I recently have thought about trying to read American Comics again, specifically DC Comics. I go through this phase every few years or so and every time American Comics remind me why I stop trying to read American Comics. Maybe, I've been spoiled by the stories of manga. Or maybe maybe I'm just not that inclined to read the predominately male stories of Comics.

So, I'm listing the reasons I always give up on Comics whenever I try to get back into them and also the reason I always come back to trying to read them, repeating the circle.

Continuity - American Comics have very little continuity and I always feel like I'm reading a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book when I try to read them. I use Superman/Wonder Woman as an example. I started reading that suddenly the story changed without a resolution... I was confused. I looked again and it said "Story concluded in Superman #xxx". What?! Why start a story you weren't going to finish? I can't help but think of this as a really good way to get people to buy more comic books at one time. You want to finish this story arc? Buy this one, this one, and this one... I just paid three times the amount of money to finish one arc. Of course there are some differences to this, but they are rare or they are compilations and have nothing to do with the original continuity. Let's not even get into all the time travel and alternate universes that really muddy the water.

Diversity - I don't mean black/white. I mean the fact there are so little genres in the comic book scene. There's the mainstream that encompasses the popular [superman, batman, etc.] and the independent [preacher, saga, etc]. But they are all mostly targeted to male young adults and men. I have nothing to complain about since I'm a man in my 30's, but what I like about Manga is that there is something for everyone. You want action and powers? Try Shounen. You want phychological and tragedy? Try Seinen. You want sappy, weepy romance? Try Shoujo. You want more grown up and tragicd romance? Try Josei. There are crossover into other genres and stuff, but generally storylines stay in their respective genres. Comics - well, they have just about one genre... Action. I have yet to see a good romance story that didn't just end or didn't end tragically. I can think of Scott Summers and Gene Grey as a good example [though there is also Dick Grayson and Starfire as well, to name a few]. I heard of this couple and thought how sweet... Then I read into the history and was like "what?!" He cheats on her all the time and she tries to kill him on several occasions. He eventually gets another girlfriend and their coupling just ends [I think she dies or something]. This is pretty much the story of romance in American Comics. And they have no extra genre or anything that really allows for this. American Comics have no "Shoujo/Josei" equivalent. It's all "Shounen/Seinen".

Too Many Hands - I've noticed that a lot of authors pen the different stories of the American Comics and I wonder if that's the reason for the continuity problems. There are good authors and not so good ones, but the stories never seem to mesh together. They all feel like separate points in the life of these characters. I don't even think they acknowledge the previous arc except in rare moments.

Community - The Manga community is accommodating and mostly friendly [we have our heated debates]. I have yet to find the American Comic community as accommodating. I have been to several forums [which are hard to find] and asked questions about things that confuse me, or even to ask for recommendations. I rarely get an answer and most of the time they don't have any recommendations for me. The Comic scene has no site like this one from what I can tell where people like me can come and find the latest releases or talk to others that share my interests... Or know what you might be looking for when you request an obscure set of guidelines for a series. The people here on this site can answer questions and recommend series to other people because they know their stuff and there are a wide range of genres to choose from. American Comics, from my experience, doesn't have any of that. They don't have options like Manga gives people here. I get the feeling whenever I visit a forum for Comics like I'm an outsider. Like I should already be in this club and since I'm not I'm a wierdo.

I guess I'm just venting my frustration with the lack of options and genres in my home country's comic industry. Makes me sad that I can't find what I'm looking for because it doesn't exist or it does but no one knows where to find it since it's hidden behind all the masculinity.

Now to the reason I go back to Comics in my tragic circle of frustration and disappointment... Because, I get bored easily. I read something and remember it for years. So rereading something is really hard for me to do. Moving from Manga to Comics is a way for me to try something new. But I'm also a person of habit and I have certain criteria that I look for in a story I read. I like romance, feel good romance [with a splash of drama for flavor]. I also, on occasion, look for action. Mostly, I like them together but that's not a prerequisite. So I generally run out of things to read eventually and go on a quest to find something new.

So, tell me... Has reading manga changed your view of comics?

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This is my Sig ..............................................................

Never been a fan of super hero junk. That's essentially all that gets imported from The States, other than Donald Duck. Would need to know more about the rest of the stuff that is made to judge. Though I gotta say that I do think all the DC and Marvel stuff is just utter trash. Just like I think DBZ is garbage. If I want to read something, I'd prefer it to be somewhat weird or obscure with a strange sense of humor. Just stories with heroes and villains aren't all that interesting. I like some stuff from my own country that's made so bad that it is great plus has themes that publishers in US wouldn't easily want to look at.

Surprise surprise, I love both. A few reasons why can be found in my text dumps here

That DC "Superhero junk" Watchmen was the sole comic on the Top 100 Books of the 20st Century by the TIME magazine .

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb

I actually like DBZ... but only when I'm in the mood for a mindless action where I can just turn my brain off and enjoy a couple of people beating the shit out of each other.

You want weird and obscure comics I suggest Preacher as one. It's the only one I read that really fits the bill for that. It's really messed up, but the story is pretty good.

I don't mind Super Hero junk on occasion, but there's not enough to keep me interested since it all feels the same and there's this feeling of never-ending. Like, why am I reading this - it never ends.

I just hate that there isn't enough out there to satisfy the different tastes in material. If you don't like Super Hero stuff then there's these crazy and dark stories over here... If you don't like them either, well - Too bad. Better luck next time.

It's enough to make a grown man cry... I feel like a pauper in a town of royals.



What themes are you talking about?



This isn't about what got on to an important list or not... If you want to go that route I have a list of Manga that have done the equivalent in Japan. The problem is about supply and demand. Certain people demand certain things and the American Comic industry doesn't have the means to supply for that demand. They have an over abundance of one type of product and is ill equipped to satisfy anything else.

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This is my Sig ..............................................................

Look up I am not Batman by Moebius. The D in DC stands for daddy issues.

PS: He smokes like a gangsta!

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb

I actually read manga for a long time before getting into American comics, and it was the indie titles (especially from Image) that really got me into them. Comics from the Big 2 are different, and some of the 'bugs' OP points out are usually seen as features. I appreciate them all for what they are - mostly mindless entertainment, and they're all fun in their own way.

I've read the Firefly comics because I love the series and the movie. I did enjoy them but not as much as manga. Maybe it's my bias but I feel like manga is so much more complex than comics when it comes to character development or art.

I haven't seen any comics that made me go "Wow, that's beautiful art". I know that's a personal thing and it's possible that other people think the complete opposite. Also the art tends to lack character and details. Take firefly for example, it's a scifi comics set in space. There is so much they can do with the characters, the space ship, the machinery, etc but they didn't do anything. The art is bare minimum. Even facial expressions are badly done. It's like watching a movie in which all actors are terrible. The art hasn't been utilised to aid the story telling at all. It's just there like some sort of caption, describing the scene but nothing more.

There are other things like foreshadowing, which I think is a combination off great story telling and good art. It's there in the frame but subtle enough that maybe the readers wouldn't notice when reading for the first time. Maybe comics lack this, partly due to the problems of continuity like you said.

I own the entire series, the movie [Serenity], and all three of the comics [I have Book, Wash, and Jane for my covers].


I get what you're saying and I agree for the most part. I think there are actually some times where they use the art for good effect and I have read some American Comics with really good art. But I've noticed that Manga does motion better. When I was reading the Comics I never felt like the images were "Moving" or "In Motion" like I do when I read Manga. They look more like snapshots, photos, of events happening than anything else.


That's what I like about Manga so much... Yes, they have arcs and some times they can feel disconnected from the rest of the story, but over-all the story continues. There's usually a definite end in sight, or a goal that is at least vaguely outlined. This allows the author [one usually] to write the story and add all that needs to be there to make a story. Look at Comics and I can tell that the Characters haven't changed much at all. Occasionally they have upgrades or a story-line drastically changes their personality... But usually that only lasts for that particular story-line or it so drastic and rapid that you wonder what happened. Sometimes they even changes the characters over night with some crazy time line/alternate universe story. The format they have for their stories don't really allow for development and foreshadowing. It's a bit of a shame since the characters have potential.


I have read a bit of the Image Comics [I think Preacher is part of them]. I have also read some of Vertigo... I enjoyed some of them that I've read. I just wish there was more to choose from. I've only found one Comic that focus's on romance[SAGA] and I enjoy that one so far, but really... Is that all there is? What if I want a romance/Mystery? Or a tragic story of loss?

There's just so little variety to choose from it's disappointing.

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This is my Sig ..............................................................

Not really? I've always liked American comics. It probably helps that my first taste of American comics, outside of the comic strips found in newspapers, was with Dark Horse rather than DC or Marvel as I think that's helped shaped my experience with comics in general.

Last edited by Jelise at 3:22 pm, Aug 2 2016

Not really. Before I knew that "manga" meant more than just the Spanish word for "sleeve" I liked spider-man.
Around my area there was only one comic book store and comics are expensive! I never had an "official" allowance, so whatever money I had was my lunch and bus money, so it could take a while to save up $4 for a comic.
Honestly, I started reading manga until I was 17 going on 18 and Even though I had watched anime gem an early age I didn't know what "anime" was either until that time.

In short, I prefer the style of manga/ manhwa. There are many comics people praise for their "awesome" art that I it don't see. Aesthetically speaking, I prefer manga' s art ( even if there are some artists whose art is an acquired taste). I can't truly say I like any comic's art, that doesn't mean I am not interested in the comic. Now that the Internet exists and I am working adult, I buy a lot more comics, but even so, my comic collection does not rival my manga collection (350+ books last time I counted).

In short I enjoy both arts, and me liking manga has not really interfered with my liking of certain comics, but I will say this, sometimes I find myself thinking " I would like this comic to be drawn by a manga artist"

Nah it's all men and women in tight clothes fighting each other. Besides what am I a nerd?

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I think it might be the type that you're reading. The more traditional super hero ones seem to be that way.

I've read GloomCookie and Lenore and really enjoyed both of them. They are both written by one author and the story continues on in each issue. Both are complied into volumes which collects so many issues so you can read all in one go if you missed issues as they were released.

GC for each arc had a different artist but the art only improved when it changed slightly with each new artist.

Manga really does seem to have more genres so it's not a surprise to find more titles geared toward whatever your tastes are.

I have something real to say before i bugger off, with this week´s comic output:
Putting Vertigo (part of DC...) or Image on a "special" pedestal in nonsense, even if i think that The Walking Dead is the best thing that was written in the 21st century (the show is a well produced and barely connected joke). This TWD week´s issue used a 16 panel grid, like DKR, amazing. The whole comic week had multiple 10/10s. Christmas in July!
Suicide Squad Rebirth featured Obama, Guantanamo (so did Green Lanterns) and the protagonists commuting absolutely nihilistic mass murders on the behalf the US government. The 80s original had an opening arc where they fought Jihadists a decade and a half ago before 9/11. The movie features them slaughtering possessed civilians by the truckload. No major Japanese publisher would touch that outside of Mr. Gantz. Nightwing addressed the refuge crisis. I did a topic to find such manga a while ago and had to answer my own question...
A manga about a modern non-japanese tragedy like 9/11.
Fell free to prove me wrong in that thread, i would LOVE to loose that argument!
Moon Knight (Marvel´s Batman, besides Daredevil, but crazy) switched artists every time he went though a "door in his mind" and the whole arc is about him being driven mad. Batman had an issue about Ferguson last year, Spider-man did an issue on 9/11 in 2001 (!) and Superman did a free special about Bosnian land mines with UNICEF!

Calling mass market US (or EU) books into questions is as sane as saying that only French cinema from the 50s/60 is "real art". The same can be said about manga too.
Give a hoot. Read a book. Forgot:

Last edited by residentgrigo at 4:35 am, Aug 4 2016

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb

Didn't read comics when I was a kid, I mostly read sci fi and nonfiction stuff. Eventually I started reading manga after I got sick of waiting on anime episodes to come out, and I think manga is what got me into graphic novels and comics too. So yeah, manga actually made me read more comics.