I was talking with a professor at my school the other day and we started talking about comic books. He has started buying comics for his son and he wanted some advice on which titles he should but. He had purchased a few issues of Morrison’s Batman, and a few issues of Levitz’s new Legion of Superheroes and he was wondering what else to buy.
“Well, Batman 701 and 702 are a two part story that connects RIP to Final Crisis, so without those two story arcs, your son might be lost,” I cautioned. Then, I realized that even with RIP, his son would be confused unless they purchased all of Grant Morrison’s run in its entirety.
After picking up the latest issue of Legion of Superheroes, I feared that this title would be even less accessible to a new reader. I have a pretty decent grasp of Legion history and I know that I keep missing some of the connections that Levitz is trying to make within the title. He references a storyline called “the Great Darkness Saga” . . . a storyline that is nearly thirty years old and the tradepaperback is out of print. Therefore, the story is not only irrelevant in terms of younger comic fans, but it is also inaccessible due to it being out of print.
While price is certainly an issue when it comes to the decline in comic sales, I fear that the bigger issue is one of accessibility. It’s wonderful that comic books draw upon their own mythology and continuity, but due to the daunting nature of 75 years of stories, it can be an incredibly difficult for new readers to jump in. When I worked in a comic book store, the most common question I was asked was, “Where do I start?” and I found that there was no easy answer for this.
Of course, the comic book industry wasn’t always this way. Before the 70’s, comics were single issue experiences that rarely were referenced ever again. This single issue experience was perfect for new readers, because the idea of storylines and continuity wasn’t an issue.
Today’s comic books are more sophisticated in terms of motifs and themes to elevate the medium, but the cost has been accessibility. Most storylines are four to six issues long which makes it difficult for new readers who can’t track down back issues. Most new readers end up jumping into the middle of a story in the middle of a very long run on a title and that run is referencing different stories from 30 years ago. No wonder people ask “where do I start?”
“So, what else should I buy my son?” my professor asked.
I struggled.
My mind raced through all of the comics that I buy, and still, I had no clue. Nothing was accessibly to new readers. I wanted to suggest Invincible, but the continuity has gotten far too complex and the action too grotesque. I wanted to suggest Green Lantern, but Blackest Night and the introduction of various Lantern Corps has made that universe difficult to get into for new readers.
Finally, I decided to go back to old, reliable Superman. The most enduring, iconic, powerful, and wonderful hero ever created has been a gateway into the entire medium for decades now. He’s what boys want to grow up to be, he’s a great role model, and he’s a character that readers can find comfort in because he is a hero of unimaginable good. And then, I remembered what the plot of the current storyline has been; Superman is portrayed as an unconfident hero who is out of touch with America and walking across the country in order to “find himself.”
This isn’t Superman.
During Geoff Johns’ tenure on Action Comics, Superman was iconic and having adventures that didn’t require close continuity reading. “Last Son” featured General Zod, but the villain was introduced in such a way that new readers could find him easily accessible. The Bizarroworld story was straightforward and more about Superman’s relationship with his father than about a story that was written 30 years ago. The Legion story was a gateway for new readers to come to the Legion of Superheroes. It was familiar to old fans, but not continuity heavy so as to scare new readers. Brainiac’s storyline was another that could be read by new and veteran readers because it built upon the Superman mythology instead of relying on past stories.
After Johns brought New Krypton into the mix, James Robinson and Greg Rucka took Superman out of his titles, and put him on Krypton. The result was a full year without Superman on Earth. Initially, it was viewed as a bold decision to have Superman out of his titles and exclusively in a miniseries, but one has to wonder about the logic behind it.
New Krypton’s destruction found Superman back on Earth and in an effort to reconnect with America after a year in space; Superman decides to go on a walk across America to find his humanity again. It is J. Michael Stracynski’s goal to reconnect Superman to Earth, but it results in the hero sounding more like a preacher or a messiah than a human. He comes off as condescending rather than human and the reader has to wonder, “Who the hell does HE think he is? He’s the one who is traveling across America to ‘find himself’ and now he’s telling people how to live.”
It may be nice to see Superman in a different light in some ways, but this is the only title he is currently regularly appearing. Readers have no other outlet to see Superman being heroic and providing hope and comfort to the masses. What they see is the one person who we’re all supposed to count on walking because he lacks confidence in himself.
The message being conveyed is that even the unflinching force of good in the world is afraid and unsure of himself and if SUPERMAN lacks self-awareness, then what hope do any of the rest of us have?
And while JMS gets points for effort and a novel story idea, it’s all ultimately for naught because of one thing: it’s boring. Plainly, and simply, this is a boring story for adults.
I wanted to tell my professor to buy Superman for his son, but what six year old wants to read about a Superman who is unconfident and unwilling to fly? A story about self-discovery and self-awareness is fine for adults, but it’s still a poor representation of the hero.
Many claim that Superman is too boring or old fashioned to be of any interest, but then, there is All-Star Superman. Here’s a story about a heroic Superman who doesn’t preach to people, but instead, shows them that there is hope and love. It’s big on action, but sophisticated enough for multiple reads. Each issue can be read alone or all together. By all accounts, it’s the perfect comic book.
Compare All-Star Superman to the JMS Superman and we can see two very opposite characters. In both comics, the hero helps a woman who is about to commit suicide by jumping off of a building. JMS’s Superman gives a long speech about picking ourselves back up (or something) and still will allow her to kill herself if she wants to. All-Star Superman shows that he loves the girl and that he will never give up on her. One Superman is giving her the option to end her life if she wants to, and the other refuses to give up on her no matter what. The mere suggestion that death is a viable option is something that Superman should never EVER suggest.
Let’s face facts, the world sucks right now. To list the myriad of troubles facing the world today would be trite and unnecessary, because we all know the various threats that face us today. Superheroes are something that people can turn to when we want o feel confident or cool but when the perfect superhero has to “find himself,” then who can we turn to? What hope do we have?
To conclude, a fan once asked Grant Morrison at a convention about issue 10 of All-Star Superman if the writer was suggesting that Superman created the world. Morrison said, “Yeah. He did it because he loves us. Isn’t that cool?”
Yes.
I remember having a similar problem when I was a kid. I never had a comic shop nearby but I occationally got comic collections as a gift from more distant family memebers who didn’t know what else to buy a young boy. Biggest one I ever got was a six pack of the Clone Saga in Spiderman, when Spiderman, Red Spider (was that his name?), Kade or Kane or somebody, and some asshole called ‘Spidercide’? (I don’t really remember but he shapeshifted or some shit, he could make himself like liquid and fix wounds or decapitation). So, turned out that some of them where clones and one guy wasn’t and it was all the fault of his Jackel asshole who looked more like a gremlin.
It was confusing, mostly because some of the ideas where over my head, but still accessable enough that I enjoyed the read. Major story elements where reinformed, the motivations of the individuals involved where pretty clearly stated, and in a six book span it brought up conflict and resolved it.
It was the exception to most of the other stuff I read, which made no sense without context. The clone saga had holes I didn’t get but overall it was self contained enough I could follow events.
It was also pretty fucked up, by the way.
Okay…so you’d only recommend DC stuff? For a six year old, I’m not sure All-Star anything would be appropriate. Seriously. Especially Miller and his Batman.
But I digress…
I actually like the JMS run so far, but I agree that it’s not for the kiddies. The average comic reader is more college student aged instead of a six year old. Gone are the days when a student could save up his quarters and run to the grocery store. At about $3.99 a copy, these aren’t for the kids. That’s a shame. Marvel and DC both have a bad habit of trying to follow the movie model and make the new material canon (the Joker’s cut face being a recent example). These movies are NOT for kids. Sometimes, the “gritty realism” pushes things a bit too far, leaving me, as a lifetime fan, wondering if comic companies are determined to let their readership age and die rather than appealing to all ages.
Oh, and a word about the “all ages” books published by both big companies? Most are, to quote Mark Millar, “Utter shite.” Why can’t Batman, Superman, even Spiderman, be accessible to all? Oh, right…that’s not “realistic” enough. If comics were realistic, Spidey would shoot webs out his arse and Superman would kill Lois in an amorous moment. (I’m sure both thes ideas will appear in a Max or Vertigo title).
I’d be hard pressed to suggest a comic for six year olds. Seriously. And, though it kills the Marvel-lover in me, I’d have to go for Dini’s “Batman” cartoon tie-in from years ago. I find it sad that comics have moved so far away from their base in an effort to become relevant on a literary level that the prude in me is avoiding recommending any “in continuity” title.
My # 1 recommendation for adult readers is James Robinson’s “Starman.” It’s sophisticated without being obscene. It was solid storytelling with endearing characters and a nice stable of underrated artists. I also had a lot of fun reading it. If one cannot afford the massive omnibuses and read the series from the beginning, # 29 was the issue that won me over. It’s a good-jumping on point and shows the rich emotional complexity of the characters without drowning them in too many footnotes referring to past issues. Frank Cho’s “Liberty Meadows” is also fun.
Meanwhile, I am more inclined to point younger readers to 80s Marvel and DC comics. I loved the Roger Stern/Mike Zeck run of Captain America. Besides, why subject kids to epic storyline after epic storyline after epic storyline that gives neither the characters or the readers any chance to catch their breath and just have fun? I’m 36 and burnt out on Joe Quesada’s shinanigans, and DC is on the cusp of burning me out. Will a 7-year old or even a more discerning 13 or 14-year old really care to pick up each issue of “The Gauntlet” or “Brightest Day” or “The Age of Heroes” or “Shadowland”?
Forget the beef. Where’s the fun, popgunchaos? Where is the fun?
Many comics today have teen/adultish themes, so I wouldn’t give them to a six year old to read. However there are a few, ones based off of the tv cartoons for example that fit better. I think its best to judge what to get based on what the child is watching normally then match that level of maturity with appropriate reading material. Now if he was eight or nine that would be better to get into comics imo.
As for the idea put forth, I disagree a little. While its true that coming in at the middle of a storyline is going to make it harder to grasp what’s going on. Many comics just go in cycles, so that when a new arch starts the character just about resets itself. Not to mention a quick read of a wiki page can bring you up to date.
Michael – I don’t read enough Marvel to form an opinion, but since all of the Avengers titles are all starting at 1, that would be a good place to start. I still think All-Star Superman isn’t inappropriate. I believe it has appeal across age ranges. Kids should like it because the action is beautiful and adults should like it because it connects to past iterations of the character.
Ryo – I’m trying to put myself into the mindset of a new reader that wants to read either Batman or Superman since these are two recognizable characters that people try to connect to. Now, as much as I love Grant Morrison, his Batman run is difficult for new readers to connect to. Everything has built from the arc before it and now that he has changed titles (“batman and Robin” “return of bruce wayne” and “Batman Inc”) it would be tough to get the whole story. Superman’s story was especially difficult when four titles took the narrative. Sure, it’s a good way to get readers to get other books, but new readers have no clue where to start.
Essentially, it comes down to this, I’ve heard too many people say, “I don’t know where to start” when it comes to comics and it’s definitely a real problem. Simply saying to use wiki or wait until the next storyline isn’t quite enough. Of course, everything seems simple to people who have been reading comics for a long time, but for newbies, it’s a bit difficult to find a place to start.
When I said that “All-Star Superman” would be inappropriate for a six year old, I merely meant that the writing and concepts are probably too advanced, though that didn’t come out in my response above. If you know a six year old that will actually understand what the hell is going on in those episodes, then, well, you know more six year olds than I do, Mr. Lobster. But I see your point as that title is mired in continuity.
I have to agree with Rob. Older Marvel titles from the 80’s would be a good gateway to superhero comics. I love the Stern/Zeck Captain America. How about the Stern/Romita Jr. issues of Spider-Man, or the first for or five years of Spectacular Spider-Man? Perhaps the Claremont/Byrne X-Men and Marvel Team-Up, or the Byrne Fantastic Four. Though Byrne has proven himself to be a bit weak as a storyteller of late, his 80’s stuff got me reading more, especially Alpha Flight’s first 13 issues. you might also recommend the Simonson run on Thor and the Layton/Michelenie run on Iron Man. Most of these are in trade, and some can be found in those giant phone book sized “Essentials” Marvel cranks out.
Of course, dear host, you know my sick obsession with 80’s Marvel licensed books (Rom, Micronauts, Star Wars, John Carter of Mars). At that age, I read a lot of the color monthly Conan because of the magic and monsters.
For DC, I’m thinking more of the Perez/Wolfman Teen Titans.
Oops! I meant “not mired in continuity.” I need more coffee if I’m going to post at 7 in the morn.
Speaking of the Titans, i think Geoff Johns’ run on Teen titans would be an excellent gateway drug.
Also, Morrison’s JLA.
Oh, yeah! Morrison’s JLA! How could I forget! Very good.
For a six year old? I’d have to agree with the above and say old stuff like Justice League Adventures, or for today Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The regular brave and the bold could also fit into because it doesn’t really seem that mature and there isn’t any one point that you have to know everything before hand, thats the beauty of random team up titles.
Honestly if he wants to but for his son, he should really just stick to the trade paperbacks. going week to week is not only a pain but also expensive as hell in the long run. The big hassle with this is, DC in particular doesn’t release everything as a trade paperback, and sometimes they will omit issues. Like Young Justice only had two compilations that i can remember off hand. I’m not sure if Teen Titans has kept up the releases, but they would be a good suggestion, but again you fall into the problem of having to buy all the old stuff before you have any clue whats going on currently.
There’s always Empowered…
Doesn’t marvel offer a huge amount of older comics online to read for a low price?
They do indeed. i’m not sure about how the interface is. I should check that out.
The comic book industry of today has pretty much bricked-up all its ground-floor entrances and politely requests that new readers make their way in via the fire-escapes to the upper-story windows.
It’s pretty simple to see why. Modern comics are written by people who grew up reading comics and marketed to a target audience of, well… comic book nerds. That’s why we have specialty stores, after all.
As a result of this, we get stories that celebrate character histories, building on the robust backlog that major characters, groups, or whathaveyou have been building for decades on decades. And that’s great… for the people who know the history.
Cody mentioned Geoff Johns’ work in Action Comics with Superman and the Legion of Superheroes, and I cannot think of a better example of reaching a synthesis of history and accessibility. It is exceptional in quality, but sadly it’s also exceptional from the norm.
Interestingly enough, this synthesis is far more prevalent in movie and television adaptations, where distilling an across-the-board accessible version of the character is the overriding goal.
I’d say Batman: The Animated Series (and the associated DC Animated Universe) is the epitome of this balance. It was superheroes presented mythologically. While there were instances of continuity, most of the stories can be seen in any order and didn’t punish the audience for lack of background knowledge. Yet somehow, they can still be enjoyed by those of us mired in anecdotes, continuity, and history.
…
I was going to yammer about this more, and possible get to a point, but I have to go do “responsible” things now.
I have wanted to buy comics for years now. But I figured the stories were too bloated with history for me to be able to start reading them and enjoy myself. I myself just started on Batman Beyond this month finally. Which it also isn’t a good starting comic series. Unless you watched the animated series you’re pretty alienated in what’s going on. It makes like a 1-2 sentence vague summary of what the deal is with this future batman and that’s it.