Why do you read comics?
Seriously. We're all fans of the art form, but what specifically makes comics interesting to you?
- Is it the stories?
- Is it the art?
- Will good art salvage a bad story?
- Will a well written story salvage a poorly drawn comic?
- Will fun elements salvage a poor story (i.e. Wonder Woman and Batgirl fighting over the affections of Batman in The Brave and the Bold #78)?
- Are you drawn to specific characters and will read their stories no matter what?
- Are there artists and/or writers whose work you will always follow?
- How important is continuity to you?
To kick things off, I'll do my best to give my own answers:
Is it the stories - Yes, 100 percent. I don't need a story to be brilliant, but I do want to be entertained.
Is it the art? - Not so much for me. Pedestrian art for a good story equals a good story for me. Great art for a bad story is still a bad story.
Will good art salvage a bad story? - Nope.
Will a will written story salvage a poorly drawn comic? - A great deal depends on your definition of "poorly drawn". I've seen plenty of stories with very pedestrian or slightly less than professional art that I've still been able to enjoy because the story was good. At the same time, I've also seen stylistic choices by quality artists render a story unreadable to me. So I guess if I don't like the art, the story also suffers.
Will fun elements salvage a poor story (i.e. Wonder Woman and Batgirl fighting over the affections of Batman in The Brave and the Bold #78)? - Yes. You ask why I love Bob Haney, I will point to this story. The City Stealers? Two thumbs up. Mind you, it takes more than wackiness to make a story fun.
Are you drawn to specific characters and will read their stories no matter what? - For the most part, yes. As long as the character is written in a manner in which I think is consistent, I'll try to stick with that character.
Are there artists and/or writers whose work you will always follow? - There are writers I tend to pay attention to because they've generally delivered consistently entertaining stories. No one is perfect, however, and there are duds by pretty much anyone you can name.
How important is continuity to you? - I would say that consistency is more important to me. I want to see characters behaving in a consistent manner, and if they aren't i want to know why. If someone creates a plot that hinges on an event that was previously established and now ignored, that bothers me (an example would be with JSA, where several members of the team saw Captain Marvel forcibly transformed into Billy Batson, then gave him a hard time about dating the Star-Spangled Girl).
Replies
*Exception: Anything he has done with Tim Sale. He suddenly becomes an apt writer somehow when paired with Mr. Sale.
Geoff Johns or Jeph Loeb?
Wandering Sensei said:
Whoop! Jeph Loeb.
Randy Jackson said:
Comics artists contribute to the storytelling, so I'd distinguish the story, meaning the combination of writing and art, from the writing, meaning such elements as the plot and dialogue. As I kid I wanted to strongly buy into the reality of the stories I was reading, and I experienced them very intensely. That is, I was excited by the action and cared about what was happening to the characters and how the stories turned out. Now I'm an adult that's much less the case. I still want to genuinely enjoy a story, but when a story doesn't grab me strongly I might still appreciate it for good qualities in the art or writing.
There are artists I admire who often drew dull stories. I like looking at their work, so I'm interested in reading it despite the dull element. (E.g. Dan Barry's work on the Flash Gordon newspaper strip. I've also seen older British comic stories that were quite beautifully drawn but not very interesting as stories.) There are other artists who brought elements to their stories that play a major role in making them exciting for me. (E.g. Jack Kirby, but I still only like some of his work from the 70s, so his art doesn't save everything he did for me.)
Comics artists contribute to the storytelling and convey part of the characterisation through their depiction of the characters' expressions and body language. They also contribute to how imaginative the stories are; for example, if the tale is an SF story they might depict the clothes of the future and the robots in the story in imaginative or unimaginative ways. When the tale is a western they contribute to the story's sense of reality and place. I think bigfoot elements in the depiction of characters is pleasing because they're a form of caricature, and that's a form of visual characterisation.
So
I think so, but the art contributes to how much I like the stories.
I'll read a story because I like the art, but good drawing (as opposed to exciting and imaginative storytelling) isn't enough to make the story itself interesting to me.
A story can be mediocre rather than actually bad. Good art can make reading an otherwise mediocre story worthwhile. I read the "Night People" story from Captain America ##201-203 a year or two ago. I think I'd call that one bad, so the art, including some imagery I like, wasn't enough to save it for me, but neither was the presence of some good ideas.
Again, the art may be mediocre rather than bad. I've certainly enjoyed stories with mediocre art. Really poor art, like the worst art in some WWII-era comics, can kill stories. But I think I've read crudely-drawn-but-enjoyable stories.
Yes. The story may be dopey but at least it offers some fun.
Yes to the first question; I'm definitely more interested in stories about some characters than others. Partly it's the familiarity of the characters, partly that they're more interesting characters. No to the second. I have no interest in reading stories about those characters when the art and writing are in styles I really don't like.
I don't always enjoy the work even of my favourite writers and artists. I might be interested in seeing the work some day anyway.
I see continuity as like consistency within a story. I like creators building on the work of other creators and maintaining continuity while doing so. But it doesn't bother me that in one Julie Schwartz-edited Superman story (the lead story from Action Comics #427) the Flash couldn't vibrate between Superman's atoms because they're too dense, and in another (DC Comics Presents #2) he used his vibrating body as a living portal for Superman.
Is it the stories - Yes, with the understanding that the art must be capable of conveying the story.
Is it the art? - No, although art is part of the story and good art enhances the experience. Exceptional art may cause me to give a second look to something I ordinarily would not consider but the story still has to carry it for me.
Will good art salvage a bad story? - No!
Will a will written story salvage a poorly drawn comic? - Definitely, although there does come a point where bad art interferes with the telling of the story.
Will fun elements salvage a poor story? - This one's a little complicated. I don't see story and plot as synonyms, more like plot, characterization and fun ideas as a story triumvirate. However, my personal preference is for a strong plot. So fun elements or characterization really need to be kicked up a notch for me to be happy with a weak plot.
Are you drawn to specific characters and will read their stories no matter what? - I'm more likely to buy something with a few specific characters but it's not a guaranteed thing. ('Course as I say this, I'm continuing to buy the Defenders despite not really enjoying the current iteration. Fractions gotta be swapped out soon, right?)
Are there artists and/or writers whose work you will always follow? - Not really. They have to be doing something that sounds like it will interest me. Anything Kurt Busiek, Scott Snyder, J.M. DeMattis or Roger Stern writes gets a second look but nothing is a guaranteed buy.
How important is continuity to you? - I have to agree, I think consistency is important but I'm less concerned about continuity unless it's being used as a plot point, if that's the case, they better use everything that's being referenced, not just cherry picked pieces.
Are there artists and/or writers whose work you will always follow? - Yes, usually. They have to be doing something that sounds like it will interest me. Anything Kurt Busiek, John Byrne, Dan Slott or Roger Stern writes gets a second look but nothing is a guaranteed buy. Well, I take that back. I've learned that Byrne and Stern are virtual locks! So, yes, I'll buy them pretty much sight unseen.
I read comic books primarily for light entertainment. I do think it’s possible for good art to save a bad story (and vice versa), the best stories are (of course) when good story and good art combine to produce a whole greater than the sum of its parts. “Good” art can be (merely) pretty to look at or it can be technically good, breaking the action of the story down in such a way that the flow of the action is easy to follow from panel to panel and give a sense of the story even without the words. The best art (of course) has elements of both.
In recent years, I have come to appreciate comics that are better than they had to be at the time they were produced. In other words, at a time when comics where considered primarily children’s fare, the best ones are those which appeal to adult sensibilities as well. Comics have the ability to appeal on multiple levels, and (generally speaking) the more levels the better. The more the creative team puts in, the more the reader is able to take away, and that includes continuity. A writer should be aware of the continuity of an established title (whether he intends to utilize it or not) otherwise he will make mistakes. The story should not be a slave to it, however. It should exist as another level for the long-time reader to enjoy, but it should not impede a new reader’s enjoyment.
I am drawn to specific characters but I will not read their stories no matter what. I am more likely to follow an artist or writer, even to a title I would otherwise have no interest in, but I do have my limits.
Is it the stories? - Sure it is. Entertain me and I am satisfied.
Is it the art? - You bet, as someone who has no drawing ability it mesmerizes me.
Will good art salvage a bad story? Will a will written story salvage a poorly drawn comic? - I will ride out bad art in a good story than the other way around. Yet there are some artists who I dislike so much I won't even bother with any more.
Will fun elements salvage a poor story? For a story or two sure. Otherwise I am just consistently buying bad work, and I won't hang with that.
Are you drawn to specific characters and will read their stories no matter what? I am drawn to specific characters, but I certainly won't buy they comics no matter what. Life and money is too short for that. I did take the time with the New 52 to try characters I don't normally read, and not get all of the same ones I always buy.
Are there artists and/or writers whose work you will always follow? Nope
How important is continuity to you? Not as important as it used to be. As I get older I want a well told story over having something be slavishly tied to the past. Keep it consistent, and I want the major events to still be there.
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