Matt has been musing about comics lately, and has some very good points. Those being:
Superhero comics have evolved little in the time that he’s read comics
You can get “better” stories elsewhere
Both of these are valid, but leads him to a conclusion that…well, it’s not so much that I don’t agree with it, I just think his whole premise is flawed.
It’s true, in the few years that Bolish has been collecting comics, the beast that is referred to as “superhero comics” has evolved little. Which is to say that it has moved forward, but not in the leaps and bounds that he and some other friends of mine might wish it to. Sure, Superman isn’t dead, Batman isn’t criminally insane and bound in Arkham, Spiderman still has Aunt May, and on and on and on. But if you look at it on a smaller, more granular level, you do see grains of evolution coming, whether it be in
Morrison’s run on X-Men,
Bendis’s re-humanizing of characters from Spiderman to Captain America, or the countless other arcs that I’m too lazy to type out. These may be small things, but back when I stopped collecting comics, before the great resurgence, the types of things done in these comics weren’t unheard of, per say, but were rare and far between. I mean, no one since Frank Miller has made Daredevil compelling, and the idea that Peter Parker wouldn’t be working as a photographer at the Daily Bugle? Preposterous!
I’m sure everyone will look at these as small, as they should, but they are not inconsequential. And like we’ve said, you can always look elsewhere to find “art” stories. From
this to
that, and oh yeah,
this there are plenty (more) places you can go to get comics that
you think are worth your time. That’s a fact, and it’s a general fact of nearly any medium, be it music, movies, or food. Simple, plain fact.
What Matt seems to want, is for “superhero comics” to “rise” to the level of these other comics. Which at the outset seems to be a very noble, wanting request. But it’s just not going to happen. And it’s not going to happen because that’s not what they’re there for. Superman is not, and will never be, the Watchmen. The Amazing Spiderman can’t touch Sin City. X-Men won’t ever be Preacher. They aren’t wired that way. They are brain candy, you know, what you give yourself after a hard day’s work (or play) to relax and slow down. It’s like “Must See TV!” on NBC. No one (I hope) watched
Friends for the riveting pathos and flawless character development, and no one should be reading the big blue cheese expecting that as well. It’s just not there function, it’s why
Ellen was a flop when the whole “gay” thing became the entire thrust of their show. It’s entertainment, not agenda-setting.
However, this isn’t to say that superheroes cannot participate in comics that break ground with amazing stories. In fact, they are often the earliest to do so, from the Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories, where the writers explored the changing, turbulent, racist landscape of the 70’s to the bleak, Reagan-inspired rebellion of the Dark Knight Returns. Kraven’s Last Hunt forced one of the lamest villians ever into infamy with a drawn out torture of Spiderman, resulting in one of the first suicides in comics history. Even earlier, Peter Parker dealt with the drug abuse of Harry Osborn. Granted, there are many stories here that now seem dated in their dialogue, but taken in context, they were groundbreaking. Without Dark Knight and the GL/GA series, there would be no room for Sandman, Preacher, or the Authority. It’s just simply not possible, and it’s owed to superhero comics. Hell, Watchmen itself is the first post-superhero deconstruction comic, and it’s still filled with superheroes!
My point is that to dismiss these comics as not having “it”, where “it” is the writing and pathos that gives us John Constantine/Lucifer/Yorick, you’re just plain missing it. It’s been rare that the monthly issues of these big flagship titles carry the groundbreaking, innovative stories. It’s happened, but it normally comes in the shape of a prestige format, four book series by that guy who killed Elektra, that you see and ask “why is Batman so dark and Superman so old?” And if it weren’t for Superman spoiling the plots of Intergang or Luther, Spidey bashing in Mysterio or the Vulture, and Batman collaring some dirty thugs every month then things like The Sandman, Preacher, or any other book that is revered by the alt-comic masses wouldn’t even freaking exist.
Want some brain candy that’s also well written? Check out the new Hawkman. Yeah, Hawkman. It’s written by Geoff Johns and James Robinson (who wrote Starman, one of the best comics ever). There’s nothing Authority-esque about it, there’s no re-invisioning of an old character anew, just solid character writing and development. Sit down and enjoy yourself while you’re reading.
justinª