Comic books are strangely philosophical.
So, comic books are one of the oldest forms of entertainment by today’s standards. It mean, in the age of Youtube and Netflix, who on earth still reads comic books right? I surely must be some dork who still holds on to those cartoons printed on cheap paper. How boring of that guy.
Yeah, I used to think the same way. I had never tried reading comic books in my life, primarily because by the time I was born, comic books were already a dying breed. I grew up with the internet, hence I didn’t think I had the patience of going through some stupid printed cartoons. I mean, why would I go through the pain, if I could just watch the Avengers, right?
But one day, just once, just for the sake of trying I downloaded a comic book on my computer. And I gave it a shot. And guess what?
They are actually pretty fucking awesome.
I mean, sure they are not as flashy as superhero movies, but apart from that, they are better in every other aspect. Here are some reasons as to why:
- Superhero films are made from comic books. All the stories and characters are from comic books. Comic books are the original piece of art.
- There are fewer movies than comic books, hence, there is larger collection to choose from. They are cheaper to make.
- Comic books engage your imagination. Movies are far more rigid in that sense. In comic books you can imagine the action happening your way.
- Comic books convey ideas more effectively. Writing is a clearer medium to convey ideas because it doesn’t depend on so many aspects like lighting, acting, directing etc as in movies. Hence, it is clearer.
- It has a more passionate community than films. Comic books have always been a niche thing. There aren’t millions of dollars in comic books industry like there is in Marvel’s Avenger franchise. Hence, there is less corporation and the art come out purer.
So, with that being said, I strongly suggest anyone who is bored out of their minds to try out comic books.
However, the thing I wanted to highlight in this article is the fact that, despite the popular notion that comic books are merely printed cartoons for children to enjoy, I found a lot of really thought-provoking ideas in comic books.
For example, in the book Superman: Red Son, the comic explores the idea, “What would happen if Superman was born in communist Russia, instead of USA?” Seems like a strange premise for a story? Exactly, especially because Superman has always been portrayed as a symbol for American nationalism. It begs the question if Superman would be the same (symbol of justice and righteousness) if he was born and raised a communist?
It questions the whole concept of the Cold War between USSR and USA. It highlights the fact that people are the same all over the world. Everyone is essentially the same, all people want is to live happily, whether you are born in Metropolis or in Moscow. It puts forward the idea that ideological differences do not make people evil or your enemy. That we should stop making enemies of one another on mere ideological basis, and have a more humane outlook at life. Not something you would expect from a comic book, is it?
And yes, Superman remains a good, righteous hero despite being born in Moscow lol.
Or take Batman: The Killing Joke for example. In this classic comic, the author explores the idea of what makes people “bad” in the eyes of the society. Despite its vibrant nature of a graphic novel, it manages to explore the age-old question of relative morality, “Are there things that are inherently good or bad?”
In the comic, the author tries to justify the Joker’s horrific deeds. He tries to answer some deep questions by telling the Joker’s origin story: how a struggling comic became a dangerous madman. The idea presented in the book is that, the Joker is not a “bad” person, as much as the society thinks he is. Instead, he presents a more compassionate perspective on the psychotic madman. The author (or the Joker) argues that his madness was simply a response to all the horrific things that had happened in his life, and that he did not choose to do those unspeakable crimes.
The Joker is just a man beneath the makeup. He never wanted to become a criminal. Instead, he like most sane men wanted to live a honest happy life. But, due to the constant poverty and struggle, the society slowly pushed him to the edge of his sanity. And all it took was, as he says, “One bad day” to turn him into The Joker. Hence, he argues with Batman (the punisher of the guilty and the protector of innocent) that the real culprit behind his crimes is the heartless society who pushed him into madness, not himself. That anybody could become The Joker, that Batman himself could become The Joker (and loose his sanity) if he experienced the misfortunes that he experienced. Hence, it’s not fair for Batman to punish The Joker.
What would Batman do? Would he question the very society he was trying to protect and help the Joker? Or would he give into the anger and finally kill the Joker for all the things he had done?
Big question indeed.
Hence, yeah. Comic books ask some very thought-provoking questions, if you look for them.
So yeah, do try some comic books in your spare time.
Who knows? You might just end up loving them as I did ; )
Cheers!
= )
Honestblogs 