Where Have All the Really Great Comic Books Gone?

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Where Have All the Really Great Comic Books Gone?
By Philip Schweier
January 15, 2010 - 11:20

Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s

Now that the holidays have passed, I no longer have an excuse as to why I haven't written anything lately. I had a few plans, but for one reason or another, they fell through. People declined interviews, potential stories turned out to be non-stories. "I'm Generalissimo Francisco Franco, and I'm still dead." People over the age of 40 will understand that reference. If you're not one of them, let's just say it's an old Chevy Chase joke from Saturday Night Live and leave it that.

But when I get struck with writer's block, I start sorting through various comic book boxes in search of some catalyst that sends me off on some train of thought. What I've discovered this time around is I have way too many old comic books and not enough new ones. One might expect me to argue that "older comics are better than new ones," but it aint always so.

Many of the titles I have from the 1970s were written for your average 10-12-year-old, and those from the 1980s are perhaps a bit heavy-handed in their storytelling. That's not to say they're not good, but they can be a challenge to read and fully enjoy. Besides, I'm not sure I have much to say about the John Byrne era of X-Men or the New Teen Titans that hasn't already been said.

One of the things that led to lightning being captured in a bottle was the creative teams of Wolfman & Perez and the like. Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire formula for doing so again, and even pairing the most popular writer with the most popular artist is no guarantee that together they can produce magic as others may have once done.

But I think every creative person behind any given title is obliged to do his or her absolute best in crafting an engaging story. But often they are bound by the limits of what editorial will let them do to advance characters and introduce new plotlines that capture a reader's attention.

Still, there are ways around such restrictions. Perhaps if the powers that be will no approve of a character being married off, then perhaps the thing to do is create a new character specifically for that purpose.

But comic books today often center around an event of some sort, such as Marvel's Siege or DC Comics' Blackest Night. I have no problem with that, but they often come with a certain amount of hype and hoopla, which can be tiresome after a while, especially in the wake of other events that may have fallen flat.

Often, we hear executive editors respond to such comments with the statement of, "Well, once it's all over, we're just going to get back to telling really good stories." That's all well and good, but as soon as a writer comes up with a major story, we're off to the races once again, and the publisher's marketing machine begins to crank back up. Well, why not? Public relations departments need something to do.

Mind you, this is not be whining about the state of comic books today. We are seeing some really great storytelling, which in turn is feeding the creativity behind DC Comics original animated features and Marvel Comics feature film division. Such high-profile efforts in turn create new fans and new creators with all-new stories to tell.

But I find dismaying is my own notion of "nothing new under the sun." The last comic book-related story I read that truly left me wanting more was the original installment of Blacksad. I've since gotten the follow-up, which I also enjoyed, but have yet to find a third installment.

Perhaps I'm being too fickle, but I keep looking for something to truly impress me, and I'm not finding much. Partly because I lack the patience for reading epic storylines in monthly installments; I'd much rather read them as a whole in one sitting.

As a child, I used to come across the occasional two-parter, thinking to myself, "I can't wait to see how it ends," comfortable in the thought that would be in 30 days. Waiting to see how Blackest Night ends – well, we've got a ways to go yet. It's hard to get keyed up about something that is still a few months off.

So where are the great stories being told? The "done-in-one" that convinces me I should read next month's issue, not because the story continues, but because the title tells great stories?

I am open to suggestions.

Praise and adulation? Scorn and ridicule? E-mail me at philip@comicbookbin.com

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