Thursday, August 07, 2008
Who Defends The Defenders?
From the new "When Words Collide" column up at CBR:
And in answer to Timothy Callahan's opening question, don't superhero comics already have at least one defender?
As for Callahan's overall argument, I have to admit, I couldn't make it all the way through his article. My eyes start to glaze over whenever someone feels they have to defend superhero comics. Yes, superhero comics could be great works of art. There's nothing intrinsic to the genre that limits them to being simple superpowered slugfests. The problem is that most don't have any ambitions of greatness — or even goodness — to begin with. Too many are only concerned with coming up with some Shocking! Event! that Changes Everything® and boosts sales (at least until they start to slump again). The superhero comics that do stand out are generally well-written and have something interesting to say about the human condition other than "Wouldn't it be cool if we brought back a bunch of old characters no one's seen in a long time?"
From the new "When Words Collide" column up at CBR:
Would anyone put Geoff Johns's "Green Lantern" in the category of "literature?"That sound you just heard was Alan David Doane's head exploding after trying to ponder that... possibility.
The point is that Shakespeare wasn't considered any more literary during his time than Geoff Johns is today. Am I seriously lumping Johns in with Shakespeare? Not so much. Shakespeare is a unique genius who transcends his own time and the genres in which he worked. Johns may prove to be that -- it's possible...
And in answer to Timothy Callahan's opening question, don't superhero comics already have at least one defender?
As for Callahan's overall argument, I have to admit, I couldn't make it all the way through his article. My eyes start to glaze over whenever someone feels they have to defend superhero comics. Yes, superhero comics could be great works of art. There's nothing intrinsic to the genre that limits them to being simple superpowered slugfests. The problem is that most don't have any ambitions of greatness — or even goodness — to begin with. Too many are only concerned with coming up with some Shocking! Event! that Changes Everything® and boosts sales (at least until they start to slump again). The superhero comics that do stand out are generally well-written and have something interesting to say about the human condition other than "Wouldn't it be cool if we brought back a bunch of old characters no one's seen in a long time?"
Labels: Geoff Johns IS The Superhero Shakespeare, Reacting To Things Without Fully Reading Them, Superhero Comics
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