Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2020 19:24:15 GMT -5
Disclaimer: I can’t possibly cover every US/UK comic every published (from every era), so will be generalising and painting with a broad brush.
Although I grew up reading mainly US comics (80s), I did occasionally spend my money on UK comics such as 2000 AD and Eagle. One thing I noticed, and thought about as an adult, was the fact that UK characters did seem to evolve and change a little more than the DC and Marvel characters I followed. UK comics weren’t afraid to shake up the status quo - and kill people off permanently. US comics, while most enjoyable, seemed to be more about the illusion of change.
Let me provide some examples even if the characters I mention may not be known by anyone outside the UK.
”My” Dan Dare was a kick-ass space hero who carried a big gun and often got into violent situations. When I eventually read some 1950s Dan Dare stories (the character debuted in 1950), it was a little jarring. The 50s Dare was more stiff upper lip, more of a gentleman, more of a person inclined to use brain rather than brawn. For anyone old enough to have perhaps followed the character from the 50s until the 80s, well it must have been quite a culture shock. (Plus, I think a later Dare was actually a grandson, or maybe great-great grandson, of the original Dare).
Doomlord was an Eagle character, an alien from a planet called Nox. He had come to serve as judge, jury and executioner to humanity. He failed to execute humanity. Then a second Doomlord came who was a bit more enlightened. He eventually became humanity’s protector. Years later, he spawned a son called Enok - but Enok was a bad apple. However, years after that, Doomlord turned on humanity - and Enok had a change of heart, becoming humanity’s protector. Anyone following that strip from beginning to end would surely have witnessed all the changes. They never rested on their laurels.
Those are two examples of UK comics shaking up the status quo - and enacting permanent change. In the aforementioned Doomlord strip, Enok eventually destroyed his evil father. Doomlord was toast. I couldn’t help but think a US publisher would not have been bold enough to enact so many changes, going so far as killing off characters for good and having Doomlord and Enok switch sides.
I do love US comics, but there never seemed to be any major changes, at least not permanently. Peter Parker would always revert to the status quo. Ditto Bruce Banner. Or Benjamin Grimm. Or anyone, really. There was that illusion of change, but things always returned. Even when US comics were bold - e.g the “Clone Saga” - one knew that the status quo would return eventually. It just seemed to be the way things were.
And I pass no judgement. I enjoyed both UK and US comics. For continual, real change I could read UK stuff; for stuff that “played it safe” and always restored the status quo, the likes of DC and Marvel offered much pleasure.
Plus, there were exceptions to the rule. Judge Dredd has never really developed or changed (nor should he), that is a strip that will remain “static” for all eternity. And there were US comics which did change things permanently or shake up the status quo. A good example of that is Peter David’s Hulk run, although I always had a feeling that, no matter who writes the Hulk, we’ll always revert back to savage Hulk at some point. I kind of accept that US publishers do stick to the status quo. Again, no judgement.
I just like it when there is change. Another great UK strip was Storm Force (Eagle, although they started in Battle), featuring a top secret military team led by a guy called John Storm, who was an amputee that carried weaponry that he could attach to his stump. On the team were many including a computer specialist called Mikron, a ninja called Griffin, and Porcupine, who wore a suit of armour that was covered with blades. At one point, those three were killed off/injured badly - and replaced with three others. Despite people like myself writing letters that begged them to bring back those three, it didn’t happen. It seems that when British comics killed off characters, death was often permanent.
I don’t know why there was a different mindset between the UK and US. And I am not saying one format is superior to the other. I enjoyed both of them. It just seemed that if I wanted to read about real change, which involved deaths/characters switching allegiances, British publishers were the ones to read; if I wanted to read about the illusion of change, and have the status quo restored constantly, superhero comics, especially those published by DC and Marvel, were the ones to read.
Generally speaking, though, I think I’ll always prefer change to the illusion of change. This isn’t the topic to discuss them, but there are many DC and Marvel changes which I wish had remained permanent.
Anyway, any thoughts?
Although I grew up reading mainly US comics (80s), I did occasionally spend my money on UK comics such as 2000 AD and Eagle. One thing I noticed, and thought about as an adult, was the fact that UK characters did seem to evolve and change a little more than the DC and Marvel characters I followed. UK comics weren’t afraid to shake up the status quo - and kill people off permanently. US comics, while most enjoyable, seemed to be more about the illusion of change.
Let me provide some examples even if the characters I mention may not be known by anyone outside the UK.
”My” Dan Dare was a kick-ass space hero who carried a big gun and often got into violent situations. When I eventually read some 1950s Dan Dare stories (the character debuted in 1950), it was a little jarring. The 50s Dare was more stiff upper lip, more of a gentleman, more of a person inclined to use brain rather than brawn. For anyone old enough to have perhaps followed the character from the 50s until the 80s, well it must have been quite a culture shock. (Plus, I think a later Dare was actually a grandson, or maybe great-great grandson, of the original Dare).
Doomlord was an Eagle character, an alien from a planet called Nox. He had come to serve as judge, jury and executioner to humanity. He failed to execute humanity. Then a second Doomlord came who was a bit more enlightened. He eventually became humanity’s protector. Years later, he spawned a son called Enok - but Enok was a bad apple. However, years after that, Doomlord turned on humanity - and Enok had a change of heart, becoming humanity’s protector. Anyone following that strip from beginning to end would surely have witnessed all the changes. They never rested on their laurels.
Those are two examples of UK comics shaking up the status quo - and enacting permanent change. In the aforementioned Doomlord strip, Enok eventually destroyed his evil father. Doomlord was toast. I couldn’t help but think a US publisher would not have been bold enough to enact so many changes, going so far as killing off characters for good and having Doomlord and Enok switch sides.
I do love US comics, but there never seemed to be any major changes, at least not permanently. Peter Parker would always revert to the status quo. Ditto Bruce Banner. Or Benjamin Grimm. Or anyone, really. There was that illusion of change, but things always returned. Even when US comics were bold - e.g the “Clone Saga” - one knew that the status quo would return eventually. It just seemed to be the way things were.
And I pass no judgement. I enjoyed both UK and US comics. For continual, real change I could read UK stuff; for stuff that “played it safe” and always restored the status quo, the likes of DC and Marvel offered much pleasure.
Plus, there were exceptions to the rule. Judge Dredd has never really developed or changed (nor should he), that is a strip that will remain “static” for all eternity. And there were US comics which did change things permanently or shake up the status quo. A good example of that is Peter David’s Hulk run, although I always had a feeling that, no matter who writes the Hulk, we’ll always revert back to savage Hulk at some point. I kind of accept that US publishers do stick to the status quo. Again, no judgement.
I just like it when there is change. Another great UK strip was Storm Force (Eagle, although they started in Battle), featuring a top secret military team led by a guy called John Storm, who was an amputee that carried weaponry that he could attach to his stump. On the team were many including a computer specialist called Mikron, a ninja called Griffin, and Porcupine, who wore a suit of armour that was covered with blades. At one point, those three were killed off/injured badly - and replaced with three others. Despite people like myself writing letters that begged them to bring back those three, it didn’t happen. It seems that when British comics killed off characters, death was often permanent.
I don’t know why there was a different mindset between the UK and US. And I am not saying one format is superior to the other. I enjoyed both of them. It just seemed that if I wanted to read about real change, which involved deaths/characters switching allegiances, British publishers were the ones to read; if I wanted to read about the illusion of change, and have the status quo restored constantly, superhero comics, especially those published by DC and Marvel, were the ones to read.
Generally speaking, though, I think I’ll always prefer change to the illusion of change. This isn’t the topic to discuss them, but there are many DC and Marvel changes which I wish had remained permanent.
Anyway, any thoughts?
