Novelization of Comic Ideas

[bartl]

Thinking about it, much of Grant's works lends itself well to novelization. It usually depends more on characterization and plot, and not on the battle scenes which look so good in comics, but tend to fall flat in pure text format. Even something more superheroic like ENEMY could be translated well into text.

One problem with novelizations is the "Universe" concept. Many plotlines make no sense within the Universe concept; a standard team-up cliche is when two heroes are fighting two opponents who are creaming them, they switch opponents, and make short work of it. Similarly, if a hero is fighting someone who is out of their league, the question comes up as to why he or she doesn't just call in one of his/her superhero buddies to help out ("People are dying, but I have my PRIDE to think of!" Right.). Now, of course, if you have a group like Bravura, you can do things with a self-contained universe, like Grant's EDGE...

(edited to get rid of an overused word, and to correct the spelling of "plot").

[badMike]

The intro excerpt in this week's column had me hooked. I would certainly read more.

BADLANDS would have made a good novel.

[Steven Grant]

It might yet. You never know.

[DannoE]

Thinking about it, much of Grant's works lends itself well to novelization. It usually depends more on characterization and plot, and not on the battle scenes which look so good in comics, but tend to fall flat in pure text format. Even something more superheroic like ENEMY could be translated well into text.

One problem with novelizations is the "Universe" concept. Many plotlines make no sense within the Universe concept; a standard team-up cliche is when two heroes are fighting two opponents who are creaming them, they switch opponents, and make short work of it. Similarly, if a hero is fighting someone who is out of their league, the question comes up as to why he or she doesn't just call in one of his/her superhero buddies to help out ("People are dying, but I have my PRIDE to think of!" Right.). Now, of course, if you have a group like Bravura, you can do things with a self-contained universe, like Grant's EDGE...

(edited to get rid of an overused word, and to correct the spelling of "plot").Continuity is the death of good comics. I hate that. Just tell a good story and let that be the end of it.

BTW, good luck on the novel, Steven. I think we all want to see that succeed.

[Inkthinker]

I don't think it has anything to do with "continuity" per se... the problem arises when you have multiple creative teams, wach of which feels that their "vision" of the material is "the right one". When they end up writing at cross-purposes they can create continuity confilicts, but this is rarely an issue when a single creative team is maintained.

For instance, no-one busts Azzarello/Risso for his continuity, nor Stan Sakai, nor Erik Larsen.

Continuity is simply the maintained universe of a story, but that's easier to do when no-one else is sticking their fingers into it and stirring it around.

[DannoE]

I don't disagree with that, but these companies rely so much on their established universes that their very success has become the thing holding them (and everyone else) back. Continuity is fine as long as the stories are good, but if the stories are good, then really, who cares about anything else?

What part of Tampa, BTW? I went to Chamberlain HS.

[WatsonGlenn]

For instance, no-one busts Erik Larsen for his continuity.
Continuity is simply the maintained universe of a story, but that's easier to do when no-one else is sticking their fingers into it and stirring it around.
around.

If you have read the last 100 or so issues of Savage Dragon you would not say that. His continuity is a mess.

IMO its the job of editors to control continuity.

[Inkthinker]

What part of Tampa, BTW? I went to Chamberlain HS.

Nowadays I live over by Seminole Heights and work on Davis Island. I grew up near College Hill and went to Tampa Bay Tech (I should have gone to Hillsborough, they planned to bus me to Gaither because I lived in the ghetto, and I volounteered to attend TBT instead and focus on Commercial Art, which eventually became my career.)

Yay, another Tampon!

:D

[Inkthinker]

If you have read the last 100 or so issues of Savage Dragon you would not say that. His continuity is a mess.


This is true, I took Larsen's name in vain. I don't read Savage Dragon.

[badMike]

Nowadays I live over by Seminole Heights and work on Davis Island.weird. I have a cousin who lives on Davis Island. Never been there myself, tho'.

[fumetti]

I don't much like novelizations at all. To me, it's a lose-lose situation. If the story is better told in prose, then why put it out as a comic or movie (exept for money, which isn't the point)? If the story is better told as a comic or movie, then the novelization becomes pointless.

As for continuity, somehow the emphasis shifted away from simply keeping the facts straight (how powers worked, and who their girlfriends were), to being forever stuck in (or cycling back to) old storylines.

Case in point: fans of the PAD Aquaman are upset by the new "Sub Diego" storyline because it ignores what PAD did. It's true to a point. But the new stories do not CONTRADICT what PAD did (as far as I can tell), they just left that era behind. To me, that's good continuity.

The best example of bad continuity is Marvel. Dang, is there really a point to having FOUR imprint lines of the same characters? My head spun as I recently tried to grab a few FF comics (to get in the mood for the movie). Ugh.

What's worse, I like both The Ultimates and The New Avengers. But after 7 issues of both, I'm losing track of which Cap, Thor, and Iron Man said and did what. It's all blurring together, so I can't build up much story momentum in my head.

I couldn't imagine someone trying to "novel-ize" Marvel's Quesada era. Don't think it's possible.

[WatsonGlenn]

I like both The Ultimates and The New Avengers. But after 7 issues of both, I'm losing track of which Cap, Thor, and Iron Man said and did what.

I'm glad its not just me. I love Ultimates, New Avengers, Young Avengers and the various Cap America comics but it is confusing.

All thes "X-men the End" comics also have my head spinning.