Manga VS Marvel
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104)
Tue 2007/06/19 23:31
Picked up a great deal of vocabulary and grammar patterns through reading manga. The first manga I encountered was Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. The kanji had furigana which made it easy to look up new words. My fave was Akane-chan ^^;
When I started to learn Korean, I picked up the Korean version of Ranma at Kyobo Mungo book shop in Seoul which helped me pick up Korean.
Another manga that helped me learn a lot of Japanese was believe it or not was Crayon Shin Chan. A lot of colloquial words that you don't really learn when taking a Japanese course ^^;
I went on to read City Hunter that didnt have furigana on the kanji which was a good test to see how many I could remember.
Remember reading a few marvel comics when I was a wee lad. I know a few folks who are marvel-comic-maniacs who line up to get their copy of an issue when it comes out - never seen otaku line up for manga before.
I personally prefer manga. I just enjoy the art style more. I do love the Marvel films though (Ellen Page looked lovely in X-Men3 ^^;)
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan is probably the c...(more)
Sat 06/16 22:15 comments (35)
Not Japan related at all but directly related to the post I made a few days ago regar...(more)
Fri 06/15 22:49 comments (17)
When I was younger it was Marvel. I loved the art back when they did really detailed art and kept a monthly schedule. Jim Lee, Todd Mcfarlane, Whilice Portacio,Marc Silvestri, etc.,etc. Now the art is more simple and it's hard for them to keep up a bi-montly timetable(or a timetable period), if they draw at all. Ironically enough I got introduced to manga through Marvel, when the company put out the Akira trade books in color(which was amazing in my opinion). After that it's been manga all the way. The only marvel title I have kept up with is The Ultimates but it has since ended. I agree Ellen Page was good in X3, she was one of a few things that was good in that movie.
(ID #49998) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:07
Troubleshooter, Universal Exports
Manga without a doubt. Simply because art, story and releases are a lot more consistent than anything here in the U.S. Also my interest in American comics has been tainted by the extreme garbage that was turned out in the 70's and early 80's. Along with the people trying to turn the hobby into a speculative commodities market in the late 80's. No doubt manga makes for a great reading and grammar study. We are so luck! Not too many languages allow us to indulge in our hobby as well as study at the same time. Interesting Danny, City Hunter and Cats Eye where two of the first "test my memory" series for me too. Ooh but I didn't do so well... ^^; Still have a slow at Kanji retention, but I have improved greatly over the last couple of years.
(ID #49999) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:37
Future Electronics Engineer.
I've always fancied American comics especially Spiderman, and never jumped into the realm of manga.
(ID #50001) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:38
I remember growing up with Marvel before I learned about manga. Comics like Marvel are too serious and bloody now for my taste now. I remember it being all in color lol which totally differs from manga being in black and white. I personally prefer manga.
(ID #50002) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:46
I was younger, comics are just comics... I didn't realize the difference with Manga, Marvel and such. However, I have always been reading Manga (translated to local language). Like Conan, DBZ and Doraemon HAHAHA.
(ID #50003) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:46
Self-employed
Haven't picked up an American comic since I was in elementary school. I prefer the artwork in manga. Simple as that :)
(ID #50004) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:47
maglor in Duluth, Georgia USA
They both can be good. They both can be horrible as well.
(ID #50005) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:48
Geek Liaison
I was a Marvel Zombie in the late 80's early 90's. Then I discovered manga well translated manga anyway. I was a big Ranma fan and was very surprised when Viz started translating it. The translated magna helped fill in some of the blank spots that I had from watching the unsubtitled episodes while have very little understanding of the Japanese language.
(ID #50006) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:48
Super-Duper Student
Cerrtainly, both media are very entertaining and both are representative of their respective cultures of origin. Each shows the themes relevant of the time AND place they are from. The Spiderman of the 70's is definitely not the same Spidey of the early 21st Century, and likewise with manga (Sorry, I couldn't come up with a Japanese example...). That said, I enjoy manga immensely, haha...
(ID #50007) Posted on 2007/06/20 00:49
.NET/Web Developer
I really like both manga and marvel comics. That said, I can't compare both coz they're different in so many ways. It's hard to choose between the two but if I had to I'd choose manga. The sole reason probably would be marvel comics just doesn't seem to end. Example, I'd like to see them put an end to the spider-man saga, or x-men. But I doubt seeing that in my life time. They did put an end to Captain America though. Most manga on the other hand finishes after several volumes.
(ID #50008) Posted on 2007/06/20 01:12
I've never actually seen what proper manga looked like till I got hold of the powerd natsumi keroro box figuration which I enjoyed. The only thing I dislike about manga is that its printed in black&white. I have to ask danny; is manga printed on glossy magazine type paper, or that cheapo newpaper type material?
(ID #50009) Posted on 2007/06/20 01:19
student - digital media
I think the winner will be obvious considering your audience ;). I do have quite a few Spiderman comic books though.
(ID #50010) Posted on 2007/06/20 01:25
RafaelRomero in Beaumont , Texas USA
the action scenes and lines in manga are just sick.
(ID #50011) Posted on 2007/06/20 01:35
Student
I love both manga and american comics, but I generally feel more comfortable reading manga because the art is usually done by the same guy. As for American comics it's common to have artists switch left and right. Also it's easier to obtain manga here than a specific issue of Marvel / DC etc. I enjoy the variation of stories of both, a lot more mangas deal with teenagers my age etc etc, and american comics often deal with older characters. (I know there are plenty of exceptions but still.) I find switching between the two quite healthy, since the styles are usually drastically different. But... my vote goes to manga, they take up most of my shelfspace!
(ID #50012) Posted on 2007/06/20 01:49
Troubleshooter, Universal Exports
Hey gang, I just remember reading this before I stated work this morning. Marvel will start producing there own movies. According to the New York Times, marvel made $62 million USD on Spidey 1 and 2. What do you think of Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark?
(ID #50015) Posted on 2007/06/20 02:03
In terms of art and story, Marvel still can't beat UK's 2000AD (DC managed to attract quite a fair bit of British comic scribes and artists). There was once when Marvel tried breaking into the UK market, with titles such as Death's Head, Dragon Claws and Pendragon. Some of the talents were poached from the 2000AD alumni. There's also a UK version of Transformers. Although the art sucked, the story is far more interesting. In fact, Marvel UK also did a comic adaptation of Zoids (i think its hard to find these vintage comic weeklies now). Too bad the venture didn't last.
(ID #50017) Posted on 2007/06/20 02:23
nemo in Lone Star
I'm not sure if you chose those covers for a reason, but it's not really fair to choose a slick, contemporary, super popular Japanese manga to pit against a 20 or 30 year old Marvel (second string at best)comic. At least you could have chosen something from the height of X-Men's popularity featuring Jim Lee, or something more recent like Civil War. That said, I pretty much despise American superhero comics. :)
(ID #50018) Posted on 2007/06/20 02:38
iamKaioken in Chico, CA
For me, the clear winner is Manga in this contest of Manga -vs- Marvel. I've been a fan of Wolverine comics, and also acquired the issue that Wolvie's adamantium was torn from his body...quite gruesome! However, I feel that the fact that Manga artists tend to be much more diligent with technology type artwork (mind you I've only read a sampling of US comic offerings) and thats definitely my cup of tea. As of now, Berserk and Initial D have my attention. You show me a comic in the states to seriously rival Berserk and I'll change my tune. ^^
(ID #50019) Posted on 2007/06/20 02:54
ThatPrimeGuy in Singapore
DC Comics Baby! That aside, I feel this comparison is rather unfair. I mean we are talking about ALL the manga in Japan versus the smaller section Marvel has of the US comics market. Unlike its main competitor DC which manages to diversify into many genres of comics thanks in no small part to its Vertigo imprint, Marvel mostly sticks to the Superhero genre and thus has only smaller reading demographic to appeal to, so how can we compare it to all Manga in existence? I'd suggest narrowing down the Manga field to a specific genre, or maybe compare Marvel to one of the bigger Manga publishers/magazine (such as the shounen magazines like Shounen Jump) in order to even the field a bit.
(ID #50021) Posted on 2007/06/20 03:15
anime/cosplay events organizer
personally, i prefer manga over any western comics anyday ^^ imho, western comics are more straight forward and has a lot of action and (correct me if i'm worng) doesn't always deal with the human heart... manga on the other hand deals with the human heart and emotions thus somehow connecting with the reader... for me, manga is superior in terms of story and plot and character development ^^
(ID #50023) Posted on 2007/06/20 03:28
SuperVillian
I say both Manga and Marvel (Comics) are fantastic in their own respects. I have a decent collection of both, but I guess when you come down to the specifics, like Gundam, for example, Marvel doesn't really compare. So... Manga am teh win! (But Marvel's cool too)
(ID #50024) Posted on 2007/06/20 03:39
Mangaaaaa~!!! Even comparing all types of American comics, I still love manga more. I had a chance to study about comic books in my college, and I felt they are pre-much all about heroes. There are not many genre. Manga has so many differnt genre. Sci-fi, medical, law, sports, games, etc. One more thing, American comic books uses handwriting and sometimes it's kinda hard to read.....
(ID #50025) Posted on 2007/06/20 04:00
Student
Manga is the best art form on this earth and will never be beaten. I find it easier to get really into a manga story and manga characters are more interesting an loveable. With marvel i just cant get into the story as they all seem to follow the same formula.The Marvel films are ace though...just not the original comics imo.
(ID #50027) Posted on 2007/06/20 04:38
Student and Digital Racer
I preffer manga rather than DC. Because the story of DC comic is too linear to me. Also the theme of DC comic always about heroism. Unlike manga which have many genre.
(ID #50028) Posted on 2007/06/20 04:57
Hey guys, you really need to give the respect to Marvel.
(ID #50030) Posted on 2007/06/20 05:16
Marvel is ok, but come on.. What's this for a question.. manga ^^
(ID #50031) Posted on 2007/06/20 05:27
Mmm, thats a hard choice. I like both of them equally. Grew up with marvel and picked up manga in high school. I read lil more manga than marvel so i go with manga. Come on, this a anime manga cafe.
(ID #50032) Posted on 2007/06/20 05:40
For me, manga wins hands down, no questions asked. I just far prefer the art style seen in Manga and also, the story lines in manga appeal to me far more. THere is far more variation on manga when it comes to the huge variety of storylines, so manga comes out on top for me ^^
(ID #50033) Posted on 2007/06/20 05:49
More recently, there's amazing art on both sides. to me, the real quality difference comes from the story. American comics are dominated by superhero franchises. It's really hard to tell a good story when you're trying to keep a franchise alive. Marvel has told its best stories when it shakes up the status quo (the early Spider-Man, or the more recent Civil War story), but how often does that happen? There are independent comics, but they're rare, and the non-super-hero American comic space has yet to reach the level of refinement found elsewhere (generally speaking, of course). With manga, though... You get the artist's vision much more often. Sure, a series is often concluded or extended against an artist's wishes (*cough*Dragonball*cough*), but you frequently get to see some one's imagination brought to life, and not what little vision some one could shoehorn into an existing character or universe. There are notable exceptions on either side, of course, but the trends are clear.
(ID #50034) Posted on 2007/06/20 05:49
Shade in somewhere
Manga = Type of reading material. Marvel = Comic Book Publishing company. Better title/comparison would have been "Manga or Comics". Marvel DC Dark Horse Wildstorm Oni Press etc etc All comic book companies. Also, I enjoy them both. Both offer vastly different types of stories, with origins within their respective regions.
(ID #50035) Posted on 2007/06/20 06:05
Director/代表取締役
Shade, ThatPrimeGuy, Good point. Not too familiar with that territory and thought that Marvel pretty much had the comic market. Nemo, Google image search was not being friendly to me this morning and thats all I could find ^^; Subaruhess, Depends. Sometimes toilet paper, sometimes glossy. Otaku Surf, She was very sweet.
(ID #50036) Posted on 2007/06/20 06:29
Anonymous in 4chan
It´s hard to find manga with art as good as Marvel´s. Also, manga tends to have simplistic storylines.
(ID #50037) Posted on 2007/06/20 06:31
Xenos in Boston
Well, 90% of anything is crap. Marvel has tons of crappy comics. And there's a ton of crappy manga out there too. And really, if you post something amazing like Death Note, would it have killed you to find a good recent Marvel comic instead of some random old one? For crap's sake, at least put Runaways or Nextwave or something good and recent. Hell, the Garth Ennis Punisher is a much more mature comic than any shonen manga out there. It's on par with more seinen manga. Meanwhile, I likely buy about as much manga as I do Marvel comics. Then there's DC, which I spend too much on and I kinda hate some editorial crap going on there. Of course if you bitch about comics and don't know about DC's Vertigo line or Dark Horse or Oni Press or more indie publishers, then you shouldn't be bitching about US comics.
(ID #50039) Posted on 2007/06/20 07:24
Ronald in Boca Raton, FL
Marvel has the mythic English archetypes that truley involve the reader. Reading Marvel comics, for me atleast, is a participitory act, as opposed to Manga which has it's roots in a completely different place. Marvel = Familiar & fun : D.
(ID #50040) Posted on 2007/06/20 07:35
Manga is less predictable. the stories in manga differ alot in comparison to Marvel comics. Manga in my opinion is clearly better
(ID #50042) Posted on 2007/06/20 08:02
I originally started reading marvel comics, but when I got to manga I slowly lost interest in marvel. Now I just stick to manga, I enjoy it so much more because of the art, the differing plot lines and the Japanese cultural aspect.
(ID #50043) Posted on 2007/06/20 08:20
Information technology
Manga!!! Only Manga, forever Manga! *_* *_* *_*
(ID #50044) Posted on 2007/06/20 08:22
Sales Executive & Eternal Geek/Otaku
Am not Marvel comics,however am really into DC/Vertigo as well as Manga. Green Arrow is the greatest comic character of all time. Well to me anyway.
(ID #50045) Posted on 2007/06/20 08:25
Cribba (Registered on 2007/01/27 19:01)
I'm more of a Marvel fan I guess, not that I don't enjoy manga it's just that I like comics better.. Right now it's alot of X-Men, many of the titles in the X franchise are good atm. One of the things I like more about comics is that they're almost always in color, maybe I'm just having a hard time adjusting to black/white. Though manga's not only superhero stuff, wich is one the many things I like about the format.. But atm, comics > manga for me :)
(ID #50046) Posted on 2007/06/20 09:29
Kyoji in UK
Manga. Aren't these "East v West" polls too biased when everyone who comes here are after all things Japanese? (；￣ｰ￣)
(ID #50047) Posted on 2007/06/20 10:02
Anonymous
@ Whoever said "Because the story of DC comic is too linear to me." do you actully know what Linear means? It means it follows a preset path and doesn't deviate from it, all books, manga and comics etc are linear, you can't change what happens in it, it will always be the same. Also Marvel vs Manga? WTF dude?
(ID #50048) Posted on 2007/06/20 10:14
Custom Pc Builder, Muppet, Pyromaniac, Demolitions Expert
Id say with Marvel....there will always be countless classics for the comic collecting buffs out there in the world & fair enough. for its age the art work looks pretty awesome a lot of effort went into it. you can always see detail in marvel comics. With manga - its literally a new age thing i suppose. marvel never evovled where as managa has a lot & has gotten better over the ages because honestly.... japanese do it better! not always but most of the time. great artists. great char concepts etc really the only problem I see here is the atrocious american dubbing when it comes to motion pictures.....
(ID #50049) Posted on 2007/06/20 10:28
from an art perspective, although marvel are highly detailed and amazing to look at, manga has a more stylised look which adapts itself better to the idea of a comic book. its more like watching a cartoon than watching live action. I think this enables manga to use more poetic licence, eg: nosebleeds, simplified faces for emotions etc.
(ID #50050) Posted on 2007/06/20 10:41
Graphic Designer
I use to read and collect a lot of Marvel Comics, X-men, Spiderman, Daredevil, Capt. America but after a while I kinda lost interest in them. The problem with them is the story can get so confusing with it spanning a few different series. In the end I just gave up reading them. I still got a whole stack of comics that I plan to sell off. Now I prefer reading manga, for the art style and the story. Also a story arc won't span a few different series which is good for me and my wallet. The most recent manga I finish reading is Death Note, and currently still collecting Guyver series.
(ID #50051) Posted on 2007/06/20 10:51
Pharmacist, Accountant to be!
Manga > Marvel anyday except for when Jessica Alba stars in Fantastic Four.
(ID #50052) Posted on 2007/06/20 11:01
Student
I never really had any experience with comics, so manga all the way~
(ID #50053) Posted on 2007/06/20 11:49
Antabax in kuala lumpur, malaysia
manga is much more entertaining and fun. marvel dont attract me that much. i bet manga can own places where marvel dominate if it is given a chance. manga > marvel !
(ID #50054) Posted on 2007/06/20 12:33
Student Nurse
i still like archie comics the most! ^^ i like watching anime but reading manga gives me a headache.. ^^;
(ID #50059) Posted on 2007/06/20 14:45
i prefer manga cauze' i think marvel's attraction is mainly violence, all that fighting that break houses, the ground rumbles..... blah blah but manga has sth that makes who read it have to think, 'bout feelings, dreams, pain, death, friendship, betrayal, love... it's not that marvel doesn't have its spectacular points... but since i'm an Asian... i would say that... Manga Rulez :D
(ID #50060) Posted on 2007/06/20 14:48
Hikikomori + Manga-ka + Bejiterian + Tiny Man
actually, i would prefer both. I read manga inorder to learn how manga artists have their own drawing styles, panelling, and stories. aka the whole process of manga making. I WOULDN'T mind reading DC/Marvel Comics to learn anatomy properly so that I won't fail life drawing class! :P Manga, Marvel/DC, when i read them, I make sure that I will gain something good from them.
(ID #50061) Posted on 2007/06/20 15:21
I as well prefer both, but in choosing one; I would choose manga, as there are a much wider variety of manga's I enjoy then to that of comic books.
(ID #50062) Posted on 2007/06/20 15:59
the only thing we can read as a comic here is pretty much translated to our language manga and the pirated manga. they sold some marvel comic in some hobby store, but it's very expensive here 1 trans to our language manga sold for 1$ and imported marvel sold for 10$ so i never buy it stupid pirate sold some SPAWN here, and the quality is ugly
(ID #50063) Posted on 2007/06/20 16:15
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
I used to dislike Manga (can you believe?!) because I often was told that my drawing style resembled Manga-style as I like to draw large eyes and hardly any nose and small mouth, during the time when I did not get exposed to much Manga ^^; But then I was introduced to some good manga by a mentor and never looked back :) I think I like Manga more than Marvel-style stuff due to the variety and choice. And I think with Manga, they let art tell the story rather than so much text :P
(ID #50064) Posted on 2007/06/20 16:16
never read marvel comic. danny can you make mirai sketches bigger? sooner, it will be very helping my drawing skill. thanks
(ID #50065) Posted on 2007/06/20 16:25
Bleh - manga for me. I just aint keen on the look of most american comics (especially superhero ones) and i hate the colouring most of the time. In comic art, i love clean linework and simplicity - this is why i love the manga style much more. There is sooommme really cool american comic art, but none of it is really mainstream.
(ID #50066) Posted on 2007/06/20 17:19
Student
US comics for me. I love the cover art of US comics (Shitloads of awsome variant covers for one issue.). I dont like the cover art of Manga. As for the art inside the comic and manga, I like US comic art more because the style can differ alot. Lots of manga just look the same. What I also think is better about US comics is that the US comics characters are more memorable than manga characters. That about manga stories being better is just a big stereotype. I do like manga. I love reading Iron Wok Jan!.
(ID #50067) Posted on 2007/06/20 18:04
Xenos in Boston
re: MonkeyKombat in Dubai,UAE "Green Arrow is the greatest comic character of all time. Well to me anyway." Clearly, and thankfully, you haven't been reading Winick's run on the character. This highlights one giant plus manga has, one series almost always means one author. Meanwhile most mainstream US comics are more editorially controlled and too easily rotate creators. DC has been especially bad about this lately. (Don't get me started on the total screw up with Wonder Woman.) In a way, US mainstream comics, most all superheros, can be compared to the more assembly line production of anime than manga. At the same time, you can't write them all off. For every ten crappy assembly line books, you can find a long running series with a good creative team. I was going to point out Birds of Prey, but the current author is stepping down for a new one. Then again, she took over from the author who started the book and also had a long run. Also, Runaways at Marvel recently had its writer change, from creator Brian K Vaughn to Joss Whedon. Yet not only is it Joss ####ing Whedon, but Whedon is a long time fan of the book. Plus with DC and Marvel, you have a shared universe. Though this can be a plus and minus. When it works, it's awesome. When it doesn't, it gets confusing the stories and characters suffer. To get one creator one comic in the US, you have to look more toward Dark Horse, Oni, or more indie companies. Though recently, for example, Hellboy has been getting different artists, they were handpicked by its original creator.
(ID #50068) Posted on 2007/06/20 20:13
Marvel-style comics and Japanese manga really aren't very comparable. While both use paneled illustrations to tell stories, they otherwise fill different consumer niches. Manga's closest literary parallel are serialized novels, not comics. It's easier to produce, translate, and sell manga under the methods of book publishing than under comic publishing; this is why the market for translated manga never really exploded until book publishers such as Del Rey got into the business of translating full tankoubans. Unlike comics, manga was never meant to be sold in individual "booklets" of 30-something pages. A better comparison would be comics and doujinshi. Both have some sort of collectible value, both produce their end product in similar "booklets", and both tend to aim for hardcore fans than wider mainstream appeal.
(ID #50069) Posted on 2007/06/20 20:20
The most difficult point in Comics is when one series has several authors. This gives a lot of variety in terms of development (but also possible adaptation of events in real-life and a touch of fiction -Think Captain America or The Amazing Spider-Man for example-), but can also cause major continuity problems or deviations from the original spirit. Generally, a manga has its constant authors, so there is no problem in comparison. Personally, I never was into comics (lacked the opportunity); so what I learned from MARVEL and DC super-heroes and super-villains is from TV shows (cartoons). My favorites series (and these I know the most) are (The Uncanny) X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man, Superman, Batman and the Unlimited Justice League for MARVEL and DC Comics respectively. I am also a complete sucker when it comes to cross-overs(inter-series or inter-franchises). I never grow tired of that and I feel manga and anime truly lacks that (I like fan-made mangas a lot when they make references to popular series -fanservice?-)... Otherwise than that, I am much more into anime, and to some extent, manga. But give me a good comics issue and I would be quite happy (if I ever understand the storyline).
(ID #50070) Posted on 2007/06/20 21:18
Oh, and considering the richness in number of characters (the variety of personalities might be a completely different topic), no one beats Comics. Sometimes it is so messy, no one dares to reference all characters from one franchise. (I guess I will stop there now)
(ID #50071) Posted on 2007/06/20 21:24
Xenos in Boston
re: pkick in the wrong place
"Marvel-style comics and Japanese manga really aren't very comparable. While both use paneled illustrations to tell stories, they otherwise fill different consumer niches. Manga's closest literary parallel are serialized novels, not comics. It's easier to produce, translate, and sell manga under the methods of book publishing than under comic publishing; this is why the market for translated manga never really exploded until book publishers such as Del Rey got into the business of translating full tankoubans. Unlike comics, manga was never meant to be sold in individual "booklets" of 30-something pages."
Yes. That's how manga sells here, but they were meant to be read as monthly (or weekly) installments ala US comics. Instead of individual magazines ('comic books'), they're released in large anthology magazines. Still, manga in its native Japan is more like US comic book sales than US manga sales. Well, that is if the US comic book market was healthier and sold well in stores like 7/11, Family Mart, or whatever locals stores you see in Japan.
Manga isn't meant to be sold like novels. That's just how they're sold in America. I'm somewhat tired of so many fans not realizing this. (Not saying you didn't, just that you didn't mention it and I'm putting the info out there.) Sure it's nice US readers just buy full tankoubans, but that's not how it's done in Japan.
"A better comparison would be comics and doujinshi. Both have some sort of collectible value, both produce their end product in similar "booklets", and both tend to aim for hardcore fans than wider mainstream appeal."
Somewhat. US comics are collectible like doujinshi. Not many collect the huge anthology books. Yet the doujinshi publishing is more along the lines of indie publishers and the small press. Marvel and DC are large publishers like Kodansha and Shueisha. Sure, they don't sell as well, but Marvel and DC are closer to that than doujinshi.
Of course, the biggest difference is the culture. In Japan, comics (manga) sells well and they have comics for a variety of age groups and genders. Here in America? I think it's an ever shrinking dedicated fan base. It's just not mainstream to read comics. Though I guess indie comics somewhat expand out to some college hipsters. Sometimes the big two get new readers, but really not cracking open the mainstream or getting to younger audiences like manga is here.
(ID #50072) Posted on 2007/06/20 21:43
Mandalorian in training + Otaku...
Funny, I was having this discussion about this issue in my manga club last Saturday...I am definitely more of a manga person. The reason is that when a manga is done, its done. as for marvel, the using of characters o'er and o'er again,well, it dilutes the spirit of that character. Well, that's my two piece in this matter...
(ID #50074) Posted on 2007/06/20 23:14
Xenos in Boston
Good point. It's like having different authors taking over someone else's character. I a way, it's like doujinshi... but official and controlled by editors. Aside from the fact that most of the characters are over 30 years old, you have various authors writing Spider-man or Batman even withing the span of a year or two. Sometimes they contradict each other. Hell, sometimes books the same month with the same character and different authors contradict each other. While usually this is bad editors at fault, sometimes this is on purpose, set in another 'time line'. Like Gundam Seed vs Gundam wing, but with the same characters. You have Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns or Kingdom Come, which is separate from current continuity. (Though jsut recently they just made them alternate universes as part of a 'multiverse'. Yeah. I think it's pretty stupid too.) Though, if you look at more creator controlled books and indie publishers, you'll find much more stand alone stories. From Kirkman's zombie tale Walking Dead at Image to V for Vendetta or Frank Miller's Ronin or 300 or David Mack's Kabuki to Bendis and Oeming's Powers. Yeah, I can keep going on with a ton of self contained and relatively self contained books. Of course, having multiple books in the same universe can be fun. Fables and Jack of Fables comes to mind. Neil Gaiman's Sandman has had a number of spinoffs or tie ins to other books. More of a mixed bag there though. Sorry if I'm hogging the blog space. I love comparing US comics and Japanese comics, manga. Someways, so the same, and yet so different in others. I keep meaning to put together my rants into cohesive essays and post a series on my own blog.
(ID #50080) Posted on 2007/06/21 01:21
Re: Xenos in Boston
>Yes. That's how manga sells here,
>but they were meant to be read as
>monthly (or weekly) installments
>ala US comics. Instead of
>individual magazines ('comic
>books'), they're released in large
>anthology magazines.
I'm quite well aware of the anthology format. Hence, my reference to _serialized_ novels as well as plain novels. The anthology format of manga is quite similar to the serialized anthology format of earlier pulp science-fiction (E.E. Doc Smith's "Lensmen" stories, for example). Like manga, those anthology installments would later be collected into singular novel format, still available for sale long after the initial anthology run.
>Still, manga in its native Japan is
>more like US comic book sales than
>US manga sales. Well, that is if
>the US comic book market was
>healthier and sold well in stores
>like 7/11, Family Mart, or whatever
>locals stores you see in Japan.
Well, that's exactly the sort of mainstream market penetration that novels have that comics lack.
>Manga isn't meant to be sold like
>novels. That's just how they're
>sold in America.
But that's also how they are sold in Japan too. After the initial anthology run, repeat sales are earned from the tankoubans sold in bookstores.
>I'm somewhat tired of so many fans
>not realizing this. (Not saying you
>didn't, just that you didn't
>mention it and I'm putting the info
>out there.)
I did mention it indirectly via my initial reference to the serialized novel format, but I suppose it wasn't quite clear. Sacrificing clarity for brevity, I ended up achieving neither *sigh*.
>Sure it's nice US readers just buy
>full tankoubans, but that's not how
>it's done in Japan.
It's done both ways in Japan, yes. The match may not be 100% the same, but I'd argue that the similarities to the serialized novel format means that manga is more similar to novels than it is to comics.
(ID #50082) Posted on 2007/06/21 01:54
Graphics are extra ordinary.
(ID #50090) Posted on 2007/06/21 05:33
Sales Executive & Eternal Geek/Otaku
@ Xenos Actually I am reading Winick's run,it isn't great but it isn't horrible either. Although I do wish They'd bring Kevin Smith back.
(ID #50102) Posted on 2007/06/21 08:05
Antabax in kuala lumpur, malaysia
one of my favourite manga, Blade of the Immortal. it sure beats marvel anyday. and eventhough Samurai X (Kenshin, Himura Battohsai) did copy some of the marvels char, overall I think it did better. manga with samurais will always attract my attention.
(ID #50116) Posted on 2007/06/21 10:57