Tag Archives: Youngblood

Comic Book Misconceptions

Being relatively new to comics, I’ve noticed several misconceptions that the general public seems to have about comic books.  While the reasons for these misconceptions vary from person to person, they really do the industry a disservice. Comics are often pushed to the fringes of pop culture because people who might otherwise be interested in the content are basing their opinions on bad information and missing out. I’d like to take a few minutes and address some of those and see if we can clear things up.

Misconception #1: Comic books are all about superheroes in tights and capes.

Not a cape to be found.

Not a cape to be found.

Some of my favorite comic books have absolutely nothing to do with superheroes. Sure, most of the books put out by Marvel and DC involve superheroes (though not all are wearing costumes), but those are not the only publishers of comics. Both Image and Vertigo are publishing great books that feature characters other than superheroes. In fact, Image has been driving a wonderful resurgence in the science fiction comic book. There is a comic book to fit every reader’s tastes; it’s just a matter of finding it.

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Comic Cover Imitation: Fan Art Isn’t Just For Fanboys

They say that imitation is the most sincere from of flattery. If that’s the case, then comic books love to flatter one another. From the beginning of superhero comics there have been copies of the most successful characters and their gimmicks. This applies not only to the characters, but also to the most visible part of the book–the covers. It is a common practice in the industry to pay homage to classic or favorite covers from other books. Of course what better place to begin than Action Comics #1. This particular issue is one of the most frequently parodied.

Superman-First-Comic-Action-Comics-No-1This is of course an absolute classic. In his book Supergods, comic writer Grant Morrison talks about all the various reasons this cover appeals to people and he is dead on. There is something about this cover that tells people that inside these pages is something new and different, which it is. Because of this, the cover has been copied repeatedly through the years. Continue reading

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Filed under Andrew Hales, Comics, Comics History