Comics worth reading?

[edwest]

The last comic book series that I thought was good was Frank Miller's Daredevil. That's right, from the 80s. While I believe everyone involved in producing a comic book should get their due credit, I'm tired of seeing a bunch of names all over a cover.

And the stories. I am tired of dark and psychological. And the art. Is it any surprise that Alex Ross, an artist that understands real human anatomy, and lighting and perspective, is still so highly regarded? What about these stylized scribbles that are supposed to be people or creatures? I can barely look at some of the "trying to experimental" (?) stuff/art out there.

Could it be that some or most artists are afraid of their work being compared to something from the 60s that is pushing them in this direction?

As an artist myself, I still admire a lot of work that has gone before. But month after month, I'll look through Previews and think: "Man, a lot of style but a lot of bad drawing." I look at the Manga and I think: "The Japanese are popular because the art is generally good to great overall, and the stories are good to very good." By the way, I'm looking through Previews now mainly for books, not comics.

So I picked up an SF Manga and found the artwork enjoyable and the story, while simple, was well told. That's all I'm asking for from American comics. So, any American comics worth reading?


Ed

[Aaron King]

There are all sorts of ways to tell a graphic story, and, in my opinion, photorealistic art is harder to read than "stylized scribbles." And, to my eye, a lot of manga is stylized scribbles. Many manga artists use an almost iconic approach: their lines are obviously lines and are meant to symbolize emotions and actions (as opposed to trying to fool the eye into thinking that the lines are the faces and bodies). Frank Miller, for instance, uses a lot of stylized scribbles, exaggerated anatomy, and negative space in his drawings.

Here are some suggestions based on what you've said:
Hellboy - not dark or psychological; Mike Mignola's art is amazing at conveying mood and setting

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters - if you like Alex Ross, maybe you'll like Daniel Acuna; I don't really like either, so I don't feel comfortable making this recommendation, but Acuna attempts to be photorealistic even if his anatomy and scale are a little off sometimes

Runaways - not dark at all, with art that I find similar to manga

Understanding Comics - a great book about how people translate the comic page into story; a comic book about comic books

[swinebread]

You've read Watchmen right?

I love the new Red Sonja series by DE
http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/c-Red_Sonja.html

Alan Moore's America's Best Comics line of comics has many good titles. Most have been collected into trades

Jonah Hex old and new for grim and gritty westerns.

The Walking Dead is good as well.

[sgt pepper]

I don't buy it and I don't like that kind of hyperbole, which is really just showing off, I think. If the last good comic series you read truly was in the '80s, then you probably just don't like comics anymore and should give them up. There are plenty of other interesting things to do.

[Stephane Garrelie]

A great comicbook today?
Try this one:
www.mouseguard.net :)

[Reptisaurus!]

I don't buy it and I don't like that kind of hyperbole, which is really just showing off, I think. If the last good comic series you read truly was in the '80s, then you probably just don't like comics anymore and should give them up. There are plenty of other interesting things to do.

Good call.

[dancj]

Good call.
Yup .

[shyguy]

can barely look at some of the "trying to experimental" (?) stuff/art out there.

What books are you looking at? Most mainstream superhero books are drawn in such a hyper-realistic style that I wouldn't use "experimental" to describe them at all.

And of course there are comics worth reading. Just browse the boards a bit for a zillion recommendations. Hey, if you explore artists aside from Alex Ross, you can even find some who know how to draw women!

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Read Age Of Bronze, from Image.

Very good art - not too realistic, not to cartoony, and the story is based on the Illiad, so you know it's good if it's been entertaining people for thousands of years.

Other than that, I get the vibe you'd hate everything.

Except maybe Automtaic Kafka.
If you can track that down, it's probably so much of everything you hate that you'll fall in love with it immediatley.

Could it be that some or most artists are afraid of their work being compared to something from the 60s that is pushing them in this direction?

No.
Some artists just choose different styles to express themselves - much like the guys in the 60s did.

[Erisu Kimu]

Here are some suggestions based on what you've said:
Hellboy - not dark or psychological; Mike Mignola's art is amazing at conveying mood and setting


Understanding Comics - a great book about how people translate the comic page into story; a comic book about comic books

Those two are definitely my picks from the titles that I do know of.

I'm not too sure about 'non-dark' American comics and graphic novels. All the ones that I do read are somewhat 'dark.'

With that said, I'm not all that much of a fan of the new comics, but moreso of the old. That's why I picked up Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1 and Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1.

Maybe you can try "Swamp Thing" or "Age of Bronze." Have you read "Maus"? That has great metaphorical art and symbolism.