School Newspaper Comic Book Article

[J-Bones]

Hey folks, I wrote an article for my school newspaper about comic books, I want to get some opinions on it:

By JAY PARENTE
Staff Writer
Comics Aren't for Kids

BAM! THWIP! SNIKT! POW! These sounds, along with inane banter between superhero and supervillain is what you might come to expect bound between the pages of a comic book. In some cases you'd be right, but as many readers have grown up, so has the comic book industry. If you have never picked up a comic book, or haven't picked one up in years, here's a list of three books that just might change your opinion of comics just being "kid stuff."

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is both written and illustrated by Frank Miller. This story focuses on an alcoholic and suicidal 55-year-old Bruce Wayne who has retired from being Batman for 10 years. Gotham City is in the middle of a crime wave where only the ultra-violent can survive. Upon a bat crashing through his window, Wayne succumbs to the darkness within him, realizing that his mission is not yet over, and once again becomes Batman.

Miller portrays Batman as dark and obsessed, but also as an aging man coming to terms with his own mortality. The villains are deep as well, Two-Face is equally tortured as Batman, however Two-Face is remorseful over the monster he has become whereas Batman embraces it. Then you have the Joker, who has been comatose in the absence of Batman, who goes on a killing spree just for the sake of doing it. Superman shows up as well but not as Batman’s ally, but a government puppet sent in to take down Batman when he is deemed a threat. It’s dark; gritty; the way Batman should be.

Watchmen is written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The central story in Watchmen is rather simple: Someone is killing off or discrediting the former group of superheroes. The remaining members come together to discover the who and the why behind it all. But what makes Watchmen special is the depth of both the characters and their subplots: Nite Owl not being able to let go of the superhero life; Dr. Manhattan coping with his responsibility to the human race given his god-like powers; Rorschach going under psychiatric evaluation. Each chapter, or issue, of the 12-part series does focus specifically on one of the characters, but still advances the overall plot. In 2005, Time magazine placed Watchmen on its list of the 100 Greatest English Language Novels from 1923 to the present.

Preacher is written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon. Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a preacher who has lost his faith in the small Texas town of Annville. Custer is possessed by the supernatural force Genesis in an incident which kills his entire congregation and flattens his church.

Genesis, the product of the union of an angel and a demon, might have enough power to rival that of God himself. Custer, driven by his strong sense of right and wrong, goes on a journey across America attempting to literally find God, who abandoned Heaven the moment Genesis was born. He is joined by his old girlfriend, and reformed hitman, Tulip, as well as a hard-drinking Irish vampire named Cassidy. Preacher focuses on a narrative storytelling and characterization. It is unapologetic with its handling of religious and supernatural themes. It’s dark and its humor is equally dark at times.

There are other titles that bear mentioning, such as The Ultimates, 300, Sin City, The Punisher, Transmetropolitan and Kingdom Come just to name a few. Give any of these books a try. You may just find yourself reading what you once thought was kids stuff.

 

[StrainedEyes]

I think you're going to get shoved into a locker.

 

[arachnid-guy]

Not bad. Work on your grammatical structure, and you'll be just fine!

BTW: I want to be a journalist and I've done an article on the benefits of comic books in society today for my college mag. Needless to say, I didn't get shoved into a locker...

Just into a bush.

 

[J-Bones]

I think you're going to get shoved into a locker.

6'3", 260lbs and in college, Naw, dont think it's gonna happen......

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

WW!

This is for you!

I just know yer gonna be a swell Yankee Pot Roast Beer!....writer.

 

[J-Bones]

YES!!! always wanted a pot roast ribbon!

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

you're livin' la vida pot roast!!!! w00t!

 

[J-Bones]

seriously, any opinions? or is your opinon that it's a pot roast?

 

[Erzengel]

I'd rather know about how the Cheerleading Squad is doing or the happenings with the Cafeteria Workers. Will it be salisbury steak on Wednesday? You are going to have to read this week's newspaper to find out.

 

[Space Moose]

I think you're going to get shoved into a locker.

Naploleon Dynamite style.

 

[terry78]

I hope you used an alias for yourself in that byline. Too many nutballs around here.

 

[Prognosticator]

I think you're going to get shoved into a locker.

LOL!!!t:

 

[Prognosticator]

I wrote an article on comicbook stuff when i was in the Newspaper class for my college last fall...come to think of it, i can't even remember WHAT EXACTLY i wrote about, but i tried not to be too nerdy about it. Some girls even responded positively to it.

Actually, now i remember; it was over the "Current Obsession" with superheroes in our culture, and how hippocritical it is to continue lambasting the comic book pulp materials which many of these ideas came from.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I hate this repetition of "just might"/"may just".

here's a list of three books that just might change your opinion of comics just being "kid stuff.

You may just find yourself reading what you once thought was kids stuff.

 

[Ronny Shade]

I have nothing to say.

 

[J-Bones]

well, for the feedback that I did get, thanks...

 

[The Last Meatbag]

Well you might get teased about it....I still don't really express my interest in comics.....I barely even talk about them around my peers..

 

[deathshead2]

You have a school paper. My school is too poor to aford paper.

 

[J-Bones]

Well you might get teased about it....I still don't really express my interest in comics.....I barely even talk about them around my peers..

That i could care less about. The reason I wrote it was so maybe people might actualy read one rather than just jump to conclusions like that

 

[J. J. Jameson]

Hey folks, I wrote an article for my school newspaper about comic books, I want to get some opinions on it:

Spread the word, man! I keep telling people that comics are NOT kids stuff. Its an unappreciated art form. Its so sad that so few people enjoy them .

 

[Joker]

too many words

Although I constantly read comics in school and never got teased about it. Well I did, but all it took was 1 or 2 choice panels from Preacher, Powers and Alias to show them they werent for kids.

 

[The Last Meatbag]

That i could care less about. The reason I wrote it was so maybe people might actualy read one rather than just jump to conclusions like that

I hope people actually respect your article then, that would kick ass.....but I think there's a pre conceived notion for many kids...especially teenagers....of whats cool and what's not....but good going for taking a stand dude

 

[Alpha and Omega]

Hey folks, I wrote an article for my school newspaper about comic books, I want to get some opinions on it:

Nice work, but you need to pinpoint the focus of your subject a little more; you could also work on a better segue between your intermediate and conclusion. (Lengthen the conclusion a bit)

I liked the incorporation of a 'maturing comic' industry though as a catalyst for what you were going to say, but as I said above, your conclusion wasn't expansive enough imo, and it didn't really bring the main idea together in a succinct, cohesive way. You mentioned some great examples and had a build-up to a conclusion that never really surfaced.

Not bad though. ​

 

[J-Bones]

no football fans here, huh?

good article, the part at the end (Glendoran ways) made me laugh.

I liked the incorporation of a 'maturing comic' industry though as a catalyst for what you were going to say, but as I said above, your conclusion wasn't expansive enough imo, and it didn't really bring the main idea together in a succinct, cohesive way. You mentioned some great examples and had a build-up to a conclusion that never really surfaced.

That's the biggest problem I had was coming up with a way to wrap it all up, but I handed it in to the teacher so I'll just have to wait and see how I did...

 

[Prognosticator]

no football fans here, huh?

Lots of Football fans. I'm a huge Football fan. But I don't want to read an old Blog about 2 teams I don't even know???