Comic books. Superheroes. These are words which the majority of people can’t hear without thinking of Marvel, D.C., Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Batman, Superman, the Flash, and a slew of other characters from their respective comics. In our society today, comic books have had a massive jump in their popularity since the success of blockbuster films such as "The Dark Knight" and "The Avengers."

This “rediscovery of comics,” as I refer to it, has impacted today’s culture in a way comics haven’t before. It’s now the norm to see an article of clothing, a bumper sticker, a backpack, or even a tattoo donning the symbols of our heroes. Children are dressing up as their favorite superheroes on Halloween, and others are creating life-like replicas of the suits or items used by the characters. Teenagers are going to comic book stores and buying several issues at a time. And if you haven’t seen the new Marvel film or aren't caught up with D.C.’s TV shows, you may be “shunned” by your friends until you've watched.

So how has this rediscovery helped our society? And why is it so popular? One reason why may be due to the success of 2012’s spectacular summer blockbuster "The Avengers," as it was highly anticipated since its announcement back in 2008. And it started a chain of movies set within the same universe, tie-in TV shows, and Netflix original series, such as "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones."

Stan Lee, one of the most famous writers of comic books, has been quoted as saying “I'm no prophet, but I'm guessing that comic books will always be strong. I don't think anything can really beat the pure fun and pleasure of holding a magazine in your hand, reading the story on paper, being able to roll it up and put it in your pocket, reread again later, show it to a friend, carry it with you, toss it on a shelf, collect them, have a lot of magazines lined up and read them again as a series. I think young people have always loved that. I think they always will.” (Brandweek, May 2000).

As for D.C., they largely owe their success not only to their iconic superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, but also to things such as Christopher Nolan’s "Dark Knight" trilogy, the Arkham video game series, and CW’s "Arrow" and "The Flash." There was also a relaunch of D.C.’s entire line of their monthly comic books, making 52 new ongoing monthly series (hence its name, New 52), following the aftermath of the "Flashpoint" crossover, which radically changed the D.C. universe. These are relevant and have gotten myself, along with countless others, interested in the comics, and many have started buying said comics to broaden their knowledge of D.C.’s heroes. And especially now, the release of "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" will, for the first time, bring to the big screen a live-action adaptation of the infamous fight between two of the most iconic superheroes of all time, based loosely on the battle between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel in "The Dark Knight Returns" comic book mini-series, which is something fans have been waiting for for far too long. The film will also feature characters such as Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, and rumored cameos from Cyborg and the Flash, which will kick off D.C.’s own cinematic universe with the confirmed announcement of at least 10 other films starring Aquaman, Shazam, a reboot of "The Green Lantern," and a two-part Justice League movie, all coming within the next five years.

So that answers the why. But what about the how? Statistically, with this rediscovery of comic books, sales have spiked, and this hasn't gone unnoticed. Other than movies and TV shows, superheroes have made their way into other films and TV shows by way of pop culture references. Toy makers have sold more than they ever have, though they've always made action figures featuring Marvel and D.C. characters alike. Comic book stores have seen a spike in their sales, and the fantastic Comic-Con has drawn larger and larger crowds each year, seeing people cosplay as their favorite superheroes, and it's where superhero-related movie news is announced for the first time, in most cases.

At one point, Stan Lee had his own show, showing him going around the world to meet people with strange, bizarre, incredible, and almost inhuman abilities, comparing their unique gifts to some of Marvel’s characters. Netflix has also become more successful with the launch of exclusive series such as "Marvel’s Daredevil" (which came out with its second season last week), "Jessica Jones" (green lit for a second season), and the announcement of spin-offs for characters like Iron Fist and Luke Cage, along with a "Defenders" mini-series, where the aforementioned four team up as “heroes for hire.” Netflix is also home to some of D.C.’s most successful shows such as "Arrow," "The Flash," "Young Justice," "Justice League Unlimited," and some of their animated movies such as "Justice League: War," "Flashpoint Paradox," and "Son of Batman."

There's no doubt that superheroes have become marvelously successful in the past several years, and it's unlikely that their popularity will fade anytime soon. This will lead to more and more amazing and successful films, TV shows, and comic books, which is something I personally, along with many others out there, am looking forward to.