posted
As a 27 year old married professional with two children, I am often met with skepticism and outright hostility when I mention that I enjoy comic books. The fact that some of the most talented writers and artists in the world are involved in creating complicated, meaningful stories is often overshadowed by a preconceived notion of what comic books are. Maybe, just maybe, now that OSC has gotten on board to write "Ultimate Iron Man", people can give the comics industry and it's readers the repect that they deserve. I hope that every OSC fan will take this opportunity to rid themselves of their misconceptions and buy this comic, and while you're there, pick up a copy of 'Fables' or 'Y The Last Man'. You won't be disappointed.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I somehow don't think Orson Scott Card's involvement in, erm, Ultimate Iron Man is going to convince anyone that comic books aren't just for kids.
Posts: 2443 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Ahh, ignorance rears its ugly head again. I agree, 'Ultimate Iron Man' sounds incredibly dumb. But honestly, it's not much worse than 'Speaker For the Dead', 'Shadow of the Hegemon' or 'Wyrms'. My point to all of this is that the title is not important, and the medium in which it's presented is not important. What is importatnt is the story.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
i agree....and if you actually read comic books alot of the stories have meaning...emotionally....it isn't all kill the bad guy fun....superheroes have emotion too....so give comics a chance they are worth the trouble....and hmmmm human target sounds sorta comic bookish....sort of like Steve Rogers the secret identity of one of the best superheroes ever.....accept it comics are worth the pain of having to read words in tiny little bubbles and staring at pictures that confuse you until you turn the pictures this way
posted
Well, let's get real for a sec. Some comics have deeper stories than others, and "Ultimate Iron Man" is unlikely to contain a story for the ages. That's not to say that it won't be an enjoyable read -- and I'm speaking here as a long-time reader of comics myself -- but I doubt it's going to suddenly bring legitimacy to superheroes.
There is, after all, something inherently immature and/or fascist about the superhero, which is why most adult superhero comics of literary merit have deliberately deconstructed those tropes. I doubt OSC is inclined to do that.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
MOST comics these days are NOT for kids, despite what most people might think.
Most comics these days are actually written with teens to adults in mind from what I can tell.
IMO, there are some really great superhero comics out right now. There are also some really great non-superhero comics too.
Comic books are definitly NOT for kids anymore. Ok, there are some kids comics still around, but not many.
I think comic books are great form of entertainment (and I think more people would like them if they gave them a chance). They are a true blending of art and writing at their best. Yes, there are still some awful comics out there, but there are a TON of great ones too!
I highly recommand titles like Planetary, Rising Stars, Midnight Nation (excellent mini-series. no superheroes here), Amazing Spiderman, Astonishing X-men, Daredevil, Ultimate Spiderman, Savage Dragon, and Invinicble.
Those are some of my favorite titles. And I know there are other really great comics out there...and I would be reading those too if I had the money!
As for OSC, I think its great that he's writing Ultimate Iron Man. I can't wait to read it! I hope OSC fans will give the comic a try. OSC is a great writer and the artist for the book, Andy Kubert, is a great artist, IMO.
The comic will definitly be worth a look!
DF2506 " This and Ben Browder on Stargate really made my day! "
Posts: 128 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:I agree, 'Ultimate Iron Man' sounds incredibly dumb. But honestly, it's not much worse than 'Speaker For the Dead', 'Shadow of the Hegemon' or 'Wyrms'.
So tell me again what it is about OSC's involvement that's going to make comics credible in the eyes of the masses? If Maus didn't do it in the 80s, Ultimate Iron Man, I mean really, Ultimate Iron Man by Some Science Fiction Writer sure as hell isn't going to do it today.
Posts: 2443 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Maus was written by a virtual unknown who's only fans already existed within the confines of the comic world, and while national media attention was garnered there was no name recognition to draw readers in. Think of how many 'must-read books' are reviewed every day. How many of those do you actually read? There has to be a hook to get the readers attention, especially when it comes to non-traditional storytelling. Orson Scott Card's fans span all nationalities, genders, and races. I'm not saying that by writing a comic book, he will spark a worldwide recognition of comics as an acceptable form of fiction, but if only 1 out of every 10 OSC fans takes away some appreciation for the art form, then we're talking tens of thousands of potential new readers.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I think we've obviously seen an increase in the enjoyment of "comic book" themes, with all the recent superhero movies. But, I don't that has really attracted much attention to actually reading comic books. I would assume it would actually have the opposite effect, since people can now just go watch the movie, and that's what our generation loves. Who wants to read the book, when you can see it on the screen? Some people do, yes(and i am included in that catagory), but the large majority would rather just see the movie.
In other words, I don't see much "repect" being gained in the comic book world, even though there has been a positive trend in comic book themes.
I could be wrong though. Time will tell.
Posts: 28 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Recovering alcoholic, reformed arms dealer, super smart/rich industrialist? Come on people this could be a great story for OSC to take on. The thing with the Ultimate line is that Card is free to take some liberties with the character. The Ultimate line is a reimagining of classic Marvel characters in modern times. This could be a real treat for OSC fans out there that are looking for a return to sci fi.
Posts: 2 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Michael Chabon's done more for legitimising comics and spreading the word than a million issues of Ultimate Iron Man would do. I mean, no slight to OSC, but he's small potatoes. Science fiction is a niche market and comics are a niche market--this mighty meeting of the geeks is a non-event in terms of giving comcis mainstream exposure.
Besides, I wager most sf fans are already pretty cool with comics, and vice versa.
Posts: 2443 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Michael who? Science Fiction a niche market? Everyone I know reads science fiction. Mass-market authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz often stray into the realm of science fiction. Is it the authors who legitimize their work, or the the readers who give it credence by buying it? My point, my only point, is that only through new readers can comic books become a recognized acceptable medium for the masses. It's ridiculous that an entire market can be written off because of preconceived notions and misconceptions. Every other medium (TV,Movies,Books) has material for children, young adults, and strictly adults. Why would people think that comics are different?
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote:Science Fiction a niche market? Everyone I know reads science fiction.
'Everyone you know' sure sounds like a niche market to me.
Seriously, the sf market is tiny. The big dogs rake in the cash, sure, but 1) there're only a handful of them and everyone else sells little and gets peanuts and 2) the big dogs outside of sf do way better than the big dogs in it. Just ask any midlist sf writer if they think it's a niche market or not.
quote:Mass-market authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz often stray into the realm of science fiction.
Yeah, whatever man. Ask people who aren't sf geeks if King and Koontz are sf writers and you'll get some very funny looks.
quote:Is it the authors who legitimize their work, or the the readers who give it credence by buying it?
And this has what to do with the topic?
quote:My point, my only point, is that only through new readers can comic books become a recognized acceptable medium for the masses.
Nice bit of first post revisionism there. It's obvious that wasn't your only point.
quote:It's ridiculous that an entire market can be written off because of preconceived notions and misconceptions.
You mean an entire market like, say, sf?
By the by, written off by who, and in comparison to what?
quote:Every other medium (TV,Movies,Books) has material for children, young adults, and strictly adults. Why would people think that comics are different?
Because people see comics as being all about people running around in tights. This is reasonable: most mass-market comics are all about people running around in tights. And most such comics are juvenile. If 90% of books were Teletubbies novelisations, what would you think of books?
Posts: 2443 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Haha. Everyone I know...good one. I'm 27, married, have children, hold a director level position in one of the largest engineering companies in the world. I don't know any fan-boys, computer geeks, or any of the sterotypical comic fans. I certainly don't fit the mold. Your joke is a perfect example of the blanket view that people hold about comic books, and yes also sf. I agree that sf is seen as a niche market to a degree, but I stand by my point that many mainstream authors books fall into the category of sf, especially Stephen King. What's interesting about King is that he struggled for years to get out of the 'Horror' section, only to move slowly through fiction, then into science fiction for the last two books of his Dark Tower series (at least at Borders and Amazon). If my statements seem 'post-revisionist' as you put it, well I'm just trying to fit in with our current Republican Administration.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
"I'm 27, married, have children, hold a director level position in one of the largest engineering companies in the world. I don't know any fan-boys, computer geeks, or any of the sterotypical comic fans."
If you are a director in one of the largest engineering companies in the world, and you don't know any fanboys, computer geeks, or stereotypical comic fans, I can only assume that they keep you in a sealed box and do not allow you to talk to your employees. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:Your joke is a perfect example of the blanket view that people hold about comic books, and yes also sf.
I'm sorry, THT, but this is the situation on the ground. That I have some sort of prejudiced outsider view of comicdom is a laughable accusation; I've probably spent more time in comic shops than you've spent reading comics, and I'm younger than you are.
And at any rate, whether the view people have of comics is accurate isn't really relevant to the discussion. What I'm saying is that an Iron Man comic written by an sf writer isn't going to do anything to change this view.
quote: agree that sf is seen as a niche market to a degree, but I stand by my point that many mainstream authors books fall into the category of sf, especially Stephen King. What's interesting about King is that he struggled for years to get out of the 'Horror' section, only to move slowly through fiction, then into science fiction for the last two books of his Dark Tower series (at least at Borders and Amazon).
That doesn't mean that many of King's readers will be interested in reading other sf. Sure, some writers are big enough to have more or less across-the-board appeal. This doesn't mean that every genre they choose to grace with their golden pens isn't, by itself, a niche market. King is in fact the perfect example of this. His horror novels sell by the lorryloads, but the horror market in general is a commercial joke. Ask any midlist horror writer.
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"Graphic novels," on the other hand... (That's what we library folks call them when we purchase them for our collections.)
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Haha. Everyone I know...good one. I'm 27, married, have children, hold a director level position in one of the largest engineering companies in the world. I don't know any fan-boys, computer geeks, or any of the sterotypical comic fans. I certainly don't fit the mold. Your joke is a perfect example of the blanket view that people hold about comic books, and yes also sf. I agree that sf is seen as a niche market to a degree, but I stand by my point that many mainstream authors books fall into the category of sf, especially Stephen King. What's interesting about King is that he struggled for years to get out of the 'Horror' section, only to move slowly through fiction, then into science fiction for the last two books of his Dark Tower series (at least at Borders and Amazon). If my statements seem 'post-revisionist' as you put it, well I'm just trying to fit in with our current Republican Administration.
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(That's what we library folks call them when we purchase them for our collections.)
