Are you a comic book fan or a super hero fan?

There is a tendency to link comic books and super heroes together. Over the past 40+ years the two have shared a symbiotic relationship. There are good things and bad things about this relationship, but overall I think it has been a good thing. But I’m starting to wonder if this relationship is changing.

Until recently, the super hero genre was unnecessarily saddled with many of the campier story devices from comic books. The old Adam West Batman television show is a prime example. It made the comic book “POW!” effect become a standard super hero genre device. (Don’t get me wrong; I still think that the Adam West Batman will lead to world peace.) Linking super heroes and comic books so closely helped keep both alive, but with the unfortunate downside of limiting the audience of both. People not interested in super heroes were not going to explore the comic book medium, and people not interested in comic books were not going to explore super hero stories told in other mediums.

I started out as a super hero fan. There was something about super hero stories that I really connected with and comic books were the best place to get them. Eventually I began to explore the other story genres in comic books and developed a love for the medium. And I think we are beginning to see comic books and super heroes grow beyond each other.

Status Quo

Comics and super heroes will be connected for many years to come, but both are growing. More and more comic book creators are exploring genres outside of super heroes with wonderful success. Comics like Usagi Yojimbo, Y the Last Man, Kabuki and The Walking Dead just to name a few. Additionally, super heroes stories are being told outside of comic books without relying on comic book story devices. Movies, television and video games are all starting to experiment with the genre.

The comic book/super hero status quo is changing and there are going to be some growing pains, but I think that the best days for both comic books and super heroes are still ahead.

Are you a comic book fan or a super hero fan?

There is a tendency to link comic books and super heroes together. Over the past 40+ years the two have shared a symbiotic relationship. There are good things and bad things about this relationship, but overall I think it has been a good thing. But I’m starting to wonder if this relationship is changing.

Until recently, the super hero genre was unnecessarily saddled with many of the campier story devices from comic books. The old Adam West Batman television show is a prime example. It made the comic book “POW!” effect become a standard super hero genre device. (Don’t get me wrong; I still think that the Adam West Batman will lead to world peace.) Linking super heroes and comic books so closely helped keep both alive, but with the unfortunate downside of limiting the audience of both. People not interested in super heroes were not going to explore the comic book medium, and people not interested in comic books were not going to explore super hero stories told in other mediums.

I started out as a super hero fan. There was something about super hero stories that I really connected with and comic books were the best place to get them. Eventually I began to explore the other story genres in comic books and developed a love for the medium. And I think we are beginning to see comic books and super heroes grow beyond each other.

Status Quo

Comics and super heroes will be connected for many years to come, but both are growing. More and more comic book creators are exploring genres outside of super heroes with wonderful success. Comics like Usagi Yojimbo, Y the Last Man, Kabuki and The Walking Dead just to name a few. Additionally, super heroes stories are being told outside of comic books without relying on comic book story devices. Movies, television and video games are all starting to experiment with the genre.

The comic book/super hero status quo is changing and there are going to be some growing pains, but I think that the best days for both comic books and super heroes are still ahead.