True. They probably simply don't imagine a child walking into a comic book store and picking up one of these books. Of course they also probably don't imagine the reaction that a parent might have if their child does bring one of these comic books home and they see the content.
Eventually I think they'll need to split each company into two sections, one that's CCA (or some equivalent) and makes comics for kids and ones that's no holds barred and makes comics for adults.
Interesting idea, but I'm wondering what will really draw kids in.
The big problem with the fanboy problem is that there's so little originality. Fantasy is ruled by people that want to be Tolkien when they grow up, comics are primarily done by Frank Miller wannabes, everybody in sci-fi is either worshiping Rodenberry or Gibson. Nobody seems to learn something from their mentor and go off in a new direction, everybody is instead trying to replicate.
I think it is more than that. When Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings, he had participated in WWI and had seen the Battle of Somme. Roddenberry had written for television shows in genres other than Science Fiction. I get the impression that a lot of the fans know the world only through the lens of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. While that looks and feels a lot like a lack of originality, I think the problem is much deeper -- I think it is a lack of depth and understanding about how the world works. How can someone who knows reality vicariously, second-hand, through watching Star Trek and reading science fiction novels write believable characters and situations that are original?
That's why in general I stick with the big names that are constantly being ripped off, or I break out of genre completely, I've read more Elmore Leonard in the last two years than all genre fiction combined, he's so much more entertaining and interesting, and if he is ripping somebody off I've never heard of them so I don't care.
I actually read a lot of non-fiction these days. A friend keeps suggesting that I try non-genre fiction and maybe I should.
One of the reasons that I speak so highly of Kurt Busiek is that he does an excellent job of writing believable human characters and plots that tell me something interesting about the world. While JMS did an excellent job with Babylon 5, I have mixed feelings about Rising Stars. Some very good ideas and great characters but some of the characters and situations (e.g., the religious kid) were just too cliched and forced. I also liked Kingdom Come quite a bit.
I think that part of what I also don't like about the modern graphic novels is the darkness and nihilism. Another reason why I like Astro City is that Kurt Busiek is a Silver Age guy and he isn't trying to tear down heroes while giving them a realistic treatment. I liked that about Kingdom Come, as well. I can also live without some of the leftist politics -- I gave up on the Stormwatch and The Authority. There was some good stuff there but too much anti-Americanism and such.