Deconstruction implies taking a stable archetype of something, for example a superhero like Superman, and analyzing its basic components to turn it into something different. A good example of this method in practice is: Irredeemable's The Plutonian.

The deconstructive technique is a vital part of Post-modernism and can be seen in comic books and graphic novels like Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man or, to a lesser extent, in the "dark and gritty" superheroes of the 1990s.

The practice aids in reinvention of a character, it is especially useful in the more established characters with rich histories and conventions attached.