The Wake

For as long as I can remember, most of my peers have been telling me that comic books are entirely uninteresting. This is usually after they notice that I’ve got three full boxes of comics plus a bookshelf dedicated to trade paperbacks and graphic novels. In fact, in high school I apparently had a reputation for carrying a briefcase full of nothing but comics (this is only half true; I’ll leave it to the reader to guess which half).

What disappoints me about this negative view of comics is that they can be so much more interesting and descriptive than many standard written novels. Comics can reflect the mindset of the status quo, touch on recent events, name celebrities or even create revisions of history in order to broaden a reader’s perceptive horizon. So where do comics belong: In the field of childish entertainment, or alongside other classic works of art and literature?

Let me begin with a story. In the early 1930s two sons of Jewish immigrants named Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel created a feel-good story based on a creature that they were probably told about as children: The Golem, a stone creature created to protect the innocent and uphold the ideals of truth and justice. With that last statement, it might not come as a surprise that Shuster and Siegel’s creation was the ever-popular Superman.

I will not argue against the fact that Superman essentially embodies the superhero mythos. I am aware that he is an extremely commercialized character, and his comic series isn’t necessarily the best ever, especially after Doomsday and Legion of Superman and Reign of Superman (don’t get me started). The intent of the original character is still in the story—an invincible Jewish character (even his true name, Kal-El, sounds like Hebrew) who is a pilgrim far away from his own home. His actions reflect the decisions of countless Jewish nomads throughout the ages, wherein he decides not to be victimized by circumstance, but to survive and do all he can to support the communities in which he ends up living. I believe this is an incredible example of comic books falling into the realm of well thought-out literature.

Many readers who are not interested in superheroes might feel the same way that theatergoers feel when given the choice between a good drama and a mindless action movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Who would want to pass up an in-depth story for two hours of stuff getting “blowed up” by a character who just so happens to be a “man without a past” every time? Sam Raimi caught onto this when he created his well-received Spider-man movies. Rather than only showing Peter Parker as a villain-fighting-superhero, Raimi chose to focus primarily on Parker’s life and the decisions he makes while outside of the costume as a consequence of choosing his crime fighting lifestyle.

Some superhero comics can create a fair balance between action and drama. There are also some very good comic series that abandon the action premise altogether, to the great relief of many readers. Ghost World and Tank Girl, for example, seem to appeal to independent comic readers and music listeners alike. Many readers who prefer shorter graphic novel series read Hellblazer (the comic on which the movie Constantine was based) or Sandman by acclaimed author Neil Gaiman. For fans of Hunter S. Thompson’s literary rants there is a series called Transmetropolitan about a gonzo journalist who lives in the not-too-distant future, and his exploits in exposing multiple government and corporate scandals.

I, for one, prefer and recommend stories from comics that meet a middle ground between outrageously improbable fiction and human drama. One such series is an indie comic called Demo. Each issue of Demo is a standalone story that bears similarities to The Twilight Zone, where each character is special in a way that cannot always be explained. One issue tells of a girl who is viewed as a different person in the eyes of everyone who sees her. Another is about a presumably mute girl, but by the end of the issue the reader realizes there is more to her inability to speak than was previously assumed.

So, dear reader, if you happen to be the type of person who avoids comics with the greatest intent, fear not; for there is something waiting for you at your local comic shop. If you are not sure what to look for, make sure you pick a good store run by pretentious comic geeks, like Big Brain on Washington Avenue, and tell them what kind of books normally interest you. Like any good music store clerk, the staff should be able to point you in the right direction. Go ahead. Give comics a try.

Recommended reading:

300
Frank Miller’s retelling of the historical Battle of Thermopylae between the Spartans and the Persians, presented in a “widescreen” format.

Batman: Year One
The series on which the movie Batman Begins is loosely based, also written by Frank Miller.

Next Wave
Warren Ellis, the writer of the series Transmetropolitan, brings back some old Marvel characters and invents new ones for his recent series that boasts in its tagline, “Healing America by Beating People Up.” Features a battle with a giant lizard in purple underpants!

Road to Perdition
Based on the 1970s manga series Lone Wolf and Cub, this comic spawned the movie starring Tom Hanks. When his family is slaughtered by other members of the mob, he goes on a rampage of revenge, one in which his son participates.

Persepolis
An autobiographical graphic novel of a native Iranian’s life starting with the Islamic revolution in 1979. Author and illustrator Marjane Satrapi’s won a 2004 Alex Award for this comic.

Truth
A Marvel comics exposé. It turns out that dozens of black men were experimented upon during WWII in the program that created Captain America, a classic comic noir.