10 Most Harmful Trends In Comics Today
1. Forgetting The Fun...
Comic books are supposed to be fun. There, we said it.
Whilst a little drama is nice every now and again, we really dont need too many stories about serial killers flashing back to their awful experiences of child abuse, whilst emotionally stunted superheroes beat them mercilessly to a pulp (with the same lead pipe used to beat the killer when he was little), before falling to their knees in a puddle of blood and openly weeping.
Comic books are supposed to represent a hybrid world, part dream, part reality. Whatever happened to the colourful, explosive pop violence that used to make up a comic book readers four-colour diet?
This is not to call for a complete return to the simplistic, childlike stories of old, just suggesting that we dont forget why we all started to read comics in the first place. Most of you reading this probably became comics fans during childhood and picked up comics because you enjoyed reading the stories within, why? Because they were different and exciting, thats why.
Today, titles like Dan Slott & Mike Allreds Silver Surfer and Jeff Parkers Batman 66 still retain the fun and humour of old school comics, but many other comic books are actually quite a dirge to read. Humour is jettisoned, relationships are perpetually rocky and pain and strife are commonplace.
Drama is fine, sad themes are fine, adult content is fine, but a whole issue where the hero doesnt wear their costume, or where they dont save anyone, or where no good deeds are done is just stupid and contrary to the spirit in which those characters were created in the first place.
In short, wheres the fun of adventuring if theres no adventure left in you?
Besides, if we could turn invisible or fly, we guarantee wed enjoy every minute of it.
Comic books are the best artform out there because they are capable of literally anything. Right now, however, it doesnt always feel that way, does it?