We always knew that the lives of superheroes were inherently kind of lonely -- yes, Batman, we see you standing alone on that parapet, again, silhouetted tragically against the setting sun, again -- but there's something especially vulnerable about this portrait series by French photographer Benoit Lapray, in which our favorite heroes stand not just alone, but dwarfed by the magnificence of the majestic French Alps.

The series, titled "Quest for the Absolute," includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Wolverine, and a critical mass of Avengers, among others. Some look like they could easily be stills from an upcoming movie; others are kind of funny. (Spider-Man looks awfully incongruous sitting on the side of a country road without a single skyscraper from which to swing.) The full series can be viewed on Lapray's website, but we've rounded up a few favorites below.