Stephen writes:
----------- That said, comics are now more like movies then
they ever were, a style novelist/comics writer Peter David
calls "decompressed. " Gone are the boxes at the top of
panels that explain setting, etc., replaced by dialogue and
the art itself. The result is that the comics are much more
like movies and less like books. More cinematic in nature and
less a narrative.
This makes for a much quicker read, which may or may not be
an okay thing, but it also puts even more emphasis on the
quality of the art, which can vary widely. To me, Saturday
morning cartoonish styles or heaven forbid manga (Japanese
for "crap," in my opinion).
------------
Your points about significant changes in narrative structure
and pacing in more recent "adult-oriented" American comics,
and the likely effect of certain techniques from film, are
well-taken, but your final assertion above is competely
illogical and incorrect.
The quality or style of the drawings in comics are for the
most part completely unrelated to the changes in
story-telling your are talking about; this would be like
saying a movie's being filmed in black-and-white or color
film has an effect on its pacing or narrative flow.
I'm not a huge fan of most Manga, but, ironically, it is
probably the narrative conventions of Manga, which tends to
move VERY quickly, is highly dialogue-driven, and generally
features little exposition, that has been one of the biggest
influences on the changes in American comics storytelling in
recent years.
None of this has ANYTHING to do, of course, with the
particular style of drawing--i.e., what you call
"crap."
Sorry to delurk just to pick a nit, but since the question
here is whether or not RARA-AVIANS would enjoy certain crime
comics (I'd tend to say they all should try a few of the
better one, but on the other hand I am well aware that
"comfortably" reading and enjoying comics is very much a
learned skill, not to mention a taste best acquired when
young), I think it's pretty important that we not be muddying
the water with incorrect assertions that might simply
increase prejudices.
Mark Nevins
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