by Andrew Goletz Spider-Man, Batman, Superman: names synonymous with rippling muscles coated with a thin layer of spandex fighting colorful villains and rescuing damsels in distress. What woman or person over the age of 12 couldn’t be interested in this? There is a stigma associated with comic books, and it goes something like this. The average person views the comic cycle like so: a teenage geek who’s never kissed a girl in his life goes into a comic store surrounded by people just like himself, which is run by a short, fat, balding, cigar chomper of an owner named Marv, to pick from the latest assortment of comics featuring Misogynist Man and Steroid Lad, in "Pow/Bam" dialogue thinly disguised as a story. If there happens to be women featured in the story, they are usually helpless victims or heroines drawn with a bust size that would make Dolly Parton envious. Sad to say, that’s a common story and it happens to be the truth, but it isn’t the whole truth. Comic books aimed at mature readers have been around for ages, and now more than ever, there is an assortment of books for every type of reader with every type of interest. You can still get your dose of superhero drivel, but for the over 12 set, there is a wide range of material out there. Frank Miller, one of the legends in the industry, writes and illustrates Sin City, a black and white noir style crime classic. Miller is a master storyteller, and his characters have more depth and soul than any I’ve seen. There is a gray area between right and wrong, and Miller captures the essence of this better than anyone else out there. Patty Breen, a newcomer with Kiss and Tell, is going to be around for a long time. Her semi-autobiographical book is self published, and is getting raves from everyone who reads it. It’s a hilarious, and sometimes poignant look back at Patty’s life. She was recently interviewed by Sassy magazine, which marks the first time a comic book ever got attention in that magazine. Alan Moore’s From Hell is a painstakingly researched and horrifying look at the story of Jack the Ripper. The book scares you with dialogue, not graphic scenes of death or mutilation. Strangers in Paradise could possibly be the best written character driven book out today. The two main characters are women dealing with life and love and their search for their own identities. Like Patty Breen’s book, this is an excellent way for women to test the comic waters, but none of these books should be stereotyped as men or women’s books. They all have one common theme: incredible writing, good art and excellent characterization. If you’re a comic reader, you should already be reading these books. If you’ve never read a comic in your life, then you should try these four. Ask for them at your local comic book specialty store . . . they’re guaranteed to change your views on comic books forever. Mr. Goletz is the creator and editor of Gray Haven Magazine, a bi-monthly publication dealing with aspects of literature from comic books to short stories, as well as humor and general commentary. Gray Haven seeks to create awareness of lesser-known writers, artists and musicians. The success of Gray Haven has led to the formation of Gray Haven Presents, a monthly focus on one particular topic, be it poetry, short stories or humor. |
