Comics: diversification of the medium and why Batman knows everything

Dan's comments on the previous post fueled a long-winded response from me. While I was writing it, I thought it better to post it as a new entry as opposed to being buried in the comments section.

Here were Dan's remarks:

"Maybe comics should make the transition to the internet, where print is actually a secondary product. Although there would obviously be a difference between Ultimate Spiderman and PvP as far presentation and etc. is concerned, I think it's still do-able. The medium is the message, peoples."

followed by

"Keep in mind that other people, the people the comic industry wants to attract to their wares, may not share your particular tastes or opinions regarding comics and affiliated paraphernalia. Creators have to walk a high wire, to attract new fans and not alienate the hard core following (supposing they have one). Look at the newer Star Wars movies as a classic mis-step in the effort to grow the fanbase.

And just to get it out there, I have the following complaint against comics, which may be a source of problems to the attraction of a new fanbase: campiness. My god I hate campiness! It isn't cool if everyone and their dog has a superpower, or that batman always has the answer. I'm probably out of touch with today's comics, but do you remember all the craze around Superman's death? Marketing aside, I think that the thought that a main character could actually die, albeit temporarily, was such a strike against campiness that everyone wanted to see if other comics had changed as well. Boom! All of these new people reading comics.

Your thoughts?"

Don't mind if I do.

The thing about online comics I mentioned stems from current views I've seen on the subject. However, this is mainly from people who read comics already so they are used to the format it is in now. I don't know if a pole of non-comics readers (all other things being equal) would reveal
the preference for online comics or not. It would be an interesting study and the marketing wizards at Marvel and DC should look at it.

That being said, allow me to elaborate. In my opinion the problem with online comics, as they are now, is as follows: They are difficult to read! The comics that Image and Marvel offer online are presented in the same dimensions as a real physical comic. What's annoying is when you have to zoom in to read the thing then scroll down to read the rest (granted a larger moniter might help things). That extra activity, I think, takes away from the reading experience the same way commercials take you out of the story when watching television. It's hard to be immersed in a story when you are constantly scrolling around and waiting for the images to load, etc... Does that mean you can't enjoy an online comic? No. It just means the reading experience could be better.

Can creators/publishers find a better way to present the material online? Yes, but that means the artists and writers basically have to learn a new way of storytelling. The writer has to adapt his/her pacing to perhaps smaller online pages and the artist has to break the mold when it comes to page layouts in order to effectively tell the story. Is that a big deal? Maybe not for consumers, but for those whose livlihoods depend on this artform the change might be a scary thing.

Some creators have already done this of course. I don't read many online comics though I know Penny Arcade and PvP are pretty popular. These are short comic strips similar to those you find in a newspaper. For some people these strips offer a few minutes of enjoyment each day and there's nothing wrong with that at all. However what if you want a more in depth story and reading experience? I don't like the idea of clicking constantly through the archive reading strip after strip of (though often funny) stories that don't particularly link together as a cohesive unit.

Is there a happy medium between the regular 32 page paper comics and the online interweb? Likely but the industry is a long way from finding it. This comes into the realm of the publishers unwillingness to take short term losses for future gains. The can try to do online stuff, but that costs money and time with no guarantee of return. They have to get out of that mentality.

My idea is that you have the same product in multiple formats. Print your comics to tailor to the hardcore fanbase, but also offer the same product online in a better package - minimize the things that can take you out of the reading experience. Less clicking = better in my opinion.

Dan's other point about campiness has also sparked a response. I still don't quite understand the wiki definition of it but I'll discuss it a bit.

Is it cool that everyone and their dog has a super-power? Not really but it does show diversity in what is basically a new race/species. The "world with very few super-powered beings" idea has been done many times, sometimes done well (The Authority) and others not so much (Supreme Power). And it is a good idea to show what a "real-world" would be like with super beings in it. The flip side of the coin is the Marvel and DC universes where there are lots of super people running around. Does that take something away from a good story? I don't think so. But if you have a problem with too many people being able to walk through walls or shoot laser beams out of your head then super-hero comics likely aren't for you anyways.

Is it bad that Batman always has the answer? No. Why? Because he is the goddamn Batman, that's why.

But seriously, Batman is a character who is supposed to be the greatest detective in the world. If there's something he can't figure out, then it makes him look stupid and it undermines the character. Have there been problems that are tough? Hell yes. The recent trade paperback, Batman: Crime City, is a good example. It would be the same as if someone beat the Flash in a race. Flash is supposed to be the fastest man alive and if someone beats him, then it undermines the character. Finally, HE'S FUCKING BATMAN for christsakes. Another example of Batman's awesomeness can be found here.

In closing let's talk about the Superman death thing. This was a big deal and sparked a media event the likes of which the comics industry had never seen. However, how many of those people that bought Superman #75 actually stayed with comics? If current sales are an indicator: not many. Now "deaths" of heroes are commonplace and are basically used as a gimmic and a storytelling copout.

That being said, comics have been trying to get away from the campiness and "comics are for kids" personna. More mature themes can be found, not only in creator owned independant publications, but from the main companies as well. A few years ago a series came out called Identity Crisis that had the rape of a main character's wife as a plot point. Though you'd be hardpressed to find a positive review about the 7 issue mini-series on the net (mainly citing the use of the rape as a plot point, rather than dealing with the ramifications of rape as a concern), the fact is comic book writers are trying to put shades of grey into their work rather than the black and white of good vs. bad and that's at least something.