Comic Books Have Changed!
Maybe you don't need a history lesson to realize how much comics have changed in the last couple of decades. I still remember those first few comic books I found in my grandma's garbage can. If she hadn't decided to throw them away, I would have never found out just how much I'd love to read and collect them. That was back in the early 70's, and those comics were a collection of Superman, Batman, and various Walt Disney Comics.
Grandma would not only throw away comics they have today. She'd burn them. Heck, some of them I'm not willing to pay any money for. Back in the 70's and 80's most comic book heroes faced modern day problems to be sure.
Iron Man faced alcoholism for example, but these days in a drive to make stories more for adults, a kid can't read the main lines of comics anymore. Not unless you don't care what your kid reads or thinks. Today's heroes sometimes face issues over sexual identity as much as their secret identity. I'm old fashioned I admit, but superheroes ought to be worrying more about saving the world from being destroyed by a power mad super villain than soap opera antics best left to daytime talk shows.
Personally, my favorite comic stories were those that relied on a science fiction elements like all the Earth 2 stories that featured the JLA's alternate universe counterpart the JSA. I loved to read the old stories of Superman drawn by Curt Swan. Those days Superman had to use his wits as well as his super strength to defeat his enemies. It was always so fascinating to find out what he was going to do next. Books like the Hulk were just plain fun to read. Who could go wrong with, "Hulk smash"? These days that's not sophisticated enough though. Unless they've changed it in the last few issues that I've missed the Hulk these days tends to speak like you or I. Boring if you ask me. What kind of super gamma radiated monster talks just like everybody else? Why take what's unique about a character and make it just like all the other characters?
And don't get me started on Superman Returns the movie taking out the phrase, "The American way". What was that about? What's next Captain America changing his name to Captain UN?
Other huge changes in comics these days is the paper. I'm of a mixed view of this. I like the glossy stuff, but I'm not sure it's worth it if it's causing the price to be as high as comics are these days. I remember when 50 cents was starting to push it for me. Now you see books that are all the way up to 5 bucks, and you can only get them at comic book shops. Come on give me a break would you. I'll take the old days, cheap paper, and easy access at the local drug store, thank you very much, to having to drive to the city and not being to afford the extra gas money and the books. And back to my kid suitability point. The next generation of readers isn't going to be large enough to support printing comics. At this point it's all about the movie and TV deals anyway. The current comic buyer is getting older and older. I'd say a lot of the big collectors, the ones that buy and read comics year to year are over 30 years old at least. They got started by reading those old comics at the drug store back when they were still affordable. Sure maybe a lot of those guys are unlike me. Maybe they dig having exclusive comic shops, and heck, I love to go to comic shops don't get me wrong, but I still miss having quick and affordable access to comics I loved to read as a child.
And Marvel why you want to destroy Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane? In the comics Peter makes a deal with the devil to save Aunt May and lose his marriage to Mary Jane as if it never happened at all. Does anybody else see a problem here? A hero making a deal with the devil to end his marriage. First of all a heroes word is his bond. He made a vow till death do us part. Second, heroes have to learn that unfortunately death is a part of life that even Superman can't stop. Heck, they might as well write that Spider-man would release Hitler from hell if it would mean adding a few more years to Aunt May's life.
And let's talk politics. Never before has comic companies went out of their way to endorse a President more than this past year. I'm not against a current President appearing in a title. I thought it was cool back in the 80's when Reagan walked with Superman during the Legends mini series, but talk about going over board these days. Obama hadn't been in office more than a week and all of a sudden he's on the cover of Spider-man.
Gee whiz, let's be a little considerate of those that might have dared vote for the other guy would you.
Personally, I would have liked to read another What If Captain America had became President book instead. Now that was a classic issue. See a writer can get away with expressing their view points rather easily in a story, but a really good story teller should be subtle enough that the average reader isn't turned off if he happens to disagree with said writer. In fact I've read some stories in the past that were written in a way that I agreed with the writer until I found out what they actually believed. Come on guys why don't you just say vote for my guy if you like Spider-man on the cover, or vote for my guy if you're not a super villain.
Oh well make mine Marvel and DC till comics cost 50 cents, the Hulk smashes the Fortress of Solitude, and Superman realizes he's wearing his underwear on the outside all on the same day.
Grandma would not only throw away comics they have today. She'd burn them. Heck, some of them I'm not willing to pay any money for. Back in the 70's and 80's most comic book heroes faced modern day problems to be sure.
Iron Man faced alcoholism for example, but these days in a drive to make stories more for adults, a kid can't read the main lines of comics anymore. Not unless you don't care what your kid reads or thinks. Today's heroes sometimes face issues over sexual identity as much as their secret identity. I'm old fashioned I admit, but superheroes ought to be worrying more about saving the world from being destroyed by a power mad super villain than soap opera antics best left to daytime talk shows.Personally, my favorite comic stories were those that relied on a science fiction elements like all the Earth 2 stories that featured the JLA's alternate universe counterpart the JSA. I loved to read the old stories of Superman drawn by Curt Swan. Those days Superman had to use his wits as well as his super strength to defeat his enemies. It was always so fascinating to find out what he was going to do next. Books like the Hulk were just plain fun to read. Who could go wrong with, "Hulk smash"? These days that's not sophisticated enough though. Unless they've changed it in the last few issues that I've missed the Hulk these days tends to speak like you or I. Boring if you ask me. What kind of super gamma radiated monster talks just like everybody else? Why take what's unique about a character and make it just like all the other characters?
And don't get me started on Superman Returns the movie taking out the phrase, "The American way". What was that about? What's next Captain America changing his name to Captain UN?
Other huge changes in comics these days is the paper. I'm of a mixed view of this. I like the glossy stuff, but I'm not sure it's worth it if it's causing the price to be as high as comics are these days. I remember when 50 cents was starting to push it for me. Now you see books that are all the way up to 5 bucks, and you can only get them at comic book shops. Come on give me a break would you. I'll take the old days, cheap paper, and easy access at the local drug store, thank you very much, to having to drive to the city and not being to afford the extra gas money and the books. And back to my kid suitability point. The next generation of readers isn't going to be large enough to support printing comics. At this point it's all about the movie and TV deals anyway. The current comic buyer is getting older and older. I'd say a lot of the big collectors, the ones that buy and read comics year to year are over 30 years old at least. They got started by reading those old comics at the drug store back when they were still affordable. Sure maybe a lot of those guys are unlike me. Maybe they dig having exclusive comic shops, and heck, I love to go to comic shops don't get me wrong, but I still miss having quick and affordable access to comics I loved to read as a child.And Marvel why you want to destroy Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane? In the comics Peter makes a deal with the devil to save Aunt May and lose his marriage to Mary Jane as if it never happened at all. Does anybody else see a problem here? A hero making a deal with the devil to end his marriage. First of all a heroes word is his bond. He made a vow till death do us part. Second, heroes have to learn that unfortunately death is a part of life that even Superman can't stop. Heck, they might as well write that Spider-man would release Hitler from hell if it would mean adding a few more years to Aunt May's life.
And let's talk politics. Never before has comic companies went out of their way to endorse a President more than this past year. I'm not against a current President appearing in a title. I thought it was cool back in the 80's when Reagan walked with Superman during the Legends mini series, but talk about going over board these days. Obama hadn't been in office more than a week and all of a sudden he's on the cover of Spider-man.Gee whiz, let's be a little considerate of those that might have dared vote for the other guy would you.
Personally, I would have liked to read another What If Captain America had became President book instead. Now that was a classic issue. See a writer can get away with expressing their view points rather easily in a story, but a really good story teller should be subtle enough that the average reader isn't turned off if he happens to disagree with said writer. In fact I've read some stories in the past that were written in a way that I agreed with the writer until I found out what they actually believed. Come on guys why don't you just say vote for my guy if you like Spider-man on the cover, or vote for my guy if you're not a super villain.
Oh well make mine Marvel and DC till comics cost 50 cents, the Hulk smashes the Fortress of Solitude, and Superman realizes he's wearing his underwear on the outside all on the same day.
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