That term can come in many different forms to readers. For me?
When someone says relatable I think: "This protag has to be just like me."
Which turns me off immediately. It has to be someone with flaws as the focus. Because one can't have a "boring" superhero like superman. Relatable says to me: Navel gazing, street level character, who's more selfish. To reflect "current year."
What are your expectations when you hear "relatable?"
I want likable: Which indicates protagonists that overcome their flaws and choose to be better people. To inspire their world to be better. Who aren't down in the dumps miserable all the time. (Its always why I do that contrast with Hilary Brookes/The Villains vs the Heroes. The Heroes know how to have genuine fun and companionship. The villains are hollowed out beings who don't remember how to be human.
When most superhero prose takes the X-men bent, many tend to focus on the "x group is persecuted bent." That doesn't interest me:
- Because in most hands it turns into current year commentary. Yawn.
- Relatable = Id Politics
- Hero vs Hero BS like Civil War. Instead of reading that, I went with DnA's GOTG. Cause that was genuine space opera to me. It wasn't as uplifting as I would have wanted nowadays but it was better than what mainline Marvel was doing. (Cause while I was in college in the early 2000s I did get back into some comic reading. But much of it wasn't the "Big Two." Most of it was Star Wars by DH.)
- Also because most don't write Superman well. Because they want to "relate" to him instead of really use the character how he was intended, "Inspire people gosh darn it!"
Again, if people enjoy that, good for you. I am still starving. So I eat up stuff like:
Because it focuses on reconstruction elements, heroes being heroic, family themes, characters that actually watch out for each other. And its not forced or false. Like many navel gazing modern "Heroes" in Name Only. We will be teammates for a price. Stuff like Handcock shouldn't be the norm but it is as far as "relatable factor" goes in modern comics and "heroes."
(I will link more Superhero Prose series as I finish reading them or getting through a majority.)
Other links: AKA Why thematic advice shouldn't matter to writers. Technical stuff, sure. But that happens with time and practice.
- https://writersinthestormblog.com/2020/02/likable-and-relatable-why-and-how-do-they-matter/
- http://bekindrewrite.com/2013/03/01/should-your-characters-be-likable-or-relatable/
- https://writingcooperative.com/the-difference-between-likeable-and-relatable-characters-32481d6c3921
Some of these add relatable to factors I have distaste for: To be relatable they have to be as fracked in the head as "regular humanity."
I think I'll do a likability factor later. To showcase more of my preferences and expectations for that aspect.
PS: This Vox thing here explains why I have come to expect sad sacks when it comes to relatablity and thus prefer finding likable true heroics.
https://www.vox.com/2018/6/5/17425736/tara-burton-social-creature-characters-likable-books
Most of the books I read: MEN ARE JUST AS CAPABLE OF MAKING LIKABLE FEMALE CHARACTERS EVEN MORESO THAN WOMEN IN MODERN DREK NIHILISM TALES.