Panelology - Who Do We Read? (Part 1)

by Brandon

Panelology triumphantly returns this week after a long, but necessary, mental health hiatus! Continuing on with my look at the essentials of collecting comic books, I'm taking up the issue of comic book companies. Who do we read? Why do we slavishly follow companies? Is there hope for mankind? Read on!

Comic book fans are pretty unusual. Our purchasing habits tend to follow one company or line with great regularity. Sure, we all venture out, but we tend to follow a company's titles as a general rule of thumb. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a curious phenomenon that happens within our hobby. I'm a huge music buff, but I don't tend to follow record labels around. I, like any proud fanboy, also love movies. Yet, I don't find myself lining up at the the local yokel movie theater every time something from Paramount or Warner Brothers comes out. Even gamers tend to sample across the spectrum.

This isn't a rule for everybody, but many in our community tend to stay with one company for a majority of their purchases. I'm no different. I freely admit that I am Marvel fan. I do tend to dip out into other books and companies, but I would say a full two-thirds of all of my purchases come from the House of Ideas. Just this past weekend at HeroCon, I heard a young man exclaim as he was rifling through the 50% off TPB boxes, "Man, all of this shit is Marvel! Why would anybody read this stuff?"

Well, let's see...

Marvel
I love Marvel. I think Marvel tends to do a great job of mixing the fantastic with reality. I think in terms of character development in the superhero realm, Marvel does a better job than anybody out there. For super-heroics, Marvel offers a wide variety of titles, both solo and team books. Marvel doesn't seem to be afraid to take risks with their properties. Just look at Brand New Day and the Death of Captain America arcs if you don't buy this argument. For better or for worse, Marvel likes risks. I don't think they are as risky as they were back about eight years ago or so, but that was more of a function of survival than anything. Plus, they have a quasi-impressive line of labels now. Max, Ultimate, and Icon have solid potential. I believe the Ultimate line may be the only one that has at least lived up to its potential, but if rumors are true about this line, it could be going the way of Valiant pretty soon.


DC
Ah, the "old" guard. If someone wants superhero titles, DC is where it is at. Marvel has them too, but DC seems to be focused so much on the superhero that they seem to lose the characterization Marvel tends to focus on. That could be my own bias of DC coming in, but I don't think that focusing on superheroes is a bad thing. I think DC appeals to those fans who want heavy continuity and stability. I don't see them as risk takers, but more as stability-setters. They really have bought into the event trend, which is great for their readers because they tend to demand a more cohesive, connected universe of titles. Their Vertigo line is also one of the best lines out there for mature readers. It mixes fantasy, crime, science fiction, and mystery so well. Unlike the Ultimate line, Vertigo has far exceeded its potential. Vertigo acts almost like an indie label being hawked off by a major company. I really enjoy many titles from this line. Except for Jack of Fables.

Dark Horse
DH is an interesting company right now. They have tons of opportunities going for them. They have a good mix of licensed properties and original titles. On the licensed properties front, they have some big licenses with Star Wars, Conan, Indiana Jones, Buffy, Aliens, and Predator to name just a few. I bet DC and Marvel would cream themselves to snap up those properties! These properties bring in a locked-in fanbase that tend to follow the titles out of love for the characters. This is good money for DH. Chances are that at least one of those properties interests you, my fine readers. DH also has some really good original titles. Hellboy, Fear Agents and The End League immediately come to mind. All three of these titles are exceedingly well done. DH seems to be more willing to take a dip in the original title pool lately, which seems to be working for them. Also, their collected editions

Image
Image has a lot going for it these days. They have a stable of some really excellent titles that are very diverse. To use a terrible word, Image has cornered the market on "funky" titles. That's right, funky. That's probably not the right word, but it works for the time being. They have a zombie book, outlandish and grounded superhero titles, spy books, and action/adventure titles. Image seems to do a bit of everything and they are able to filter it through their funky lens to make it unique. Fell, Casanova, The Walking Dead, and Savage Dragon are all strong books in my mind from this company. Image has tons of potential, and I think Erik Larsen is doing a fine job tapping that potential.

Those are just four of the "big" companies. Just between those four, there is enough diversity in comic books for anybody to find a title they love. But what about the other comic publishers? Great question! Next week, I'll take us on a journey through some of the indie publishers.

I'll definitely be getting back on a regular weekly schedule too. Between taking two grad classes, teaching a creative writing class, and wrapping up the school year, things have been a little hectic around here for me. But never fear! I'll be back next week with Part 2!
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From Top to Bottom: Comic Book Dads

by Matt

Welcome to the 8th edition of the weekly "From Top to Bottom" column! Every week I will look at something within the comics industry and give you my opinion on what I think is the best and what I think ranks amongst the bottom-feeders.

Last week I took a look at the Top and Bottom of Hulk Artists that chronicled the Green Goliath. This week in honor of Father's Day (and being a true dad, this column is late) I will be examining Comic Book Dads. The good ones along with the deadbeats.

I am a very lucky guy. My dad (seen here taking a blow from my kid dressed as Wolverine for Halloween) always bought me comics when I was younger and still to this day he still supports me collecting and reading comics. In fact, I returned the favor and bought him a comic just the other day. He is a HUGE fan of the spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood that I got him a copy of the new "Man With No Name" series and he liked it. As far as being a dad in a comic universe, here are my Top 3 Best Dads and then 3 Dads that just couldn't pass the mustard.

3) Mr. Fantastic
How cool would it be to have Mr. Fantastic be your dad? You would always have someone that can assist you with your homework and can you imagine the help you would get with your science projects? The only drawback would be IF he was around to help you since he is so busy saving the universe every other day. It certainly wouldn't be boring to have him as your dad!



2) Rick Grimes
Being a parent isn't easy. But try being a single parent in a world full of zombies! Rick has gone through a lot of traumatic events but manages to do his best in such a harsh environment. He immediately recognizes that his son Carl would need to know how to handle and shoot a gun in this world, which paid off quickly just a few issues later! He has taught his son compassion, hard work, and has helped his son deal with this new world.


1) Stan Lee
Okay, okay. I kinda cheated with this one but it is my column and I am allowed. He is the Father of the Marvel Universe and technically he has been in Marvel comics before. If it weren't for Stan and his creativeness, my childhood wouldn't have been the same. Thirty-some-odd-years later, I still feel like a kid when I read comics he helped create!




Now some comic dads just don't cut it. Some were not special enough to make a mention here. Take Cyclops for instance, I really could have placed him in both lists. I should give some props to Sentinel, Green and Red Arrows, Pa Kent and a bunch others. But I cannot fit them all here. Now, for the dads that weren't the best examples and should forget about fatherhood.


3) Captain Dynamo
Every dad keeps some sort of secret. But what if your dad was the hero known as Captain Dynamo and you find out that your dad was not as nice as a hero as you think he was and that he fathered illegitimate children (5 of them became the super team known as Dynamo 5 and is a terrific book) all over the world? This dad's may have left his offspring superpowers but I suspect that is this dad was alive, he would be a deadbeat dad!


2) Deathstroke: The Terminator
Maybe he just shouldn't have kids. He kills his own son Jericho by ramming a sword through his chest and then later on he finds a daughter he didn't even know he had and brainwashes her to become a mercenary like himself.







1) Green Goblin/Norman Osborn
First he doesn't think you are worthy to have the Osborn name. Than he sleeps with one of your friends and tries to kill another. Norman will never win any "Father of the Year" awards with these types of actions. Being a psychotic dad makes Norman the bottom of all dads! I guess Norman may have done something right, his son Harry does act an awful lot like his dear ol' dad.



I dedicated this to my dad for helping and supporting me in this addiction. My dad always wanted to me to be able to read and write, and he saw that comics would be a fantastic way to help. Thanks Dad! And I wish a belated "Happy Father's Day" to all the dads out there. Now I am off to play the new Lego Indiana Jones game for the Wii which my son Logan got me for Father's Day. I must be raising him well since he sure knows how to pick a gift!

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