Comics versus Manga: the Super-Hero strikes back
First, I want to say that I read both comics and manga. More comics and less manga, actually. Why? Because you can find more quality comics than quality manga. While currently I am reading just two manga series (Berserk and Naruto) because is hard for me to find a manga that I can enjoy, although I will soon start to read Blade of the Immortal and Old Boy. I want to say that I do not read scans but only printed stuff that I buy on the internet (supporting the comics and manga industry is one little thing that I can do for the things I love). And I will never forget the fact that I read manga because of my love for illustrated stories that came from discovering comics in 1989. It was a Superman comic-book printed in England that had inside a preview of the Death of Superman that left me drooling. I still have it.
There was a time when comics where just bullshit in their majority and spandex and capes were just silly. But not anymore. There are comics out there that would make any manga artist to give up at his profession and wonder what their are doing on this earth. Comics are not all about super-heroes and brawls, even if they look like it. Just look at The Walking Dead, Hellboy, Sin City, DMZ, Hellblazer, Fables and Watchmen. And even typical super-hero comics surpassed their status and moved long ago to a more story-driven realm. And I can point here to Batman, who never had any tremendous artists except Jim Lee and Neil Adams, but is a comic book who is based heavily on story and atmosphere. Or Spawn for that matter. I would go further by saying that the many of Star Wars comics from Dark Horse are based heavily on the story (random example – Tales of The Jedi, who has mediocre art but brilliant story telling).
And if it weren’t about the story, it would be about the art. Comics book artists rule. They surpass their manga counterparts by some. And that is said by a guy who worships Kentaro Miura, a manga artist. But is true. Most manga artists have only basic knowledge of any artistic anatomy elements or perspective. Two elements essential to an artist. That can be related to the fact that most manga have a more psychedelic art style and so on. Yep, but up to a point. Of course there are awesome manga artists out there, but in their majority, comic book artists are better. Also, I think that the format of manga, the A5, do not encourages too many artists to give their best. By comparison, the A4 format of the comic books is much more inviting for the artists. Another element that I wont go far into is the color. The majority of comic books are colored. Visual impact? BUM!
Unfit for children? Violence driven? Yes, a large part of comic books are. So you can have your portion of madness, violence and blood, in the same ratio as in manga. What is less present in comics is the sex, although nipple slipping and asses in tight underwear are ever present. I am always amazed to see the proportions that female breasts and asses have in comic books. Comic books are full of pantsu as well. A man can be constraint only up to a point not to draw things that he likes. The comic book artists like to show off more than their manga counterparts, thus maximizing the visual impact for the reader.
Buah, so If you ask me if comics are better than manga, ill say no. Both are good. I am not biased. There, there. So, for some exquisite comic book artists, you should look at the works of Jim Lee, John Buscema, Mike Mignola, Barry Windsor-Smith, Mike Deodato, Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby, Alex Ross and so on. For manga, look at Kentaro Miura, Hiroaki Samura, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshitaka Amano and more.
Copyright Marvel Comics
[...] This post was Twitted by AnimeRated [...]
Leave your response!