I’ve always maintained that be it movies, books, comics, television, music...if you’re using swearing, nudity and tons of gore, 99% of the time it is not because the “art” requires it, it is because the creators ain’t all that creative.
I left most new comics not long after Joe Quesada arrived at Marvel. He managed to suck the fun and wonder out and replace it with perversion, depression and overt liberalism. Thankfully I’ve got tons of old stuff from the 60s, 70s & 80s where adult themes and concepts could be explored while simultaneously providing decent entertainment for youngsters. Talented people can pull that off. He’s not one of them.
Comic creator are simply exploring the bounds of the medium. Some of it is really good, a lot of it is crap. The primary problem with the comics business today is costs. The product is far too expensive nowadays, so they are going gritty to go after a demographic with more money...JFK
I was an original Fantastic Four reader as a child (way back in the early sixties). Years went by, and when the first movie came out, I picked up a new FF comic book...I didn’t recognize anything at all. The innocence of what I had read as a child (about as bad as it got was “It’s CLOBBERIN’ time!”)had been replaced with metaphysical junk and liberalism. I was so sad to see what had become of the FF.
“Thankfully I’ve got tons of old stuff from the 60s, 70s & 80s where adult themes and concepts could be explored while simultaneously providing decent entertainment for youngsters. Talented people can pull that off. He’s not one of them.”
I agree. As an old school collector, I have little time or find little value in any comic newer than 1979. Good story writers in the older comics were able to portray the characters, good or bad, in tasteful representations without using vile or explicit descriptions.
That is why the older comics from the bronze, silver, and golden ages are more valuable and a great collectible.
I have hundreds of titles, which I prize with pride.
Occasionally a newer title has some cover art work that is outstanding. But the story lines, can I say this? suck
Marvel is kicking off a direction they call The Heroic Age, which is a deliberate move away from the depressing stories they’ve run the last few years. Should be more to your liking.