Now, I’m a nerd, as anyone could have guessed by the title of the blog, and as a result I have enjoyed and still enjoy to read comics and graphic novels. I’ve also studied English literature at university and so have read a few novels that don’t include people in colourful costumes fighting crime. I’ve noticed a view of comics and graphic novels as people see them just as stories for children and nerds who haven’t grown up yet. And, I’ll be honest, there is a lot of comics that follow that criteria but that is the equivalent of saying novels only consist of stories that are either magical children or twinkly vampires.
However, considering the astounding popularity of the MCU I’m shocked to hear people talk about how they enjoy the films but look down upon the comics in the same sentence. All these stories being told on the big screen come from decades of comics spanning over multi-verses and alternate realities. Yes, there are stories that can be seen as throw away tales, but for all of those there are the graphic novels such as V for Vendetta and The Killing Joke. And that’s just from Alan Moore. Stories about people and the human condition, focusing on aspects such as government control and the simple act of how far do you push a man until he loses his mind.
Then there’s the assumption of comics never approaching darker storylines, and again that means they’ve probably not heard of Iron Man’s Demon in a Bottle story arc. The nine issue plot, originally released in 1979, had readers follow a beloved character and one of the original Avengers struggle with the superhero life and turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism. This storyline being an influence for Iron Man 2 but with critics and fans favouring the printed take over the film’s attempt.
Basically, the point is that there are a lot of comics and graphic novels that include spandex covered heroes fighting aliens and monsters. But then there is also all the stories where the focus is on the people in the costumes, telling stories of their personal trials and the psychological side of what they do. To anyone who doesn’t read comics, this isn’t a way of saying to go into your nearest comic shop and picking up the first comic you see. If this is in anyway trying to convince anyone of anything is to just simply give the comics a chance, if you want to read a graphic novel, either look up a story that would suit you best or find a nerdy friend and have them recommend something.
The Nerdy Bartender 