Posts Tagged ‘graphic novels’
Political News And Comic Books
Some say that “Captain America” and “Superman” were little more than symbols of American patriotism, calling citizens to accept the call of duty for their country and do something larger than life. Superman fought the Japanese during WWI and Captain America punched Hitler in the face during WWII. However, today’s political news resounds through the comic graphic novels world in an entirely different way now. Some dark comics came out of the Reagan years, but superheroes have been plunged into all-out civil warfare against their own governments.
On October 8th, 2008, just before the November elections, John McCain and Barack Obama starred in their own comic books published by IDW Publishing, only it was nothing like you would think. Even though “Savage Dragon” publicly endorsed Barack Obama in a recent issue, the IDW publications were presented as objective, illustrated, political news biographies of the two nominees. It has been described as “heavy on the facts, light on opinion.”
The McCain book featured art by Stephen Thompson and writing by Andy Helfer (who also did “Road to Perdition” and “A History of Violence”) and the Obama book was illustrated by Tom Morgan and written by Jeff Mariotte (who has done Superman, Spider-Man and Star Trek comic book series). “We didn’t do anything that is sensational here,” said Scott Dunbier from IDW. “We’re stuck to the facts.” Dunbier added that graphic novels have proven extremely effective in reaching and educating people. “We’re not in the business of doing textbooks,” he clarified, “But I think comic books really do have the great potential to inform and teach and do more than just standard superhero comics.” Fans can pre-order the books through their website or visit www.uclick.com to view the comics over their cell phones.
Political news often parallels modern events in an allegorical manner. For instance, DC Comics released Frank Miller’s “Holy Terror, Batman!” The Dark Knight is pitted against an al-Qaida terrorist network, in much the same way as older issues pitted Superman or Captain America against Hitler during WWII. “Not to put too fine a point on it – it’s a piece of propaganda,” Miller said at this year’s comic book art convention. He went on to say, “I just think it’s silly to have Batman out chasing the Riddler when you’ve got al-Qaida out there…. that’s one of the things they are there for.” However, while covers have been released and two years of work have been put in, July 2008 saw reports that the DC comic book industry execs won’t allow Frank Miller to use Batman in his post-9/11 propaganda.
Marvel Comic book creator Stan Lee delved into political news and satire with his humor book “Election Daze,” which features photographs from Lauren Victoria Burke and witty, riotous captions from Stan Lee. “I’ve always gotten a kick out of combining far-out captions with serious pictures,” says Lee — adding that no one is immune from his scrutiny (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Chuck Norris and President Bush alike). He’s got Hillary thinking of hiring interns and George W Bush changing “nuclear” to “nookular” by decree. “It’s a great change of pace from writing fantasy tales, although sometimes politics seems more like fantasy than my own stories.”
An Overview Of DC Vs Marcel Comic Books
Comic books have entertained audiences since the 1930s with their quick, easy-to-read artwork and appealing, over-the-top characters. Behind Batman, Spiderman, Superman, the X-Men or other comic book heroes, there are behemoth enterprises that have dominated the comic book world for decades. While Marvel Comic Books and DC Comic Books have rivaled each other for years, occasionally the characters team up in epic battles within “the Amalgam Universe,” such as in Silver Surfer versus Green Lantern, Flash versus Quicksilver, or Elektra versus Catwoman. While there are many obvious similarities between the two giants, there are also some stark contrasts.
Motivation, cause and effect are all very important considerations when analyzing the difference between Marvel and DC. Marvel characters often struggle with a myriad of internal forces and mental battles. For instance, the Hulk has struggled with an explosive temper, while Spiderman has always struggled to balance his personal life with the demands of being a superhero. Wolverine also has competing nuances of animalistic urges and human civility.
Once action has been taken, these characters often ponder what has happened and sometimes second-guess themselves. These “very human-like” characters were generally ordinary but gained powers from science accidents, radiation exposure, spider bites, genetic mutation or some other event. The setting for Marvel graphic novels are in real places like New York, Los Angeles or Toronto. Some say Marvel puts a more modern spin on comic books and fulfills a more psychological need for its readers.
By contrast, the superheroes of DC comic books have defined personalities but sometimes endure periods of emotional turbulence, regardless. Batman grieves the loss of his parents, Superman struggles with his dual identity and Wonder Woman is torn between her love of the Amazons and her feelings toward men. Their relationships with others embolden them in their quests, yet also lead to inner turmoil. Marvel comic characters are often rejected by society, which creates another level of struggle for these complex characters. The X-Men are feared as outsiders, while Spiderman’s vigilante justice is often falsely reported. Some analysts say that Marvel tries to connect with the day-to-day fears and anxieties of its readers, whereas DC connects with the readers’ ambitions, ideals and natural quest for perfection.
In the end, it’s hard to really say which comic book series reigns supreme. DC, the old dinosaur, has the oldest legacy of all comic books and can rightfully claim the invention of superheroes as we know them (with Superman debuting in 1938). Their characters were perfect, supreme, and almost god-like in their abilities and powers. However, Marvel Comic Books brought a whole new spin on superheroes with their modern take; that many superheroes were just ordinary people with day jobs and complex emotions, yet wound up finding their callings as heroes (or villains) following a series of unusual events. Many comic fans will read both so the rivalry has always been friendly, but a person’s favorite character may say a lot about why he or she reads.