Tuesday, August 11, 2009

World's Lousiest Comics

It probably comes as no surprise that I'm a great fan of comic books. A geek, if you will. I think I probably mentioned at some point how waiting for each issue of Watchmen to come out and then reading them was literally a life-changing experience for me. I used to horde my lunch money (sorry, Mom)so I'd have more money to buy comics. I bought comics right up until having a family impoverished me so much that I couldn't even afford to keep up my complete run of The Avengers.

Kidding! I'm kidding! Sort of. The comic book line was one of the first to be eliminated from the family budget, but at the time it was an easy decision because most of the comics that were out then...in my opinion...stunk. Reeked. Were awful. This happens to me every five years or so, where I read a comic that send me in such a rage that I literally quit reading comics for months or years at a time.

As my kids grew older, though, I wanted to share with them the joys of comic reading, and my son really caught the fever. I'd make frequent trips to the basement to get him stacks and stacks from "the vault". He likes the superhero books mostly, like I did when I was his age.

His interest got me buying new comics again, something I've been doing for a few years now. And initially, the old thrill was there, and I started dreaming once again of doing comic book scripts (comic moguls, take note). My artist friend Matt Smith and I keep threatening to collaborate on a graphic novel, something that I would love, love to do. All these thoughts and experiences, and the look on my son's face when we read the new issue of JSA conspired to make comics fun again.

But last week I read a comic book so stupid, so insipid, so morally vacuous my tiny little world is put in a tailspin yet again. Every so often a comic comes along that seems (again, just my opinion) to exist solely to insult the intelligence and taste of what is typically a very loyal readership. The comic was so bad that it made me angry, and worse, it made me sad. The comic was just plain disrespectful, to readers, to characters, to story.

I feel old today. I think I'll wish that comic book to the cornfield.

9 comments:

MaliceInWonderland said...

I'm sorry to hear that it happened again, but I agree with you. I feel the same about many of them. May I ask what comic it was this time, or do you wish for it to remain anonymous and uninsulting to the creators? I'd respect that as well.

Mary said...

You would write one heckuvah graphic novel, I'm sure. I hope that you do that someday- it would be great for my love of your books and my love of comics to join forces! Maybe they could turn Generation Dead into a series of graphic novels. They turned Maximum Ride into a manga, after all.

Unknown said...

Hey!
I have a huge comic book obsession but I decided a few years ago that I couldn't afford the habit and have since decided to swith to the collected trade paperbacks. This was I get the story all the way through as opposed to missing a few here and there because I have always been a sporadic comic reader. Anyway last night I went to a panel discussion for Marvel's 70th anniversary. Itfeatured Brian Mihael Bendis, Rick Remender, and Jeff Parker. It was fun and I had a few things signed.

Of course I have had similar experiences to your blog post. Stories so bad I feel like ripping my hair out in frustration. As I am a few years behind on comics, due to only buying the occasional tpb, I am curious to find out what comic that so upset you.

I am thinking you might not say.... which is probably a smart and safe decision but I have to ask anyway. So.... Which comic was it?
Mike

Anonymous said...

i hate when i read a book like that. i vent it to my best friend. she gets mad at me because she hates reading. i think its funny and that how i get my mind off the stupid book i read.

Anna-Tommy-lover said...

Hello Dan!
I missed you!
Haha!
I went to the beach.
I´m a tomato!
I´m really burning!
:O
Your last post was awesome!
Call me for Gargoyle audition!
Haha!
Kidding!I wish I could be Phoebe or Margi.And you could appear in the movie too!
Great idea!
Or maybe another good idea could be a TV SERIES in HBO like they did with the books by Charlaine Harris, True Blood.
And Oh-emm-gee!5 books!Awesome!We will have Generation Dead for a while!Cool!
And you were a goth, really awesome,maybe Phoebe´s inspired in you?Humm...
And I´m a huge comic fan!
Well, I´really like Spider-pork!It´s really funny!Haha!Really!And Batman and I really like Garfield and Snoopy, haha, a little childish, but it really akes me laugh haha-
Well, gotta go!
Bye!
xoxo
Anna-Tommy-lover*
Christy hater LOL
Daniel Waters rocks!

Candy said...

Hey Mr. Waters! (:

I just picked up your book at the library and I can't stop reading it!
Just wanted to thank you for writing GENERATION DEAD. It's awesome. ^_^ Hehe...

Btw, do you like manga? It's like the Japanese version of comics...sorta.

Watching said...

Yes...I do the same thing with manga...

but that would be so cool if you made a graphic novel :D I would by it then I would use the remainder of my money to buy a copy for each of my friends ^^

Daniel Waters said...

Hi MaliceinWonderland!

Yeah, I'll keep it anonymous. But it is a pretty popular one, which leaves me gnashing my teeth! Gnash, gnash!

Take care,
Dan

Hi Mary!

That would be cool! Someday...

Take care,
Dan

Hi Michael!

Yeah, I prefer not to say. It might be some kid's favorite thing ever and I wouldn't want to rain on his/her parade.

Take care,
Dan

Hi Anonymous!

Your best friend hates reading? Shudder!

Take care,
Dan

Hi Anna-Tommy-Lover!

Yeah, a TV series would be cool, too!

Take care,
Dan

Hi Candy!

Thank you!

I don't know *anything* about manga. What's good?

Take care,
Dan

Hi Watching!

Do your friends know how good they have it?

Take care,
Dan

lisa said...

A great manga is Deathnote It's a long series but defiantly worth reading. It reminds me of how you write the setting in Gen Dead. It's a really original storyline and it takes tons of crazy turns.