Words and Pictures: Comics vs. Literature

To the publisher’s credit, Marvel continues to expand its genre repertoire beyond superheroes. Though the company endures a great deal of oft-deserved criticism, it has understood an essential requirement for attracting new readers. If the medium is to find its way onto the coffee tables and nightstands of the average reader, it must expand into new territory. Horror has certainly remained a mainstay of comics since both the popularity of E.C. horror and the later relaxation thereupon by the odious Comics Code Authority in 1971. The updated code allowed "vampires, ghouls and werewolves... when handled in the classic tradition such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and other high calibre literary works written by Edgar Allan Poe, Saki, Conan Doyle and other respected authors whose works are read in schools around the world." It’s always a fine thing when moral watchdogs fling wide the doors for the living dead, but never mind. The Code’s revision, of course, preceded an explosion of fine horror comics from Marvel, such as Tomb of Dracula, Werewolf by Night, The Frankenstein Monster, and a handful of others that usually end up in reprint around Halloween. As such, Marvel and Richard Corben’s new miniseries, Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft—to be released in June—shouldn’t strike anyone as a bold move into new genre territory. However, it raises interesting notions about adaptations and the relationship between artists and writers.

Comic books, graphic novels, sequential art, and damn funny-books stand as whole works unto themselves. Despite the laudatory inclusion of Watchmen in the Time list of “All-Time 100 Novels,” any Maniac with the slightest critical faculties should see the difference between a great novel and a great comic. One traffics exclusively in prose, and uses words to facilitate the reader’s imaginative experience. A novel or short story stands as a complete work with words alone, but a comic exists almost at the other end of the spectrum, able to tell a story with images alone. Comics use images to create the experience for the reader. They may tell a story through pictures alone, but often use words to convey dialogue, sound effects, and a comparably sparse narrative. But, these exist almost as a concession—what can’t be expressed visually must be stated outright, thus drawing the comic closer to the novel. A multitude of variations exist between the purely pictorial on one end, and the totally textual on the other, but these don’t merit exploration this week. 

Too often, comic creators and fans jump to defend the place of comics as literature worthy of serious consideration. Granted, comic books—as opposed to earlier forms of pictorial storytelling—have spent much of their 110-year history as the whipping post for everyone from teachers, preachers, parents, literary critics and self-appointed moral watchdogs. Only within the past 20 years has the rest of the world bothered to acknowledge that some comics, in fact, merit serious critical consideration. Past the usual canonical examples of Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, and Maus, most contemporary voices in pop culture journalism—for what that’s worth—acknowledge the skill of writers such as Brian K. Vaughan, Kurt Busiek, Matt Fraction, and others that regularly elevate the medium. But, so many comic fans and professionals bear a grudge for years of feeling left out of the scope of literary consideration. The industry bears some responsibility in the matter, both for its overwhelming emphasis on superheroes and the marketing tactics we Maniacs often deride here at Comicscape—crossovers, variants, cyclical storytelling, and the like.. Pardon a total lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of discovering which B-list Marvel characters will be revealed as Skrulls, or how the DC Universe will change forever, for real this time. But, in begging for critical consideration and respect from pop culture, the literary establishment, and the proverbial man-on-the-street, the loudest proponents of comics have missed the point: comics are not literature, but something entirely different.

One should strip away the laudatory use of the adjective “literary” and understand what it means. By definitions, all books stand as works of literature. They tell stories with words alone. Most books may not merit serious critical examination, but they remain literature, if bad examples thereof. Watchmen is not a “work of literature” because of its many narrative layers, its sharp dialogue, or its commentary on conventional morality in a world armed with nuclear weapons. Watchmen is, however, a brilliant comic book, and worthy of examination as such. To try to argue for comics’ place next to “real books” sounds akin to asking that critics judge regular theater as they would an opera, even if the former has no singing. A comic, no matter how many words it employs, requires pictures. Otherwise, it becomes a short story or a novel. To ask a fan, critic, or casual reader to apply the same standards both denies the form and ignores a crucial player in the medium—the artist.

Consider this week’s Comicscape, then, a tribute to an oft-ignored rifleman in the war for comics’ legitimacy. Following the boom-and-bust of the 1990s, the popular comics market shifted its focus from artists to writers. While once a name like Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, or, sadly, Rob Liefeld, could send a book flying off the shelves, that honor now goes more often to writers such as Brian Michael Bendis, Grant Morrison, or Ed Brubaker. The Comicscape e-mail address receives the occasional note of thanks from artists—not the handful of superstars that still move books on marquee value alone, but the many unsung freelancers that bring comics to life. Most often, said artists feel grateful to have their work simply acknowledged in a review. Where Entertainment Weekly lavishes praise on scribes like Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughan, their artists receive comparably little consideration. While quality writing remains an integral part of any good comic, the reading experience is not a result exclusively of the script. We appreciate the wit and accessible pop theology of Garth Ennis’s Preacher. But, we simply wouldn’t experience his writing in the same way without the work of interior artist Steve Dillon and cover artist Glenn Fabry, both of whom created the story in glorious pictures. Let’s not forget colorists Matt Hollingsworth and Pamela Rambo. More often than not, comics stand as collaborative efforts that form whole works. Just as the lead singer of a band draws the most press and the director of a film the most credit, the focus has shifted from an overemphasis on artists to one on writers. But, no band, film, or comic would offer the same experience in the absence of the rest of the necessary talent. Granted, some multitalented creators write, draw, ink, color, and letter their own comics. But, more often than not, fans and critics equate a comic with its writer, forgetting that, were it not for the artistic team, the experience would stand as something entirely different. A script alone would not constitute a comic, and a different set of artists would fundamentally alter the work—perhaps for the worse, perhaps not. Watchmen is not solely the product of Alan Moore’s writing. It stands as a brilliant collaboration between that and the art by David Gibbons. Any other combination would result in a new work—possibly even one worthy of similar consideration, but undeniably different. 

When Marvel and Richard Corben’s vision of a handful of H.P. Lovecraft short stories and poems hits comic shops in June, it will include both the artist’s illustrated versions and the author’s original works. No one but a student avoiding a reading assignment would consider a comic adaptation a shortcut to an original work. But, it creates an interesting contrast between Lovecraft’s short stories and Corben’s illustrated versions, which constitute entirely new works. One can be read without the other, despite the rightful exhortations of Lovecraft enthusiasts to experience the original stories. But, any Maniac who enjoys horror, Lovecraft, or great art should buy Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft in June and read both versions, remembering that Corben’s adaptations constitute not a bridge to Lovecraft’s work, but experiences unto themselves—ones that would change radically under a different artist and adaptor. Similarly, any good work of sequential art stems not just from a writer’s great script, but a collaboration between that and the very images that define comics. 

In short: comics should not be regarded as literature, because they are not books. To treat them as such ignores the sequential images that define the medium. To ignore the images and focus exclusively on the script and its writer—for the images constitute part of the whole story—diminishes the role of artists, who provide the defining component to any comic. In fact, the experience of any given comic would fundamentally change with a different artistic team. “Camera angles” and panel composition work just as much to tell the story as dialogue and narration. Critics and fan should assess comics on the medium’s own terms and stop seeking a sense of legitimacy by asking that sequential art be treated like literary works. The two mediums work differently, and neither should suffer condemnation for their most fundamental characteristics. To condemn either sounds akin to criticizing a regular play for its total lack of ballet. Finally, everyone should pick up Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft in June to compare the original short stories to the comic adaptations. See how the two form different reading experiences. Both are worth having, but they differ in their delivery and effect.

Class dismissed. Join us again next Wednesday. 

The Spinner Rack

By Ben Johnson and Kurt Amacker

Ben: Welcome to the best thing to happen to comics since the 90’s!!

Kurt: All right, I got all of that hard-to-read book learnin’ stuff out of my system! Bring on the idiocy!

DARK HORSE COMICS

Apocalypse Nerd TP $13.95

Berserk TP Vol 22 (MR) $13.95

Kurt: Usually, TP only goes berserk after about 17 cups of coffee and a bag of Taco Bell.

Journal Amanda Visell $9.99

MPD Psycho TP Vol 04 (MR) $10.95

Kurt: I’ve heard that Ben turns into an MGD psycho when he and his buddies get together.

Return O/T Gremlins #1 (Of 3) (Res) $2.99

Ben: Don’t get them wet, and especially don’t feed them after midnight, or they’ll turn into crazy monsters bent on mischief. In other words, toddlers!!

Kurt: Um, these are the Disney and Roald Dahl gremlins. I was totally disappointed to find that out.

Speak O/T Devil #5 (Of 6) $3.50

Kurt: I speak of the Devil every time I introduce myself.

Star Wars Knights Of Old Republic #26 Vector Part 2 $2.99

Usagi Yojimbo #110 $2.99

DC COMICS

All Star Superman #10 $2.99

Authority Prime #6 (Of 6) $2.99

Batman Confidential #15 $2.99

Kurt: Tell me, confidentially, does anyone actually read this? Seriously, I have yet to meet anyone real or online that has since the first couple of issues.

Blue Beetle #25 $2.99

Cartoon Network Block Party #43 $2.25

Countdown Lord Havok And The Extremists #6 (Of 6) $2.99

Countdown Special Eclipso 80 Page Giant $4.99

Countdown To Adventure #8 (Of 8) $3.99

Countdown To Final Crisis #5 $2.99

Kurt: Hey Ben, remember our agreement. You write the Countdown column and I don’t hurt the children.

Crossing Midnight #17 (MR) $2.99

Ben: And it’s AM again.

Kurt: I have this sad, stark realization every night.

Empty Empire Vol 07 $9.99

Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99

Ben: Make sure the entire collection is not read in one sitting to avoid head detonation.

Kurt: If this rocks as hard as you say, I will read the trade with the horns raised in honor of the sheer weight of its awesomeness—if it is awesome. If it’s not, someone’s going to have to take the ammunition away from me.

Green Lantern #29 $2.99

Hellblazer #242 (MR) $2.99

Jack Kirbys Fourth World Omnibus HC Vol 04 $49.99

Kurt: I actually meant to get these as they came out. I did pretty well with the first volume, but not so much since then.

Jack Of Fables #21 (MR) $2.99

JSA Classified #36 $2.99

Legion Of Super Heroes #40 $2.99

Loveless #23 (MR) $2.99

Nightwing The Lost Year TP $14.99

Secret History Authority Jack Hawksmoor #1 (Of 6) $2.99

Showcase Presents Booster Gold TP Vol 01 $16.99

Spirit #15 $2.99

Kurt: Even better than Old No. 7.

Teen Titans #57 $2.99 

Teen Titans Go #53 $2.25

Uncle Sam And The Freedom Fighters #7 (Of 8) $2.99

Wildstorm Revelations #6 (Of 6) $2.99

World Of Warcraft #5 $2.99

Kurt: See nerds pining for Hot Elf Chicks! Witness marriages destroyed by MMORPG addiction! See broken souls bidding on E-Bay for virtual gear and property! Hear my mocking laughter!

IMAGE COMICS

Drain #6 (MR) $2.99

Ben: The one in those creeper serial killer showers some people have in their basements.

First Born TP Vol 01 $14.99

Frank Frazettas Death Dealer #5 (Of 6) 2nd Ptg (Pp #799) $3.99

Gutwrencher #2 (Of 3) $3.50

Last Winter GN (MR) $12.99

Proof #6 (MR) $2.99

Savage Dragon #135 $2.99

Sorrow #4 (Of 4) (MR) $2.99

Ben: The feeling one gets shortly after agreeing to do the Countdown column.

Kurt: You sell your soul to the Devil, and the Devil gets his due.

Spawn #176 $2.95

Ben: I think I have about that many.

Kurt: “Hear now the tail of the Alaskan rake Ben Johnson, who left naught but a trail of broken hearts and bastards in his wake!” I totally cribbed that from The Onion, but made it about Ben. But, it’s totally not true, as Ben has enough difficulty getting one woman to touch him, let alone 176.

Strongarm #5 (Of 5) $2.99

Ben: My right arm, because I’ve been married for so long.

Kurt: See? He proves me right every time.

Transhuman #1 (Of 4) $3.50

Ben: When Mary the Martian decided to become Harvey the Human her/his parents were appalled, but after many years they have come to accept Harvey for who he is.

Urban Monsters #2 $3.50

Wanted HC Directors Cut Ed (MR) $29.99

Ben: Read it in time to have your happy memories destroyed by Hollywood!!

Kurt: Yeah, but it’s by the director that did Nightwatch! That has to count for something!

MARVEL COMICS

Black Panther #35 $2.99

Daredevil #106 $2.99

Kurt: Jesus, I don’t know whether to blame Marvel or my main man Ed Brubaker for hitting the reset button on this series, but here we are, back to Frank Miller’s run. Just wait for the Kingpin to come back and it’ll be done.

Essential Off HB Marvel Univ Master Ed TP Vol 01 $16.99

Ghost Rider TP Trail Of Tears $14.99

Kurt: Ben’s walk to the marriage altar.

Hulk #2 2nd Ptg Mcguinness Var $2.99

Iron Man Doomquest Prem HC $19.99

Kurt: This is only marginally related, but has anyone else seen Doomsday yet? It’s the best bad movie I’ve seen in years. Seriously, your hand will be frozen in the horns position for days after. F—king see it. Have a couple of beers and f—king see it.

Iron Man Doomquest Prem HC Dm Ed $19.99

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #34 $2.99

Marvel Adventures Iron Man #11 $2.99

Marvel Atlas #2 (Of 2) $3.99

Marvel Fanfare Strange Tales TP $24.99

Marvel Illustrated Picture Dorian Gray #4 (Of 6) $2.99

Kurt: Foppery ahoy! Dear Goth, I love this book. 

Mighty Avengers #11 $2.99

Ben: I hate thought balloons (seriously, they bother me) and I don’t know why Bendis (weird little guy) insists on using them (or writing half of Marvel’s comics) (really weird).

MMW Atlas Era HC Vol 02 Tales Astonish $59.99

MMW Atlas Era HC Vol 02 Tales Astonish Var Ed Vol 91 $59.99

MMW Silver Surfer HC Vol 02 $54.99

MMW Silver Surfer HC Vol 02 Var Ed Vol 19 $54.99

Ms Marvel #25 Dodson Var SII (Pp #803) $3.99

Ms Marvel #25 SII $3.99

Kurt: I’m guessing that “SII” has something to do with Secret Invasion, but I don’t care enough to check.

New Avengers #39 SII $2.99

Ben: Now with 100% less thought balloons than its registered counter part.

New Universal TP Everything Went White $14.99

Ben: So is this all we’re getting, or is it on a break?

Kurt: Damn you, Warren Ellis! Pick a series and stick with it! Don’t pick 17 and then drop all but two of them!

New Warriors #10 $2.99

Power Pack Day One #1 (Of 4) $2.99

Ben: Little punks are really corning Hillary’s show.

Kurt: I can only imagine that this is like a Year One story, but that would probably take place in a maternity ward.

Punisher Max TP Vol 09 Long Cold Dark (MR) $15.99

She-Hulk 2 #27 $2.99

Spider-Man Prem HC One More Day $24.99

Ben: The most beloved Spider-Man story of all time collected in hardcover.

Kurt: And by “beloved,” he means hated by everyone with an ounce of taste.

Spider-Man Prem HC One More Day Dm Ed $24.99

Kurt: I hope by “Dm Ed,” they mean Dungeon Master Edition, wherein you can roll to change the end of the story to one that doesn’t destroy one of the great love stories of American comics. It could happen!

Spider-Man With Great Power #3 (Of 5) $3.99

Ultimate Fantastic Four #52 $2.99

Ben: I know I’ve been harping on this a lot lately, but UFF has become one of the best reads month in and month out.

Kurt: Thankfully, all of the Ultimate titles are reprinted in sweet, sweet trade paperbacks.

Ultimate Human #3 (Of 4) $2.99

Kurt: But what the hell, I’m buying this. Warren Ellis is writing it, and it’s kind of like the not-crap follow-up to Ultimates 2.

Ultimate Iron Man II #4 (Of 5) $2.99

Ultimate Spider-Man #120 $2.99

Ultimate Spider-Man TP Spanish Collection $29.99

Ultimate X-Men #92 $2.99

Ben: Not so much.

Ultimate X-Men TP Spanish Collection $29.99

Kurt: Yeah, I’m not touching this one with a 15 foot pole. This is an entertainment column. Back away from instigating political debates.

Wolverine First Class #1 $2.99

Kurt: He likes the complimentary booze and the extra leg room.

World War Hulk Aftersmash Damage Control #3 (Of 3) $2.99

X-Men First Class Vol 2 #10 $2.99

X-Men Legacy #209 DWS $2.99

Kurt: And the Driving With Satan arc continues!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@mania.com.