound as confident, or as sure as the previous. I am trying to work out how I will do this project and how I will carry out the research. Throughout this project, my plan is to look into the change that the Superhero genre has undergone in the decades in which it has occupied the hearts of many film fans. The representation of the superhero has indeed changed drastically over the years, from the romantic figure of Batman and Superman to the more easier to empathize with characters of "Kickass" , which paints a very different picture of a superhero. It shows them as an everyday, average bloke that all of us in some way can relate too, interestingly all are outsiders - as is the stereotypical image of a superhero, one who is isolated from the rest of society.

However, I am not limiting this to just men, far from it - I am exploring how the female heroine is represented as well - examples of this include Catwoman (specifically from the Batman universe, and who is set to make a comeback in the latest Batman movie). But, in a more interesting light - in contrast to the romantic and frankly objectifying appearance that female heroines is shared by the independent as well as the High concept movies. However, as noted in the article from the second link below, the author notes that there have been  "no good female super hero film", that i agree to be kind of true. The film Industry definitely has a dim view of women, more portraying them as sex objects, or as love interests to the protagonists.

Poster of Anne Hathaway being cast as Catwoman in the latest Christopher Nolan Batman film - the Dark Knight rises.

However, I am of the opinion that just like the superhero protagonist, the role of the female heroine is also changing - transforming into something overall more interesting and exciting. The example I use for this is Hit Girl from Kickass. It shows the maturing of such characters into regions where they create empathy between the audience, spectator and that character. They are also getting more dirty, serious and less romantic - an excellent example being a rather gruesome clip of Ellen Page on Super, where the spectator gets a real sense that her character isn't entirely there.

Poster of Hit Girl from Kickass

Ellen Page playing the slightly crackers Libby, also Boltie in Super, which I  have just found out is being released in this country on the 1st August - Yeah!!!!

What these two examples show, Ellen Pages character being an additional example by which I can draw upon.

These links are always important in my research - apart from the importance of books which of course I will use, but even so the internet plays an equally important role:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_superheroines
http://dirtywithclass.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/why-has-there-been-no-good-female-superhero-film/
This is a link to a list of superheroines, from television and popular media


http://io9.com/5166889/are-superhero-stories-even-a-genre
http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/superhero-genre-the-sub-genre-of-the-action-film/
http://www.coronacomingattractions.com/news/directors-cut-whats-wrong-superhero-movie-genre
http://www.pajiba.com/think_pieces/its-time-to-kick-the-superhero-genre-in-the-ass-.php