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Stephen Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5835
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| Posted: 18 January 2013 at 5:53pm | IP Logged | 1
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I'm quite surprised that all Superman books aren't ALL AGES. Surely he's the perfect example of a superhero that is for kids.
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JB: Twenty or more years ago, DC "darkened" Congorilla. Essentially, no one up there has had anything like a clue ever since.
SER: DC and Marvel exist in an echo chamber where they believe characters such as Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man are "adult" characters. No one outside of that echo chamber believes that. I don't see how they expect parents to discern between the "all-ages" Batman comic and the one where the Joker wears his own face as a mask. The parents of 8 year old kids probably wouldn't watch CRIMINAL MINDS with them so would not be pleased by the content of most superhero comics on the shelves (you know, one in which Batman has sex while in costume with Catwoman?)
So, while already losing children to other forms of entertainment, they go "all in" and make their books accessible to "adults" only. Ooh-kay.
The argument I've heard is that most parents of 8 year olds these days are around my age (late 30s). We didn't grow up in the 60s. We grew up post-WATCHMEN and DARK KNIGHT and should understand that comics have changed. This theory is flawed. Not everyone my age read comics. My wife is younger than I am and still presumes that comics are primarily for kids.
The comic book industry is like someone with terminal lung cancer who continues to smoke eight packs a day. Book sellers like Barnes and Noble feel the pinch yet whenever I walk into a comic shop (not *all* but most), I see a 1990s mentality still present. And while major magazines are ceasing publication, comics are appealing further to a shrinking demographic.
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Shawn Kane
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 3239
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 6:38am | IP Logged | 2
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The editors at DC are getting shittier and shittier... Plus according to Bleeding Cool, always with a grain of salt, they've hired another guy from Wizard. So DC is run by the guy who wanted to kill Dick Grayson, a guy who founded Image and can't finish projects, the guy who allowed the Marvel Universe to be re-booted by the Image guys who had earlier left the company high and dry, and some editors from Wizard. Not to mention that I read an interview with Bob Harras and Bobbie Chase where the "dark" was used a good bit to describe the theme of their comics. As I've said, I'm down to a handful of DC titles and I can see that hand empty before long.
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Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 9:31am | IP Logged | 3
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It's sad. At least when stuff like BATMAN:THE CULT and KILLING
JOKE came out, there were these prestige format graphic novels,
done away from continuity in the monthlies (Although KILLING
JOKE'S Barbara Gordon came apart of continuity).
I could deal with a situation where stories like the current Joker one, is
released away from continuity. Release it as a GN so its not even on
the stands, but a bookshelf. The monthly books should be kept all
ages. Like I said, my boy is 3. The Timmverse is about as adult as I'll
let him go, and then in very small doses.
Michael suggested that I get him into the older stuff. Well, that's how
it's going to have to be. It still doesn't fix my problem of how to bring
my son to a comic shop. His speed would be the Superman and
Batman of the 50's. Archive editions are $40-$50 a piece. I can't
exactly buy one for him every week, whether I'd like to or not.
Edited by Stephen Churay on 19 January 2013 at 10:16am
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Rick Whiting
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 22 April 2004
Posts: 2215
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 12:50pm | IP Logged | 4
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Is it so hard for DC (and Marvel) to create a separate all ages line of books set in their own continuity with layered content similar to Trio,the defunct MC2 line of books,New Crusaders,Superman/Batman:Generations,Batman and Captain America,X-Men Forever,X-Men:The Hidden Years, The Family Dynamic,G.I. Joe:A Real American Hero,Thor: The Mighty Avenger,X-Men First Class,or most Marvel comics from 1961 to 2000?
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Brad Krawchuk
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 June 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 5819
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 1:01pm | IP Logged | 5
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I've said it before here, I'm sure I'll say it again when the topic inevitably comes back up in the future...
One of the most depressing days I ever spent was in a comic shop with my little "nephew" (really my cousin) and telling him "no, that's for adults" every time he grabbed a comic like Teen Titans, Iron Man, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, etc.
It was the most bleak, childhood-crushing thing I could have done, considering his age (5 at the time) was when I really started loving comics as a kid, including a lot of the titles he was trying to pick out.
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Matt Reed
Byrne Robotics Security
Robotmod
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 35945
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 1:03pm | IP Logged | 6
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That's your problem right there, Brad. Y'see, kids don't actually read comics. Never have. That was just you trying to impose your love of the medium onto your cousin. Selfish boy!
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Joe Hollon
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 08 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 13699
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 7
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People in the biz have forgotten that all- ages means all-ages. Comics for "all ages" today means comics for kids. Kids don't want to be into things that you tell them they want to be into. I loved Tiny Titans but I wouldn't have been into it when I was ten years old reading mainstream Marve comics.
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Rick Whiting
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Joined: 22 April 2004
Posts: 2215
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 1:28pm | IP Logged | 8
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People in the biz have forgotten that all- ages means all-ages. Comics for "all ages" today means comics for kids. Kids don't want to be into things that you tell them they want to be into. I loved Tiny Titans but I wouldn't have been into it when I was ten years old reading mainstream Marve comics.
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Very true Joe. I have often sited the MC2 line and X-Men: The Hidden Years as a text book example of how to do true all ages comics and sited the Marvel Adventures line of books as an example of how NOT to do all ages comics.
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Michael Todd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 4115
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 1:55pm | IP Logged | 9
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QUOTE:
It still doesn't fix my problem of how to bring
my son to a comic shop. His speed would be the Superman and
Batman of the 50's. Archive editions are $40-$50 a piece. I can't
exactly buy one for him every week, whether I'd like to or not |
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Stephen, try this, check the dollar boxes for old 1970's issues of Superman or Action Comics, those were still kid friendly wholesome entertainment. 
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Brian Lewis
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Joined: 13 August 2012
Posts: 476
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| Posted: 19 January 2013 at 2:13pm | IP Logged | 10
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How are the other current Superman titles not "all-ages"?
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Jason Ditzel
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Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 443
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| Posted: 20 January 2013 at 3:00am | IP Logged | 11
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The lack of new all ages material is frustrating. Disney, at least, needs to wake up and recruit Stern, Simonson, and Byrne to fix the mess overnight.
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Michael Todd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 4115
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| Posted: 20 January 2013 at 4:32am | IP Logged | 12
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I think that Disney purchased Marvel for the commercial rights to the characters for use in toys, movies and TV, they don't seem overly concerned about the comic books themselves, did Disney even still produce their own character's comic book titles? 
Edited by Michael Todd on 20 January 2013 at 4:35am
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Topic Closed)
