I'm plenty calm James. I just disagree on so many levels with some of the things people throw out as fact around here.

Like, "superhero comics are just like the Peanuts comic strip". No, they aren't. They have similarities, but they aren't the same thing. At one time they were even more similar than they are now! That doesn't mean that comic books should remain as they were.

No one has really come up with a convincing argument for me that shows the darker stories are causing harm to the industry either. I lay that blame firmly at the feet of things like the internet and computer games. (To a much lesser degree I think the disregard for deadlines has hurt the industry as well).

Troy Nunis wrote: No one is "deciding" for you what you should be reading - so stop over reacting to a discussion. Your Precious comics will remain save in yer little hiding places . . no one is coming to get them. Really . . Honest. That said, YOU have no RIGHT whatsoever to tell US we can't discuss if one of your darling little tombs MIGHT have been a pretty bad idea and damaging to a genera, if not the industry as a whole.

No over reaction here Troy. I have no doubt that there are people who would decide for me what I should be reading if they could however.

I read back over my post and didn't see anywhere where I told anyone they couldn't discuss whatever they like either. Regardless, if you read that into it, please believe I was not trying to convey that intent.

I also am not worried in the least about anyone coming to take my comics away or that any discussions here are going to have the slightest impact on the industry. I am simply voicing my opinion. I thought that would be obvious.

Troy Nunis wrote: I also feel that someone who has even LESS credentials that THAT has even LESS "authrotity" to determine WHO does and doesn't have the "authority", or as i like to call it "Insight and Wisdom", to determine what is and isn't acceptable for a genre.

Isn't that odd? Where you see "insight and wisdom" I often see arrogance and conceit. I've also been reading comic books for 36 years, so I figure I have as many"credentials" as the majority of people who post on this forum. Nothing stays the same forever, not even comic books. Live with it.

"superhero comics are just like the Peanuts comic strip".

That really wasn't what was said but you know that. And no one is trying to convince YOU of anything. We are having a conversation about stories and their impact on comics in general...let us know when you want to jump in

This is akin to coming across a burnt down building and chiding someone for saying the arsonist shoudln't have played with matches by saying "hey, he bought the matches who are you to tell him how he can use them?"

Yes, he's FREE to do whatever the publishers let and pay him to do, he set out to deconstruct superheroes -- and now they are all burnt to the ground - and he shouldn't have done it - as even HE now has made regretful sounds for being careless with the matches he was FREE to do with as he pleased. This whole thread is about what SHOULD not be/have been done -- and Deconstruction is certainly a prime topic for consideration, and Watchmen was the first match.

I'd say it was a guy putting on a fireworks show and then a bunch of kids going home and trying to do it themselves and it ending in disaster.

I don't really like the analogy overall. The failure of the comicbook market lies in editorial and business decisions more than a single miniseries from the 80's.

I disagree that deconstruction should never be done. I do agree that it shouldn't be done with established characters and that it shouldn't be the mainstream.

I disagree that deconstruction should never be done. I do agree that it shouldn't be done with established characters and that it shouldn't be the mainstream.

James !! We agree finally !! Hot damn...

Watchmen wannabes are wastes of time because regular people don't give a **** about super heroes. It's doing your ultra serious intellectual comic a disservice.

 Now the question you have to ask yourself is why does every single comic character's profession HAS to be super hero? Honestly, if you want to tell a really deep, serious story for a large public about a disgruntled worker, what's better? Having your main characters be super heroes runing around in silly costumes? Or to have them be doctors, lawyers or even god damn workers in an abatoir? In my opinion, scenario B is way more appropriate for those stories. Everytime you use super heroes, you're still pandering to the exact same audience, it doesn't expand the readership at all. No one wants to read about Spider Man's hemoroids except aging, hardcore fanboys in denial. Repeating Watchmen is a lost cause.