So, I was watching Hercules with my mom Monday. She had never seen it before, despite the fact that she bought it for me when I was 6 and it was one of my favourite movies, so I was a little disappointed; therefore, we watched it. Anyway, she didn't like it anyway because it was a "boy movie", and she doesn't like "boy movies", but this is all besides the point.
The point is that, after it was over, I mentioned that I thought that Herc and Meg have one of the cutest love stories ever, and she replied by questioning my emotional attachment to cartoon characters (considering that live-action characters are clearly less fictional than animated ones, they are ok to become attached to). Anyway, somewhere in the ensuing argument, a comment about how it's weird that I still read comic books arose, because she was under the impression that comic books are only written for young children. She didn't understand the concept of comic books intended for an older audience, and basically didn't believe me that they existed.
Anyway, in an attempt to change the minds of anyone who might share this same opinion, I have decided to summarize some elements from five series (three of my favourite manga, and two from western comics) that clearly demonstrate how some comic books are clearly not designed simply for children, and can be immensely (and respecfully) enjoyed by an older audience. I hope that this post may change the perspective of some people, and maybe help create a bit more respect for one of my favourite art forms. Also, after the break, there will be unmarked spoliers a-plenty, so be warned; if you intend to read any of these and don't want plot points spoiled, please skip the respective comic's section.
#1- Black Butler (the "Jack the Ripper" arc).
Ok, so we start off with a manga about a boy who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a chance to get revenge for the death of his parents. Doesn't sound too dark (although the fact that the boy admits to the fact that he is more mad that his family name was dishonoured then the actual loss of his parents reveals a pretty depressing theme when it comes to human nature), but the specific story presented in this arc is definitely intense enough to qualify for the more 'mature' audience argument.
The main drama comes from the backstory of the character Madame Red. In a nutshell, Red falls in love with a man who marries her sister, but eventually manages to move on and be ok with it. She marries a different man and gets pregnant. However, briefly after this, she gets into an accident that kills her husband, and causes a miscarriage that destroys her ability to have children. She then discovers that her sister and brother-in-law have both been murdered, making her lose everyone she loves. Still, not that dark, right?
Anyway, driven to grief by the miscarriage, Red tries to lose herself in her work (she is a doctor), but her clients around this time end up being a bunch of prostitutes, who all want abortions, so she is forced to perform a bunch of abortions right after losing her baby. She goes crazy shortly afterwards, and murders all of these prostitutes, carving out their uteruses. Her story ends when her new lover stabs her in the back with a frickin chainsaw. Let's have your 8-year old read that.
#2- Detroit Metal City.
I don't really have to explain any of the plot... just have to explain a few scenes. The first page of the first issue has the main character singing "Yesterday I raped your mother, and tomorrow I'll F*** your father". While this happens, he and his band erotically torture a masochist onstage. Afterwards, their manager comes to tell them how wet their performance made her. I'm going to stop there.
#3- Vampire Knight
Starts off as a run-of-the mill "vampires and humans co-existing" work of fiction. Until the incest.
See, the main character Yuki is in love with Kaname. You then discover that Kaname is Yuki's like great-great grandfather, who was also raised as her brother. Thus ensues double-incest (she's with her ancestor and her brother at the same time). She ends up with someone else in the end, but Kaname still loves her the whole time, and a whole disturbing, incestuous thing goes on. Basically, it's like Japanese VC Andrews (if you've never read anything by VC Andrews, you are really quite lucky).
#4- TV Shows made into Comics.
Ok, this is more like an umbrella example then a specific one, but I'm mainly going to focus on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood.
As TV shows: Buffy included an attempted-rape scene, a pretty intense oral sex scene between two women, and some of the most violent sex in TV history between Buffy and Spike (one scene resulted in them destroying an entire building as they beat the shit out of each other while having sex). Also, there was Angelus drawing pictures of people while they slept, and leaving them under their pillows with envelopes full of their dead pet goldfish. True Blood, on the other hand, is frequently accused of being about 50% porn, 50% tv show.
Both of these shows now have comics; True Blood's is a spin-off/prequel, while Buffy's is the official 8th season of the show. Neither have changed their tone or content for the comics: they are pretty much the same as the shows.
#5- Alan Moore.
Oh, Alan Moore. If anyone has seen V for Vendetta (where Natalie Portman is saved from rape, but then brutally tortured by a man who was burnt alive in a chemical fire after being used as a lab rat for drugs) or Watchmen (enough sex and violence to earn an "R" rating, and the film was toned down a decent amount from the book), then you have seen adaptations of Alan Moore comic books. Most of his stuff includes alot of violence and sex, and he's not scared to include torture and rape when needed. He also includes anarchist, anti-political undertones in most of it, and he has been recognized as one of the most controversial, intellegent and sexiest men of our age. And he writes comic books. Amazing, wonderful comic books, that are a respectable medium for a mature audience to read.
Anyway, I hope that this has maybe made you re-consider comic books as an entertainment medium. They are incredibly enjoyable, despite what your age is; you just have to find the right series for you. So do not look down on or make fun of people for reading comic books; there is nothing childish or immature about them and you should maybe give them a chance before you knock them.
Also, I'd like to apologize to my mom for writing an entire Blog post intended as a rebuttal to our argument. Sorry!
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