Mary Elizabeth Hart wrote:
>
>Without reopening the "Comic Books as a Valid form of SF-Lit" debate, can
>we please not continue to be dismissive of the medium which does contain
>some wonderful story driven materials in the way we don't want SF as a
>genre to be dismissed by those whose only exposure to it is "Pigs in
>Space?"
>
>Thanks. :)
>
>
>Maryelizabeth
Believe me, I have nothing against comic books when they are done well, and
while most comic book science fiction I have seen has been weak as science
fiction, there are a few titles I have seen that are stunning such as Alan
Moore's WATCHMEN series or V FOR VENDETTA. Or, also CONCRETE, which is both
thoughtful and science fiction. I do not mean to disparage the medium of
the graphic novel, which has many honorable examples, but rather the use of
devices stereotypically used in superhero comic books which are pure wish
fulfillment, tend towards the illogical or ill-thought out, and often
concentrate on the depiction of action to the exclusion of all else. I
remember when CAPTAIN FLAGG was nominated for a Nebula, and applaud the
notice it received as being respectable sf in an overlooked medium, but
frankly the "comic booking" (to invent a verb) of the cinema is a
discouraging trend, where stories and characters are not treated seriously
or respectfully, but are allowed to do fantastic, implausible things for
convenience and wipe out crowds of people without a second thought. Can we
agree that there is good graphic work and bad comic book touches to these
and other projects?
Dennis
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