All-Ages Comics: What's Good, What's Not?

[TimothyCallahan]

I obviously raved about "Seaweed" this week, and I'm a big fan of "Bone" and "Tiny Titans." But what kinds of all-ages books would you like to see more of? Or, what kinds of all-ages comics do you think should be banished from the Earth?

[Stressfactor]

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM is awesome. I probably shouldn't admit this but I buy copies for my nephew and read them before I give them to him.

They're sweet and funny and the kids are nice but have just enough mischief in them to remind you that they really are kids and it's still a dense and satisfying read for any age group AND it includes a code puzzle in every issue -- activities... YAY! That's something I remember from the comics of my own childhood. In fact, I've still got a few of my kid-era comics with the puzzles filled in using crayon....

Also good is Mike Bullock's Lions, Tigers and Bears and Lions, Tigers, and Bears vol.2. Once again, it's a terrific story, great art, and the tale is gentle yet action packed and the kids have just enough sass to be real kids while not so much that they come off as brats. It has a neat lesson about imagination and heart and creativity and courage that anyone of any age could really take home with them.

I don't really have any bad examples.

[CitC]

I was hoping there would be a place to respond to the "all-ages" comments presented in the article, but I won't hijack the thread too much.

I just wanted to say that, to me, "all-ages" is the comic industries version of a G rating. It could mean anything from the Teletubies to Wall-E. I consider Mouse Guard (my first vote for what is good) to be an all ages book,but I won't put it in a grade one class. I will put a copy of it in my grade 3 class after Xmas.

Regular kids picture books have an obvious age target and should not be considered being watered down if that target is a 3yr old. I would not even consider Johnny Boo or Squirelly Gray by James Kochalka to "overly simplistic, or overly childish". They are intended for younger readers and they are terrific.

There is a very good chance that this rant is being fueled by an AICN review I just read of a kids story book (in their comic review section) that began with "Too many childrens’ books talk down to kids, thinking that talking on their level equates to dropping IQ points." I have been an elementary teacher for years and I want to know where he has been getting his books - because I see very few that talk down.

Amelia Rules is great (9 and up), as is Path - an all out chase scene featuring a bunny, an elephant and lots of monsters.

There's more good stuff coming out all the time.

[DubipR]

Good All Ages Books:
Uncle Scrooge (bar none the best out there)
Walt Disney Stories
Marvel Adventures (I love those digests)
Power Pack
Owly
Corgi
Akiko
any books by Johan Sfar
Simpsons
Futurama

These I consider great all ages reads.

[TimothyCallahan]

I really hate the Marvel Adventures digests because the art is squished down to a size it wasn't designed for. They are really aesthetically unappealing, even though I like a lot of the Marvel Adventures comics.

Mouse Guard is pretty great, and Squirrelly Grey and Johnny Boo even better -- I own them all, and my kids love the latter (and haven't really gotten into the former yet. Maybe in a few years.)

Comparing all-ages to the G rating makes sense, but it just points out the problem. G-rated movies are targeted at children. They are children's movies. That doesn't exclude adults from enjoying them, and it doesn't require that they are simplistic, but they end up as children's movies nonetheless. That's what happens to supposedly all-ages comics as well.

[DubipR]

I really hate the Marvel Adventures digests because the art is squished down to a size it wasn't designed for. They are really aesthetically unappealing, even though I like a lot of the Marvel Adventures comics.

The digests were targeted at younger audiences who Marvel thought they were losing to companies like Viz and ToykoPop. They formated the digests to fit right next to those books. The stories are great, but I do agree that the art gets compacted. The Runaways, Spider-Girl and Power Pack digests sell well for Marvel, but sometimes it's nice to have a travel size than loose issues lying about.

Comparing all-ages to the G rating makes sense, but it just points out the problem. G-rated movies are targeted at children. They are children's movies. That doesn't exclude adults from enjoying them, and it doesn't require that they are simplistic, but they end up as children's movies nonetheless. That's what happens to supposedly all-ages comics as well.

I agree with you on that statement. Most kids today want to hit the PG, PG-13, and sometimes R films. The same goes with comics. I look at the list of comics I gave you as more of a Pixar film, which are PG rather than a G. It's not quite dumbed down for kids, but the writing is comprehensive for kids and adults alike.

[mgs]

Archie comic books, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Baby-Sitter's Club comics, Balthazar and Franco's other comics (besides Tiny Titans)...

[stealthwise]

My daughter, who is 2, LOVES Tiny Titans, but doesn't like me to read it to her. Basically it's because every joke is either a lame pun or requires one to know what the actual Titans/DCU characters do. I really don't get the point of the comic, but she likes the bright costumes, so I let her buy it.

[TCJohnson]

Also good is Mike Bullock's Lions, Tigers and Bears and Lions, Tigers, and Bears vol.2. Once again, it's a terrific story, great art, and the tale is gentle yet action packed and the kids have just enough sass to be real kids while not so much that they come off as brats. It has a neat lesson about imagination and heart and creativity and courage that anyone of any age could really take home with them.

Quoted for truth.

Also love Mavel Adventures: The Avengers.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Comparing all-ages to the G rating makes sense, but it just points out the problem. G-rated movies are targeted at children. They are children's movies. That doesn't exclude adults from enjoying them, and it doesn't require that they are simplistic, but they end up as children's movies nonetheless. That's what happens to supposedly all-ages comics as well.

I'm not sure how closely our systems correlate, but in Australia In The Mood For Love is rated G, and that's not for kids.
Marie Antoinette was rated PG, also not for kids.
I get your point, but there are exceptions.
Interestingly, on the commentary of Gosford Park, Robert Altman comments that he put in the scenes with Bob Balaban swearing into the phone in the film so that the language in those scenes pushed it up a rating, so that people wouldn't bring their kids/young teens into the film, as he didn't think any of them would enjoy it.

[TROUBLEZ]

All the Archie books except for the more real looking art issues.

Marvel Adventures Spider-man.

Mary Jane loves Spider-man's good.

[DigitalGonzo]

I was a huge fan myself of Justice League Unlimited before it got canceled -- I don't mind saying it was one of my favorite comics some months. Both X-Men: First Class and Wolverine: First Class have been pretty solid reads too. Besides that, Owly is good, and I haven't read much but what I've seen of Corgi was great. I think the new Supergirl series shows promise (I actually like its origin story for Supergirl more than any canon one).

[superchick]

Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade is magnificent. Little girls will love it and parents will adore teh many many references to DC comics and cartoons

[Lemurion]

My daughter's seven and she loves the Johnny DC stuff - especially Billy Batson and Tiny Titans.

[rorshach1982]

Clan Apis (obviously it's not on going)

Bone was great and Scholastic has been putting out the collected colored versions which adds a nice touch to Smith's art.

Castle Waiting is just good enough to allow for adult and child entertaining.

Chris Giarusso does some nice all-ages superhero stuff in G-Man

Carla Speed-McNeil has illustrated the first volume of the Pendragon YA series, only got to look at it briefly, but the art is fantastic and in keeping with her Finder ongoing.

There's a Artemis Fowl graphic novel out there covering the events of the first book. I didn't find it aesthetically pleasing and decided against picking up but if anyone has read it, I'd like to hear an opinion.