Comicscape - August 31, 2005

By: Kurt Amacker
Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Greetings, gentle readers. I write this week's COMICSCAPE from a craptacular motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Hurricane Katrina decided to pay New Orleans a visit. I know that all of you waited with baited breath to learn what happened to me, but fear not my wife and I left New Orleans with a friend in tow at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday and drove to Memphis. Never say that I'm not committed to you, the COMICSCAPE faithful. I'll be out of state for a while, and if I can't do the column, the dubiously reliable Al Brown will do the column in my stead. But, like a Terminator, I can't be killed by conventional weapons and I'll be back. Anyway, virtually all of the readers that responded to last week's rant agreed with me about the dominance of superheroes in comics. None of the fabled "Marvel zombies" stepped in the ring to tell me to shove my black and white indie books up my ass or anything. I know people like that are out there, but I guess they just don't read COMICSCAPE. I'm glad I serve such an enlightened readership. Here is your letters.

Jorge Parrata writes, "I want to point out that the rise of Manga is not even close to being adequately reflected in Diamond distribution lists. When you go to any of the chain bookstores you'll notice that their Manga sections are much larger than their superhero sections. Plus, the sales of books such as supermarket Archie digests don't show up on the Diamond listings either. Also, the rise of trade paperbacks greatly skewers the numbers for Vertigo books. Looking at 100 BULLETS sales solely in the pamphlet form again misses the big picture. There is no denying that comic book sales are heavily dominated by superheroes in the traditional, comic store, pamphlet-reading view of the business. But a deeper analysis of the industry shows a much more complex picture."

Jorge, I agree with you, and I'm sorry if I failed to discuss the effects of trade paperbacks and manga sales on the industry. However, monthly comic sales remain extremely important. While I admit the picture is more complex than I portrayed it, low monthly sales can still kill a title. While the situation may not be quite so dire, they aren't great, either.

Joe Brusha writes, "I couldn't agree with you more. You're entire rant is one of the things that lead me to start my own publishing company. I'm sick and tired of monthly sales being dominated by Marvel and DC's superhero titles. I grew up on Spider-Man, the X-Men and Daredevil and love them as much as anyone one, but do we really need ten monthly X-Men titles and their convoluted plots? And I won't even get into how much I hate crossovers. Superhero books are the main reason that comics are not treated as serious literature here in the U.S. Mainstream readers view them as kids stuff and most non-comic readers don't even know that non-superhero books exist. Slowly but surely I think (and hope) that perception is changing. I, myself, have almost completely given up reading superhero books. Anyone who reads comics, or just likes great entertainment, couldn't help but love a book like THE WALKING DEAD or Y: THE LAST MAN. I just hope that more people (comic book and mainstream readers alike) take a chance and pick them up.

Joe, the perception of the medium by non-comics readers frustrates me to no end. No matter how often we see articles proclaiming "Comics aren't just for kids!" most people still equate comics with superheroes. I know people that never read comic books until SANDMAN and the Slave Labor Graphics Goth titles caught on a few years ago. Suddenly, instead of "I don't read comics," it was "I don't read comics...except for SANDMAN, DEATH, JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC, SQUEE, LENORE, AND GLOOMCOOKIE." This only proves that people that "don't read comics" will do so if the subject matter interests them. Unfortunately, they don't know about other genres because we allow superheroes to dominate the sales and, hence, outside perception.

Brian Short writes, "Hey. I wanted to write and let you know that I appreciate the article you wrote this week, about stepping past the spandex border into the world of Underground Comix, or Indy Comix, or whatever. Maybe the X is what signifies the difference. Wouldn't that be ironic? So, anyway, good article, but I think you need to hit the plebeians with some advice on where to look. I know you're trying to hit the biggest base by suggesting the big things. But, really, REALLY, these all fall, for the most part, within the confines of the the superhero trope. SIN CITY and TRANSMETROPOLITAN are further afield without being unrecognizable to mainstream comic audiences. Another point to be made for all of these is that none of these titles are going to go out of print any time soon. And none of them should. They are all masterpieces. Everybody should read them. But, because of that fact, this particular corner of the almost-hero market doesn't need any more touting. It's around. People dig it. Not every person who has picked up an X-Men comic knows who Cassidy is and why he wore sunglasses all the time, but that's probably okay. Garth Ennis' brilliance is known throughout the land, he's written for all kinds of awesome comics in and outside of the mainstream, he will be remembered (along with Moore, Ellis and Bendis) as the creative geniuses that saved the comic industry (multiple times...each, probably) from turning into a huge, smoldering pile of ass-crap (with Marvel and DC arguing, constantly, over whose ass-crap mini-pile is more impressive...'But mine is steaming!' 'But mine is full of corn! And nuts! And a few corn nuts!' Second is obviously Marvel). What area DOES need touting is the indy comix you spoke, briefly, about in your article. You gave a good overview/meta-history, and Spiegelman and Crumb are the Godfathers, no question. But there is SO MUCH out there right now that DOES need more attention, and I think, in a rant about getting beyond the created market of superhero comics (come on, do we really need Marvel Knights Spider-Man?), you should have mentioned more stuff people should check out that isn't gonna be on the DC/Marvel racks. Or maybe you're saving that for this week. Or maybe you were just settling a grudge by writing that article. Who knows? I just want to talk about what I like anyway, so here it is. Basically, the psychopomp for my personal indy comix lifestyle is McSweeney's Issue 13. People should read that, and should check out the people in it, including (my heroes) Jeffrey Brown, Joe Sacco, Chris Ware, Adrian Tomine. Also, Craig Thompson, Paul Hornschemeier, James Kochalka. And we're not even going outside the main of light on this list. There are so many who deserve a little nod, a little more attention, a little more love from us huddled masses. You know? But still. For a rant, this is a good start. People can set their compass by these guys, and they can move onto lesser known brothers and sisters from there. If people are looking for titles, I'd say start with Unlikely (J. Brown), Optic Nerve (A. Tomine), Mother Come Home (P. Hornschemeier) and Blankets (C. Thompson). And you should definitely include more of the fellows (and felines) that you think rock the proverbial Casbah OUTSIDE of the Marvel/DC (that includes Vertigo!) mainstream. Sometimes brothers and sisters need some help finding their way out of the dark, you know what I mean?"

I admit I didn't recommend many small press books by name. However, you named several that I recommend everyone pick up. Virtually anything released by Top Shelf (who put out the aforementioned BLANKETS) is a safe bet. I also suggest just leafing through the Diamond Previews catalogue and just ordering some small press stuff that might interest you, the readers. Support any local publishers in your area as well. Give your love to the small press. For instance, try the VIDEO miniseries by Lost in the Dark Press.

Heath McKnight writes, "I have a quick question, which I'm sure will lead to a longer answer: what's up with comics today? Most seem to be REALLY boring, like Iron Man. And I'm one of the biggest fans! It seems like they want to have heavy dialogue scenes, then cut to some action, but it's so forced. And bad."

Heath, action-heavy stories have largely fallen out of fashion in the wake of the 1990s boom. Unfortunately, some readers think the major publishers swung too far in the opposite direction and abandoned faster-paced storytelling in favor of drawn out character building exercises. You should support the titles you like. I tend to enjoy the slower stories, but if you like big guns, big breasts, and lots of sh-t getting blown up, there are books like that out there.

Hollis Monroe writes, "When in college, I wrote a 17-page paper entitled: 'There's a Lesson to Learned Here... Somewhere'; Comic Books as a Social Phenomenon as Witnessed in the Life and Death of EC Comics' (whew!). As a comic fan, and a black American I found the story of the demise of EC Comics particularly interesting, and I'm glad that there others like you to shine a light on that particular dark corner of history. As research, I also read Dr. Wertham's SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT, which employed the most ingenious reverse scientific method I've ever come across. As you know, Wertham would visit institutions holding juvenile delinquents and ask those interred whether or not they read comic books. Hey, it was the 1930s; nearly EVERY kid read comic books! So when enough of them answered 'yes', Dr. Wertham came to the brilliant conclusion: 'Aha! Juvenile delinquints read comic books... ergo, comic books couase juvenile delinquincy!!!' Freakin' brilliant!"

Hollis, Wertham's probably the most hated man in comics' history. Unfortunately, a lot of readers don't know about the change in the magazine distribution system, which was probably even more important in the demise of other genres. He and the Comics Code certainly helped equate comics with superheroes in the minds of most readers. Unfortunately, a lot of readers were happy to carry that ball into the end zone by only supporting superheroes and neglecting other genres when they became available through the direct market. It's up to us now! Thanks for writing.

Jeff Erickson writes, "I agree with you 100% except for one statement: 'creationism is wrong.' You are a moron, creationism is right, read the Bible. A rather interesting adventure story, if you look at it that way. And yes, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY was a good chick flick. Although I do want to blow cheese every time I see Hugh Grant."

I shouldn't even dignify this with a response, but I suppose I brought this on myself. First, don't e-mail me with personal insults. That's just childish. Second, I have read portions of the Bible and I stand by my positions (including the bit about television lying and all that). I used creationism as a comparative example, albeit an inflammatory one. Feel free to disagree. But, again: my column, my word. If you don't like it, write your own.

Jeff Patterson writes, "Well, Kurt, I just finished my Previews order Form for November. The last mainstream hero title on my list, JSA, is another DAY OF VENGEANCE/whatever tie-in. So it's now gone. BATMAN/SUPERMAN and the CLASSIFIED titles may reappear depending on the creative team...My reading pile is now predominantly Vertigo and Wildstorm, with goodies like RED SONJA and a few Dark Horse and Avatar books thrown in for good measure. I'm a science fiction/fantasy/horror reader. It's been two years since I started culling heroes from my reading, and I don't miss them at all. I should also point out that at about the same time I swore off all Star Trek product, and made the drastic move of avoiding movies altogether. I've seen SIN CITY and THE INCREDIBLES, but little else. All of this gives me time to focus my geekdom of novels and the remaining comics, and I've never been happier. Which is what this is all about, isn't it. I find a lot of comic readers act as if they have a duty to protect continuity or character integrity. Rubbish. If you find comics make you angry or sent you into day-long rants about character reboots and makeovers, you need to step back and examine your reading habits. I have a simple rule: If I do not smile while reading a comic, it's not worth keeping. Suppose you went to a restaurant, a familiar one that you've been to often, and ordered your favorite dish. When your plate arrives, it contains a mound of feces. I daresay you would not go there again. Now imagine, if you will, that you had a similar experience in a number of establishments, either in the same neighborhood or specializing in the same cuisine. I daresay you would avoid that cuisine for a good long while. You might go there out of irony, like if you wanted to show your out-of-town friend the place where they serve feces, but that's about it. I feel that way about the Big Two Universes. In hearing this analogy, my friend claimed that it was false, that the worst I had experienced was the equivalent of an undercooked entree, or one poorly prepared by the particular chef on-duty. No. It's feces. The bulk of the superhero books that I was buying became unreadable. I watched the relaunched JLA and AVENGERS titles go from glorious heights to torturous tales of banality. After such great series as STARMAN and MARTIAN MANHUNTER, I read later relaunches such as Warlock and Silver Surfer with horror. How can these characters be so boring!? Meanwhile PLANETARY, Y: THE LAST MAN, and EX MACHINA hit the mark every month. New books like THE ATHEIST and DESOLATION JONES have risen to the top of my list. The Hellboy/BPRD universe still delivers, and TOM STRONG has suffered very little from Alan Moore's departure. The sad part is that none of these books deviates very far from the usual superhero tropes, but they manage to make their worlds fun. The last time I had such a blast reading a Marvel or DC book was probably the Amalgam stuff. So, yes, I could be missing out on some great reading, but I really don't care. And I still remember all that feces. I'll flip through the trades when they hit the local Borders and, if they look interesting, I'll pick them up. If someone reads only superhero books, and never tries anything new? Well, they've got a problem, don't they?"

Well said, Jeff. I haven't quite given up on superheroes as you seem to have. That's your prerogative, but, for instance, DAREDEVIL has been great for a long time and remains a worthy read. But, I agree with your point about angry readers complaining about continuity hiccups and remaining perpetually unsatisfied. No one should expend energy crying about how uncharacteristic the Scarlet Witch's turn was when there are a ton of great titles on the shelf that they could read. Comics should make you happy, not raise your damn blood pressure (that's what hurricanes are for). Honestly, your restaurant analogy led me to give up SUPERMAN/BATMAN. I realized that I hadn't enjoyed it for a long time and couldn't justify it any longer. It reinforces my point from last week: there is great stuff out there, so don't cheat yourself go look for it.

DARK HORSE

BPRD THE BLACK FLAME #1 (OF 6) $2.99

REVELATIONS #1 (OF 6) $2.99
Oh my God - you killed the Pope! Or his successor or something! Here's what: this series advertises itself as "a sophisticated murder mystery set in the unlikeliest of places--The Vatican." So...The Order, anyone?

SERENITY CASSADAY CVR #1 (OF 3) (NEW PRTG) $2.99
Yes, the first issue sold out so hardcore that they're reprinting all three variant covers. Guess I better buy some more stocks of the movie at HSX.

SERENITY HITCH CVR #1 (OF 3) (NEW PRTG) $2.99

SERENITY J G JONES CVR #1 (OF 3) (NEW PRTG) $2.99

USAGI YOJIMBO #86 $2.99

DC COMICS

ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE #3 (OF 16) $2.99

BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #68 $2.50

CATWOMAN #46 $2.50
Because we're the site that asks the questions no one else dares to ask: What is it with Catwoman's eyebrows?

DOOM PATROL #15 $2.50

ELFQUEST THE GRAND QUEST VOL 10 TP $9.99
My childhood just keeps coming back.

JLA CLASSIFIED #11 $2.99

LOSERS #27 (MR) $2.99

MAD ABOUT THE FIFTIES TP NEW EDITION $12.99
Does this come out every week, or what?

NEIL GAIMANS NEVERWHERE #3 (OF 9) (MR) $2.99

SANDMAN VOL 7 BRIEF LIVES TP $19.95

SEVEN SOLDIERS SHINING KNIGHT #4 (OF 4) $2.99
Al: Grant Morrison is almost half-done with his epic of confusion. Good God, why did DC insist on overshadowing this glorious clusterf*ck with IDENTITY COUNTING VENGEANCE?
Kurt: It is odd that DC would plan two major crossovers at once like that. I'm digging both, but it seems counterproductive. Yeah, I'm not funny this week.

SILENT DRAGON #2 (OF 6) $2.99

SOLO #6 $4.99
Al: This week in the story of Kurt's love life: Poison Ivy! I'd love to say it's the BATMAN villain, but...well, try not to think about Hydrocortisone applied to very private places.
Kurt: Al only knows because he kept asking to see it. Little bastard wouldn't leave me alone so I just dropped trou.

TEEN TITANS GO #22 $2.25
Does anyone else get the theme to Speed Racer stuck in their heads whenever they see this book? No? Well, you do now.

TEEN TITANS GO VOL 1 TRUTH JUSTICE PIZZA TP NEW PTG $6.99

TOM STRONGS TERRIFIC TALES BOOK ONE TP $17.99

IMAGE

DAWN THREE TIERS #6 (OF 6) $2.99

MARVEL

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #523 $2.50

ASTONISHING X-MEN #12 $2.99
What would've been the conclusion to Joss Whedon's fantastic run, if he hadn't changed his mind. Thank you for changing your mind, Joss!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #9 $2.99

DAREDEVIL FATHER #2 (OF 5) $2.99
Al: This still exists? What's next, SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT?
Kurt: Or maybe DAREDEVIL: TARGET? Yeah, it's Marvel's time to clean out the closet.

ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 6 TP $16.99

INCREDIBLE HULK LTD ED VARIANT #84 $2.99

MARVEL 1602 NEW WORLD #2 (OF 5) $3.50

MARVEL ADVENTURES FLIP MAGAZINE #3 $3.99

NEW AVENGERS #9 $2.50
Here comes the Sentry! Okay, I'll admit it: Sentry's kinda cool. In fact, he's one of the three interesting things about the whole NEW AVENGERS thing. (The other two things are right here.)

NEW AVENGERS TRIMPE VARIANT #9 (PP #679) $2.50
Yes! Trimpe variant! Trimpe sounds like a really complicated method of crocheting.

NEW X-MEN LTD ED VARIANT #16 $2.99

OFFICIAL HANDBOOK ULTIMATE MARVEL UNIVERSE 2005 $3.99
Al: Really, isn't the whole point of the Ultimate Marvel Universe that you shouldn't need a damn handbook to sort through it? Ooh! - hey, does Geldoff get an entry?
Kurt: When you see Ultimate Superpro, you'll know the end is near.

POWERS BENDIS COVER #12 (MR) $3.95
Hee hee, remember when Bendis was an artist? Did you read that interview in Newsarama with him the other day? When Marvel first wanted to hire him, he was all, "What book do you want me to draw?" and Quesada was all, "Dude, we want you to write. You suck at drawing." Which he does. Good writer though, recent evidence notwithstanding.

POWERS OEMING VARIANT #12 (MR) $3.95

PULSE LTD ED VARIANT #10 $2.99

RUNAWAYS #7 $2.99

SPIDER-MAN HOUSE OF M LTD ED VARIANT #2 (OF 5) $2.99

STRANGE BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS TP $17.99
Al: Wow, everyone's talking about Kurt's love life these days.
Kurt: If by strange you mean that it begins and ends in a Memphis hotel room to which I evacuated. Stupid hurricane.

SUPREME POWER #18 (MR) $2.99

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 2 LEARNING CURVE TP $12.99

ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 3 WORLD TOUR TP $17.99

ULTIMATES 2 VOL 1 GODS AND MONSTERS TP $15.99

WHA HUH (RES) $3.99
I absolutely do not believe for a second that this is actually making its way onto stands. (But if it does I'm buying.) For those not in the know, this is Bendis's comedy one-shot that, rumor has it, included a dig on DC's IDENTITY CRISIS that caused some eight months' worth of legal troubles. (Quesada denies all.) I'm irritated by passive-aggressive infighting between the two big dogs, personally, but it all depends on whether the joke is funny - and Bendis does know the funny.

X-MEN KITTY PRYDE SHADOW & FLAME #3 (OF 5) $2.99
Al: Ninjas kidnap Kitty Pryde's pet dragon. I feel like it ought to embarrass me that I understood everything about that last sentence.
Kurt: Al, just stay embarrassed and save yourself the trouble.

X-MEN THE END HEROES AND MARTYRS #6 (OF 6) $2.99
Is this really the end, or will we see X-MEN THE END: WE REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME. SERIOUSLY.

YOUNG AVENGERS #6 $2.99

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