American comics should take a pointer from manga?

[Quietus Legion]

I honestly don't know how the popularity of manga and western comics have been going for a while now, but here is how I see the thing personally:

Like someone mentioned earlier, manga came in as an underground hobby (that's how I got in) and it was vastly different to what one was used to. At that point I would read any manga and watch any anime that I could get my hands on and all I saw was awesome. Also manga had a much more mature (with which I mean gore + sex, not actual maturity ) approach to things than your average superhero comic.

However in time as manga's popularity grew you started to notice that just like with western stuff, a very large percentage of the manga/anime output was crap. Of course everyone had their own idea on what was that crap part, but I'd say that the crap percentage was pretty much constant. Ergo the novelty of the thing wore off as more and more people were in to it.

Trying to bring this to the actual subject of the OP, I'd say that the fluctuating popularity of manga/western has little to do with problems within western comics since they both have their own problems. Manga just had it's peak since it was suddenly more "in". Thus I think both could learn some minor things from one another, but mainly should keep to their own style. I like the fact that they are different, it's always fun to read something and realize that the other would never come up with something like this Gives more variety in all.

Now if we concentrate specifically to SUPERHERO comics, then I'd say (based on things I've read/heard, not things I know personally) they could learn a thing or two from manga AND other types of western comics. However I'm not really expert on this as I don't much care about superhero comics anymore.

 

[Jonluw]

Anybody else feel the same way I do?

I disagree. Your seems to ask for comic series to be given limited runs so that they will have a definite ending without devolving into repitition. But most comics do that. Sure the big name superhero ones don't but the reason they have big names is that the don't end. Most series do finish, so suggesting it is somewhat redundant.

Manga takes storytelling seriously. Comics don't.
At least I guess that's how it is.

Nonsense. Are you really saying that Watchmen doesn't take storytelling seriously? Or how about The Sandman? From Hell? Maus? Or any of the thousands of comic series ever made?

Of course, those are quite nice. But when I said 'comics' I was referring to the Marvel and DC stuff, since I got the impression that's what OP was aiming at.

There are quite a few western comics that do good with stories; but I feel they're all so bloody dark and artsy and underground.

 

[Quietus Legion]

There are quite a few western comics that do good with stories; but I feel they're all so bloody dark and artsy and underground.

Really? Then I would recommend you try Groo the Wanderer, Blueberry, Valerian or Sillage. Granted each person has their own definition of dark, artsy and underground, but I think none of those match. However Groo and Valerian have ended, Groo a while a go and Valerian very recently.

 

[Jonluw]

There are quite a few western comics that do good with stories; but I feel they're all so bloody dark and artsy and underground.

Really? Then I would recommend you try Groo the Wanderer, Blueberry, Valerian or Sillage. Granted each person has their own definition of dark, artsy and underground, but I think none of those match. However Groo and Valerian have ended, Groo a while a go and Valerian very recently.

Maybe I will some time in the future.
I've never heard about any of those before though.

 

[Space Spoons]

I think the declining popularity of comics has less to do with the content (because let's face it, a young action fan will read anything that looks cool, whether it's Goku, Spider-Man or someone else) and more to do with the marketing. Which is to say, they aren't marketed properly at all.

Look at magazines and newspapers; you can get them just about anywhere. Arguably, its their greatest strength. Comics, on the other hand, are generally only available at comic book shops. Kids can't drive, and most parents aren't going to make a special trip out to a comic shop when gas is as expensive as it is. Grocery stores, laundromats, convenience stores, gas stations; these are the places where comics should be sold.

 

[Fbuh]

or maybe we should have a varied market where there is something for every taste?
we have manga allready we don't need western copmics to become it as well.
that's like saying twilight and transformers were extreamly popular movies every movie should be like those. would hyou honestly like to live in a world where every movie is twilight and transformers?

No. Fucking. Way.

I love the Transformers, but I love them because they are not blowing up my local city. And no vampires. Especially not ones that sparkle.

EDIT: On retrospect, I would love to live in the Transformers universe. I know it's off topic a bit, but the thought of being a transforming robot is fucking awesome.

 

[Mister Benoit]

Manga takes storytelling seriously. Comics don't.
At least I guess that's how it is.

Is this a serious comment?

I've recently finished reading The Sandman series along with a couple of it's side stories and Y:The Last Man and i'm pretty sure they're all about the storytelling.

 

[Jonluw]

Manga takes storytelling seriously. Comics don't.
At least I guess that's how it is.

Is this a serious comment?

I've recently finished reading The Sandman series along with a couple of it's side stories and Y:The Last Man and i'm pretty sure they're all about the storytelling.

This has already been mentioned, but what I'm referring to as 'comics' are mainstream American superhero comics; mainly because I gathered that's what the OP refers to.
There are comics that take storytelling seriously out there. Mainly European ones though, it seems.

 

[poppabaggins]

I do agree with you that American comics stories getting lost and everything, but I think the real difference in sales come down to the differences between the countries.

Japan is a very metropolitan area. Most people live in dense cities and most of them commute long distances. Pretty much everybody in Japan reads manga or light novels or plays games or does something during these commutes.

Americans, on the other hand are often a lot more spread out (and use cars), or have much shorter commutes. There are exceptions, but these rules generally apply.

Also, manga is a lot more culturally accepted in Japan than comics are in America.

 

[Artina89]

As far as I am aware, American/western comics seem to be doing just fine, and the superhero comics get a lot of exposure all the time, the Batman franchise seems to be incredibly popular and when The Watchmen came out as a film a lot of people seemed to go out and get the graphic novel. We already have manga, the last thing I want is a load of clones of Japanese style comics. As for the Japanese series being shorter, as far as I am aware Bleach and Naruto are still going on, (or at the very least they have only finished recently) and there seems to be a lot of Dragonball Z manga out there.

Let the western comics do their thing, and let the Japanese/Eastern comics do theirs, leave them to play at their strengths.

 

[aba1]

Marvel and DC BOTH need to reset their continuity, but actually do it, and then start on NEW stories and NEW characters.

Take Spiderman for example: He started as a teenager still in school, then after two years left for college, then after that graduated and moved on. Then he entered a stasis which he has been stuck in for 30 years -- by rights he should now be in his fifties and yet he is still a 20-something guy, fighting the same old villains on an endless loop:
Yes, the green Goblin and the Black Cat are good, but jesus they are OLD NEWS now.

What western comics needs is some originality.

Oh, and also none of this alternate universes stuff. Having "What if" scenarios is fine, so long as its made clear that they aren't canon -- there should be one universe that is obviously made canon, and it shouldn't just be one in a list of many.


The problem with western comics isn't continuity, its stagnation.

this is essentially what I was trying to get at apperntly I was not clear what so ever

 

[siahsargus]

There are quite a few western comics that do good with stories; but I feel they're all so bloody dark and artsy and underground.

Really? Then I would recommend you try Groo the Wanderer, Blueberry, Valerian or Sillage. Granted each person has their own definition of dark, artsy and underground, but I think none of those match. However Groo and Valerian have ended, Groo a while a go and Valerian very recently.

Have you ever read Zot? It's the best of Western Comics and Manga. Also, totally not dark.

 

[Rems]

One of the reason's i'm not into comics is all the bloody crossovers and continuity issues. I like nice, self contained plots- novels series or one off graphic novels like Watchmen <3 or some of the Batman ones. Having to buy a million issues of a comic and then having to keep on doing so holds no appeal to me. Though Alan More is always dependable.

Oh god how all the crossovers and continuity stuff and alternate universes annoy me.

I would'nt say though that manga series are superior (not into them either). They have their own share of problems (such as ever recurring clichés and some serious wierdness- barely clothed underage girls being part of that [oh and don't forget lolicon]).