The last few years have seen a spate of super hero films, culminating in this summer's glut of spandex-clad protagonists. But for every Dark Knight there seem to be many more Green Lanterns. For every Iron Man, there are a score of X-Men 3s. For every Captain America, there's a Captain America.
Despite the rare critical and commercial hits that continue to justify the comic book movie genre, superheroes are faring even worse on their home turf.
My associates and I were pondering this strange state of affairs, and we resolved to try our hand at writing a superhero story that avoids the pitfalls and cliches that got the comics industry stuck in its current rut.
Our first step has been to compile a list of source material intended to exemplify what comics have done right in recent decades. For inspiration, we chose seminal graphic novels and miniseries that rescued superheroes from past periods of malaise. Our hope is that what these magna opera did for Batman, Superman, adult trade, and the industry in general can be done again in these turbulent times.
Yet the question still remains. How did superheroes' ray-deflecting wristbands lose their lustre? What tarnished their reputation? Comments regarding how the superhero genre can regain its appeal are most certainly welcome.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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8 comments:
We danced around the point a little bit, but flat out stating it may be necessary; there is just too much perceived history in American comic books. I don't see the problem with ending a series, although I may have had a thing or two to say aboot it in my youth.
You were the one who said it: Japanese books have their act together because they tend to produce a series from beginning to end and then they end the series. There's waaaaay less background and , dare I say, tradition to work through.
But don't worry: we're on the case now. Hope you've cleared your schedule, dude.
Thanks for carrying the ball. I refrained from mentioning the full story arc argument because I thought you could make the case better. You did not disappoint.
Side point: though manga boasts a greater number of series with definite arcs, I wouldn't say the medium "has its act together". There is less established continuity to contend with, but an excess of tradition is something that sorely belabors Japanese comics--at least from the standpoint of requisite tropes and idioms. Western comics have their share of cultural baggage, but I think that American comics have the advantage when it comes to ease of breaking from the norm.
Regrettably, there's not much I can do about my availability right now. We'll just have to play this one by ear.
Hey guys. Took a look at the shared doc and I'm not sure where to dive in. I think we'd be better off collaborating at least one more time in person again.
Our last brainstorm ended with a loose premise, but there's still a lot to mull over.
One of the unspoken rules of writing is to avoid deus ex machina for a reason. So if we don't attack this with a serious gameplan, we'll fizzle out just like most of the jokers before us.
I plan on getting back to this project, though it's all I can do to edit my book right now. I think the additional brainstorming session is a good idea.
Ok, I've added a lot of stuff to the document now. I think after our talk the other night, we can pretty much dive right into creating the script (at least the first few scenes). That is, unless Mick has any changes he'd like to make.
Mick always has changes. I'm writing a part for Stallone. Done!!
Is it Bibbo Bibowski?
lol
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