I was born a while ago, apparently longer ago than is first obvious if lovely Rochelle who was collecting for the National Deaf Children's Society today in Llanelli is to be believed, and when I first stumbled across comic books it was via the British over sized reprints of DC being published by London Editions Magazines. As a result of this and a few bundled US comics bought at Butlins in prehistoric times I was exposed to what I consider to be the fine era that I refer to as post-Crisis. John Byrne had rebooted Superman admirably, Giffen and DeMatteis had produced a fun take on the Justice League, and Batman was quite happily living with established continuity in what can only be thought of as a 'fuzzy reboot'. Things were happening everywhere but I was mainly exposed to the League, Batman and Superman and they were awesome. They were also fun, which is something that doesn't seem to be valued much anymore but there's no point in grumping on about it. Progress happens even if it's not agreeable to everyone. Over at Marvel that man John Byrne also produced a groundbreaking take on the now 'Sensational' She-Hulk and had in the recent past made the Fantastic Four relevant for the first time in ages. That man Byrne was incorrigible!
Even though clouds were gathering in the 1990s there was still fun and adventure to be found in Peter David's Supergirl and the Wally West incarnation of The Flash under practically every person who wrote for him. In the 2000s, it was tougher but Dan Slott did an awesome and innovative run on She-Hulk and Mark Waid pulled the Fantastic Four back into shape in admirable adventurous fashion. The Fantastic Four have always been a hard bunch to write for as not everyone seems to understand that they're not superheroes but adventurers instead. There's no obligation for fistfights and Battles Royale with the Four; They'll solve a problem scientifically or using their combined talents as a family group, and then have a dinner party or go the movies to unwind. Now, in the 2010s, I don't seem to have a comic book. Based on no experiences whatsoever I distrust DC to put out anything but fistfights and zombies, and Marvel has somehow always been the Other Company to be visited only for She-Hulk and the Four.
In the end, though, I normally return to my beginnings. The Byrne Superman is a lovely idea that I'll have to revisit in the near future, with a tangible element of fun always around the corner. Superman may have to do terrible things but it is still fun to be him, although he did have his moments of crisis and went loco after executing Zod and the Phantom Zoners (surely a great band name). It's never been clear to me why Superman has to be the strongest, fastest and most ridiculously overpowered superhero anyway. That doesn't make him super in any way except for being super-unrelateable. His potency is in the sheer variety of things he can do. The Flash is faster, Wonder Woman is a better diplomat, Batman is smarter, Green Lantern has better ranged weapons, the Martian Manhunter has telepathic/vision powers far more potent, and so we can go on but Superman can do everything: That is why he is 'super'. Maybe he should be the strongest or most invulnerable though. The Byrne Superman was more relateable and so was the Giffen/de Matteis League. Yes, their ranks were filled by characters you might not have heard of much but isn't that more believable in a full-time team anyway? If Superman's always in Metropolis then how is he always here too? And Batman and Wonder Woman too for that matter. It made more sense to have it the way it was, with jokes to counterpoint the drama and situations that the team had to bind together to defeat. It was a wonderful series, lessened somewhat when the team split into two main branches/series.
I would love to say that are excellent comic books out there right now, but I really wouldn't know. That initial post-Crisis Age was plum in the middle of the transition from mass sales to selling through specialist outlets, and that transition has led to increased pandering toward mature existing fans and movement away from recruiting new customers and the things I rather liked to begin with. Yes, now the storytelling is complex, developed and sometimes wittier than before but a lot of the fun has gone to be replaced by adult themes. The last entertaining thing I read was 'Hero Squared' again by Giffen and De Matteis, and even that ended on a tragedy after a long run of fun.
Is the comic book as we knew it dead? Maybe and maybe not, as it is the Age of the Internet. The future is in our hands now, and comic book companies should beware.
O.
Notes
For an interesting run of collected editions try to gather up the following series in their paperback (TPB) collections, or individual issues if necessary:
'Batman (Detective Comics)' by Greg Rucka (TPBs and back issues)
'Catwoman' by Ed Brubaker (TPBs and back issues)
'Fantastic Four' by Mark Waid (TPBs)
'Fantastic Four' by John Byrne (Visionary TPBs)
'The Flash' by Geoff Johns (TPBs)
'Hero Squared' by Giffen and DeMatteis (TPSs)
'Justice League' by Giffen and various (Justice League International TPBs)
'Sensational She-Hulk' by John Byrne (Back Issues)
'She-Hulk' by Dan Slott (She-Hulk TPBs)
'Supergirl' by Peter David (TPBs and back issues)
'Superman' by John Byrne (Man of Steel TPBs)
'Wonder Woman' by Greg Rucka (TPBs)
There's something there for everyone, over about twenty years of mainstream comic books, with a decent dose of fun to boot.
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