As some of you have no doubt figured out by now, I'm something of a man-child when it comes to certain things. I still play video games. I still love the summer time, even though I don't get the vacations I used to get as a child. And of course I still read comic books. Most of the comics I read are superhero books.
Comic books are more than superheroes now, of course. One of my favorite comics of all time is Transmetropolitan, which combines a dystopian science fiction future with madcap gonzo journalism. Another is 100 Bullets, a long-running film-noir-style drama made of equal parts cruelty and conspiracy. There are so many good comics out there that have nothing to do with superheroes that to list them would take not only a separate post, but a separate site.
Comics are still dominated by superhero (or "cape") books though, and I still love them for it. This isn't to say I love all of them. Like many comic geeks I've become unhappy lately with the direction that the two largest comic book publishers (the Warner Brothers owned DC and the Disney-owned Marvel) have taken their brands.
I love the idea of the superhero. There's a sense of wonder and ambition inherent with the idea of the superhero, who finds a source of power (be it mechanical, mystical, or through training) and uses it not only for himself but for the good of others. Lately though I see less of what I love about superheroes in the books that contain them.
This isn't a post to complain about a specific event. Both Marvel and DC have had huge, long-ranging misfires and they continue to do so. Rather than complain about the upcoming DC universe reboot, or remember the worst parts of Marvel's Civil War, I want to talk about what I think might be the biggest problem with the way superhero comics these days are made: They're not for kids anymore.
This isn't likely to be a popular opinion among my fellow nerds, and with good reason. People who buy comics have had to put up with the idea that such books were strictly kids stuff for quite some time. This hasn't been true for years. I am not claiming that they should go back to being only marketed to children either. What I am saying however is that they lack mass appeal. They should be for kids, but not ONLY for kids.
I am a big fan of Lewis Lovhaug's "Atop the 4th Wall" video series, where he breaks down the worst excesses of the comic book industry. Some times it's cheap commercialism, as evidenced in the giveaway comics from companies like Nestle or RadioShack. Sometimes it's well-meaning but poorly-handled "special issue" comics, that try to use popular characters like Spiderman or the Fantastic 4 to teach kids a lesson. Sometimes it's just the outright bizarre, like the Lady Gaga comic, or the infamous books starring the Ultimate Warrior.
A lot of times though the comics that he reviews tend to be bad because they try to take existing characters and make them into something that doesn't make sense. Please note that this is my opinion, and not his. Comics like "Cry for Justice" or "Ultimatum" try to take what are mainstream comics and make them "darker" and "more realistic".
Deconstruction is nothing new. It's also not always bad. Comics like "Watchmen" or "The Dark Knight Returns" are rightly considered to be classics. Both of those comics however take place in comic universes that are marketed specifically to the adult customer.
Those of you that do read cape books, think about what you've been reading. Would you hand Countdown or Civil War to an 8 year old? Would you be OK with handing a younger brother or cousin one of these story lines? If you did, would they enjoy it?
I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert on anything. I don't have to be one however to know comics have lost massive numbers of readers over the last 20 years. Part of that may be the rise of other forms of entertainment, like manga or web comics. Part of that may be because comics are expensive enough now that for young readers they are no longer an impulse purchase.
I think part of the reason they're in trouble though is the lack of mass-market appeal. Comics now seem to be chasing an audience that will take them "seriously". I feel that comics have gone so far in trying to distance themselves from the idea that they are only for children that they disdain the idea of being at ALL of children. Given the money and enthusiasm that those younger readers would bring I feel that attitude means a LOT of money is being left on the table.
Superhero books that are designed specifically for young readers do exist. Both marvel and DC have product lines specifically designed for younger readers. DC has comics based on their various animated cartoons, and Marvel has the Marvel Adventures line. Those stories might be fantastic, but in terms of marketing and attention they seem to me to be off on an island by themselves, distanced from the “real” comics.
It makes me wonder how long before their major publishers' parent companies are going to wait before they start enforcing changes to the main continuity. Comic book movies have become far more popular than they pages that their subjects sprang from. Sooner or later though those companies are going to want to have a new property ready to go from their subsidiaries, with as much mass market appeal as possible.
There are wonderful superhero books still out there. Many (if not most) have nothing at all to do with DC or marvel. Invincible, PS 238, and Astro City (all favorites of mine) are all amazing reads, and I think would all have mass appeal if properly handled (though I will say that Invincible gets gory enough from time to time to warrant a parental advisory). If I wanted to get someone interested in superhero books I would start with these.
So, what do you think? Am I off base? Am I full of hot air? Am I missing something? I am open to the idea that I may be wrong, and that my concerns may be all just a matter of perception. Feel free to let me know in the comments.
Comic books are more than superheroes now, of course. One of my favorite comics of all time is Transmetropolitan, which combines a dystopian science fiction future with madcap gonzo journalism. Another is 100 Bullets, a long-running film-noir-style drama made of equal parts cruelty and conspiracy. There are so many good comics out there that have nothing to do with superheroes that to list them would take not only a separate post, but a separate site.
Comics are still dominated by superhero (or "cape") books though, and I still love them for it. This isn't to say I love all of them. Like many comic geeks I've become unhappy lately with the direction that the two largest comic book publishers (the Warner Brothers owned DC and the Disney-owned Marvel) have taken their brands.
I love the idea of the superhero. There's a sense of wonder and ambition inherent with the idea of the superhero, who finds a source of power (be it mechanical, mystical, or through training) and uses it not only for himself but for the good of others. Lately though I see less of what I love about superheroes in the books that contain them.
This isn't a post to complain about a specific event. Both Marvel and DC have had huge, long-ranging misfires and they continue to do so. Rather than complain about the upcoming DC universe reboot, or remember the worst parts of Marvel's Civil War, I want to talk about what I think might be the biggest problem with the way superhero comics these days are made: They're not for kids anymore.
This isn't likely to be a popular opinion among my fellow nerds, and with good reason. People who buy comics have had to put up with the idea that such books were strictly kids stuff for quite some time. This hasn't been true for years. I am not claiming that they should go back to being only marketed to children either. What I am saying however is that they lack mass appeal. They should be for kids, but not ONLY for kids.
I am a big fan of Lewis Lovhaug's "Atop the 4th Wall" video series, where he breaks down the worst excesses of the comic book industry. Some times it's cheap commercialism, as evidenced in the giveaway comics from companies like Nestle or RadioShack. Sometimes it's well-meaning but poorly-handled "special issue" comics, that try to use popular characters like Spiderman or the Fantastic 4 to teach kids a lesson. Sometimes it's just the outright bizarre, like the Lady Gaga comic, or the infamous books starring the Ultimate Warrior.
A lot of times though the comics that he reviews tend to be bad because they try to take existing characters and make them into something that doesn't make sense. Please note that this is my opinion, and not his. Comics like "Cry for Justice" or "Ultimatum" try to take what are mainstream comics and make them "darker" and "more realistic".
Deconstruction is nothing new. It's also not always bad. Comics like "Watchmen" or "The Dark Knight Returns" are rightly considered to be classics. Both of those comics however take place in comic universes that are marketed specifically to the adult customer.
Those of you that do read cape books, think about what you've been reading. Would you hand Countdown or Civil War to an 8 year old? Would you be OK with handing a younger brother or cousin one of these story lines? If you did, would they enjoy it?
I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert on anything. I don't have to be one however to know comics have lost massive numbers of readers over the last 20 years. Part of that may be the rise of other forms of entertainment, like manga or web comics. Part of that may be because comics are expensive enough now that for young readers they are no longer an impulse purchase.
I think part of the reason they're in trouble though is the lack of mass-market appeal. Comics now seem to be chasing an audience that will take them "seriously". I feel that comics have gone so far in trying to distance themselves from the idea that they are only for children that they disdain the idea of being at ALL of children. Given the money and enthusiasm that those younger readers would bring I feel that attitude means a LOT of money is being left on the table.
Superhero books that are designed specifically for young readers do exist. Both marvel and DC have product lines specifically designed for younger readers. DC has comics based on their various animated cartoons, and Marvel has the Marvel Adventures line. Those stories might be fantastic, but in terms of marketing and attention they seem to me to be off on an island by themselves, distanced from the “real” comics.
It makes me wonder how long before their major publishers' parent companies are going to wait before they start enforcing changes to the main continuity. Comic book movies have become far more popular than they pages that their subjects sprang from. Sooner or later though those companies are going to want to have a new property ready to go from their subsidiaries, with as much mass market appeal as possible.
There are wonderful superhero books still out there. Many (if not most) have nothing at all to do with DC or marvel. Invincible, PS 238, and Astro City (all favorites of mine) are all amazing reads, and I think would all have mass appeal if properly handled (though I will say that Invincible gets gory enough from time to time to warrant a parental advisory). If I wanted to get someone interested in superhero books I would start with these.
So, what do you think? Am I off base? Am I full of hot air? Am I missing something? I am open to the idea that I may be wrong, and that my concerns may be all just a matter of perception. Feel free to let me know in the comments.
Comics are far from their silver age roots, thats for sure. I tend to agree that comics try to get to real now, and that anything that is even remotely disagreable with sience, for example, makes some get up in arms about the credentials of the comic. The aformentioned Atop the 4th Wall reviewer tends to do this. I find that comics will need to go back to their apeal to kids as well as those that grew up with them. Much like wrestling did in recent years, they will need to get their reader base up by apealing to the kids, then as they grow the stories will grow with them and again we'll get darker heroes.
ReplyDeleteThat also brings up the problem that those who have grown up already will want dark stories (at least grown up stories) not ones for kids and the older reader's desperate grasps at comic continuity keeps them from allowing things like two lines of stories as one has to be 'real' for them to enjoy the stories told and their build up. Justifications to the fan for buying all those stories from before?
I don't think comics need to go back to "Adam West Batman" but their current direction seems just as distasteful to me. I can only see characters blur the line of good and evil so many times in their handeling of the villians before getting board with the idea. Whats 'dark' to someone is 'overdone' to me.
Just my 2 cents though.