With Watchmen’s Dr Manhattan, Rorschach and friends, Alan Moore created superheroes who defined an era, but the comic book legend has said that he is now over the superhero genre.

Speaking to London music newspaper the Stool Pigeon, Moore said that although he was “interested in the superhero in real life”, pointing to the “interesting number” of protestors these days who dress as V, the mask-wearing protagonist of his graphic novel V for Vendetta, he is no longer attracted to the comic-book version.

“I’ve had some distancing thoughts about them recently. I’ve come to the conclusion that what superheroes might be – in their current incarnation, at least – is a symbol of American reluctance to involve themselves in any kind of conflict without massive tactical superiority,” Moore said. “I think this is the same whether you have the advantage of carpet bombing from altitude or if you come from the planet Krypton as a baby and have increased powers in Earth’s lower gravity.”

The graphic novelist said that, when he was a child, superheroes represented “a wellspring of the imagination”. “Superman had a dog in a cape! He had a city in a bottle! It was wonderful stuff for a seven-year-old boy to think about,” Moore explained. “But I suspect that a lot of superheroes now are basically about the unfair fight. You know: people wouldn’t bully me if I could turn into the Hulk.”

His comments echo a line in Watchmen, when a character says that “back in ‘39, before the real masked men showed up, superhero comics were enormous. Guess their appeal wore off ... ”

Quick Guide The five Alan Moore comics you must read Show V for Vendetta (1982 - 1989) This dystopian graphic novel continues to be relevant even 30 years after it ended. With its warnings against fascism, white supremacy and the horrors of a police state, V for Vendetta follows one woman and a revolutionary anarchist on a campaign to challenge and change the world. Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow (1986) Moore's quintessential Superman story. Though it has not aged as well as some of his work, this comic is still one of the best Man of Steel stories ever written, and one of the most memorable comics in DC's canon. A Small Killing (1991) This introspective, stream-of-consciousness comic follows a successful ad man who begins to have a midlife crisis after realising the moral failings of his life and work. Tom Strong (1999 - 2006) A love letter to the silver age of comics that nods to Buck Rogers and other classics of pulp fiction. Tom Strong embodies all of the ideals Moore holds for what a superhero should be.

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (1999-2019) One of Moore's best known comic series, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is the ultimate in crossover works, drawing on characters from all across the literary world who are on a mission to save it.

Moore also spoke of his disappointment in the quality of comics following the publication of Watchmen – a graphic novel, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, in which a group of costumed vigilantes come out of retirement to investigate the murder of their former colleague.

“Initially, Watchmen gained a lot of its readership because it was taking an unusual look at superheroes, but actually it was more about redefining comics than it was about redefining one particular genre,” he said. “There hasn’t been a more sophisticated comic released in the 25 years since, which I find profoundly depressing, because it was intended to be something that expanded the possibilities of comics rather than what it has apparently become – a massive psychological stumbling block that the rest of the industry has yet to find a way round.”