Are the days of superhero comics numbered?

[Lighthouse]

Interesting article for discussion from CHUD. While I find it to be overly bitter and harsh, I can't help wondering if he's correct about the future of superhero comics. I myself have zero interest in DC and Marvel superhero comics, because I find them endlessly convoluted. I prefer much more self contained stories, but I still really like superhero characters. Share your opinions, as I'm very interested to hear them.

WARNING: Its pretty damn long.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/18160/1/THE-DEVIN039S-ADVOCATE-THE-NEW-DEPRESSION-MAY-BE-THE-BEST-THING-THAT-EVER-HAPPENED-TO-COMICS/Page1.html

 

[Darthkush]

I JUST read that article. It's irritating and possibly true and...wow, so many emotions.

I love superhero comics and I don't understand the rampant hate that they are slowly inspiring in the comics community. Are the crossover events out of control? yes. Yes, they are but it doesn't mean that the end is nigh.

The comics continue to be serialized as an point of making these things that happen to these characters feel like they're "happening" and that it meant something that we read it. I think the only way this should stop is if Marvel and DC decided together to "end" both universes as we've known them and then continue as an series of one shots, mini-series, graphic novels etc. I'm not ready to give up montly reading unless there's an "end" to every story. If they do that, I think I can live with it. Otherwise, I'd rather that not happen.

And what the F**K is exactly so wrong with adults liking superheroes or for that matter, GI Joes and Transformers, etc? Unless they're braindead, they're obviously getting something out of it that an child isn't. For example, I love Spider-man and I like him because I like reading about peter parker and his many personal problems with the occasional thrill of an fight sequence. Nobody else should weark Spider-man's mask. But for an child? Many children(except for the ones that I've noticed go on to be come comic fans) don't even know Spider-man's name is Peter Parker or give an damn about anything other than him fighting Doc Ock, Venom, etc. It's just different.

This article struck an nerve for me. I had an argument with my girlfriend last night because she didn't understand why I have an collection of GI Joes on my wall in my bedroom of my apartment. I don't play with them, they're just for decoration!

 

[Harlekin]

I really couldn't get past the vitriol in the first few paragraphs. This is a person deeply insecure and is lashing out because of it.

 

[itsthebatman]

He does make some good points, even if he is quite insulting to superhero comics readers (not that he cares), and that shouldn't obscure his message anyway. Superhero comics circulation is very low, and while thei recession may not see the end of them, it will be interesting to see what happens to the numbers in the coming years. I have to confess that, even as a 'tradewaiter', I am buying less than I used to, for myriad reasons, but partly because I just don't enjoy them as much as I used to. When my bookshlef does get its long-overdue clearout, it'll be superhero comics that bite the dust.

 

[chamber-music]

I agree with some of his points although he sounds real bitter a bit superhero comics in general.

The big two have been milking audiences for far too long and single monthly issues are outdated. Also at Marvel it does seem like comics are becoming just a breeding ground to sell merchandise and make movies which is inevitable when they are the most profitable parts of the business.

Things like the Ultimate universe which was supposed to make Marvel characters more accessible to new readers hasn't really worked in my opinion.

 

[DAJB]

I don't think there's anything in that article that we haven't heard before. A lot of the points it makes are valid:

1. The virtual duopoly that the Big Two have on comic production is stifling creativity. Yup.
2. Diamond's stranglehold on distribution is even worse. No question.
3. The insistence of the Big Two on focusing almost exclusively on super heroes damages the reputation of comics as a story-telling medium. Absolutely.
4. The Big Two appear to have no answer to declining sales except to milk their shrinking fanbase by releasing an interminable series of major crossover "events", each one less Earth-shattering than the last. Can't argue with that.

These are all well recognised facts and undoubtedly true. But does that mean super hero comics will disappear? I doubt it. Their absolute dominance of the market may disappear. Sales figures may dwindle to a point where even today's dismal numbers begin to look like a golden age but there's another fact, too ...

There will always be some people (including, by definition, most of us on this forum!) who like super hero stories and, whatever else they may be good for, comics are simply the best medium for telling those stories (well, okay, movies excepted!) It's easy to criticise the genre conventions but they're no more ridiculous than the conventions which define other types of genre fiction.

I can't see the super hero comic dying out. I can see it becoming just another genre among many, but that's not a bad thing. The divisions between those who like super hero comics but look down other genres and those who like indy fare but look down on super hero comics has existed far too long. If super hero comics do lose their dominant market position, so that all the genres are put on a more equal sales footing, that may actually be quite a healthy thing for the industry. Not immediately, perhaps, but in the long run ...!

 

[Da_Lycan]

Ok even though the writer comes off as hating superhero comics. I have to admit he makes senses on some of his points. Its not that superhero comics are bad its just that they are bad as the dominant genre. Comics are capable of telling all kinds of great stories not just about guys in tights. And the big 2 have the ability to give the stories to the mainstream but dont. Seriously do we need 6 wolverine titles? No we only need one. Use the other 5 spots to tell another kind of story. How about a horror title? Or even a buddy cop series? And yea 4 bucks for 22 pages of a rehashed spidey vs green goblin story for the millionth time is just too much. The writer talked about the economy and how people are choosing wisely how they spend they money on entertainment. Id rather spend my money on a video game ill play more than once than a comic ill read once then maybe toss in the trash. Singles are outdated and TPBs are in. We also live in a time where people download movies, music, and tv for free legally or illegally. And now comics are becoming the same way. I dont see comics surviving with they current path they taking.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The only problem I have with superheroes dominating the medium is that people are so loyal to characters that utter s*** like Loeb's Hulk and Millar's Kick-Ass manages to top the sales charts. If the best-selling superhero comics could feature intelligent writing instead of blatant sensationalism, there'd be nothing wrong with superhero comics because superheroes are not a genre. They're characters. You can put a superhero into any environment and get a good story.

But this is nothing unique to comic books. The tripe that appeals to the lowest common denominator sells the most in any medium, from movies (Michael Bay flicks, anyone?) to TV (reality television) to music (manufactured pop and rap). Also, in any medium, the crappy, mass-appealing junk at the top of the dominant genre tends to drown out all of the actual good stuff that may be coming out from those same genres--over-produced, angsty-for-angst's-sake rap vs. lyrically intelligent hip-hop or formulaic action films vs. emotionally affecting drama pieces that happen to have a lot of action, for example. There are still good superhero comics out there, so calling for the downfall of superhero comics as a whole just makes me think the author of that article is a bitter ex-fan with an over-inflated ego. Once again (since I keep seeing this ridiculous message in all kinds of pretentious articles like this), indie does not automatically equal better.

 

[chamber-music]

Ok even though the writer comes off as hating superhero comics. I have to admit he makes senses on some of his points. Its not that superhero comics are bad its just that they are bad as the dominant genre. Comics are capable of telling all kinds of great stories not just about guys in tights. And the big 2 have the ability to give the stories to the mainstream but dont. Seriously do we need 6 wolverine titles? No we only need one. Use the other 5 spots to tell another kind of story. How about a horror title? Or even a buddy cop series? And yea 4 bucks for 22 pages of a rehashed spidey vs green goblin story for the millionth time is just too much. The writer talked about the economy and how people are choosing wisely how they spend they money on entertainment. Id rather spend my money on a video game ill play more than once than a comic ill read once then maybe toss in the trash. Singles are outdated and TPBs are in. We also live in a time where people download movies, music, and tv for free legally or illegally. And now comics are becoming the same way. I dont see comics surviving with they current path they taking.

Oh I agree with you there. The big two milk their big stars for all they are worth. Instead of taking the time to develop characters they have for 40 years and thus make them more popular they focus on a handful of their star characters and shove them in every book they can regardless of if they add anything to the story or not.

 

[chamber-music]

The only problem I have with superheroes dominating the medium is that people are so loyal to characters that utter s*** like Loeb's Hulk and Millar's Kick-Ass manages to top the sales charts. If the best-selling superhero comics could feature intelligent writing instead of blatant sensationalism, there'd be nothing wrong with superhero comics because superheroes are not a genre. They're characters. You can put a superhero into any environment and get a good story.

But this is nothing unique to comic books. The tripe that appeals to the lowest common denominator sells the most in any medium, from movies (Michael Bay flicks, anyone?) to TV (reality television) to music (manufactured pop and rap). Also, in any medium, the crappy, mass-appealing junk at the top of the dominant genre tends to drown out all of the actual good stuff that may be coming out from those same genres--over-produced, angsty-for-angst's-sake rap vs. lyrically intelligent hip-hop or formulaic action films vs. emotionally affecting drama pieces that happen to have a lot of action, for example. There are still good superhero comics out there, so calling for the downfall of superhero comics as a whole just makes me think the author of that article is a bitter ex-fan with an over-inflated ego. Once again (since I keep seeing this ridiculous message in all kinds of pretentious articles like this), indie does not automatically equal better.

Agree with this too. The truth is people are just to lazy to look for the good stuff these days. If its not spoon feed to them they will just moan how everything sucks. You gotta look through the dirt to find the gems sometimes.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The reason that they have to look so hard in the first place is because the people with the money control the art, and they're looking to make money and minimize risk, which leads to more formulaic drivel that's guaranteed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. This is also evident in superhero comics in the form of big events that the suits at Marvel and DC rope readers into because they're ostensibly important to the fictional universe somehow, multiple comics featuring the same character (Batman and Wolverine are the worst offenders here), and big-name creators being used to bolster sales on major characters' titles--someone who may not read Daredevil normally might be more inclined to do so if Mark Millar, whom they know from those aforementioned big events, is writing it or if Ed McGuinness is drawing it or whatever.

 

[November Rain]

the genre will re-invent itself...

i say the answer is to diversify and have a single writer on a book, none of this universal appeal rubbish.

also have things conclude and not over running stories or plenty of them. multiple six month events in different books starting and ending at different times.

finite stories and intelligent writing.

all my favourite comic book stories are finite singles or trades, mostly inclusive universal tales or 'fillers'.

even so the idea of trying to stretch out a story for sale purposes is bad, if it takes six issues, use six. If it takes three issues, don't use five. If it really takes 9 issues, cut it down to 6 and elaborate on it in the trade (director's cut).

oh and overhyping should go out of the window, let the fan generate the hype of an event, not your marketing team. I think the movies have kinda shown us that.

 

[kakashi]

Wow...i guess i owed some of the Bat fans an apology for defending this creep way back when.

 

[yenaled]

I think a comic book writer must have spit in that guys Frosties.