A Comic Fan Speaks Up

It’s lonely being a comic fan in Singapore.

Tell people that you read comics and they start giving you funny looks. "You read comics? You are, what, in your thirties now? And you still read comics?"

"Hey, comics are not just for kids, you know. It has really matured as a medium and is mostly catered for adults," I would say defensively.

"Right, so you are still reading Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (sniggers)?"

"There are other stuff out there (in truth, I’m really still a fan of Superman and Batman – hey you, stop rolling your eyes). Graphic novels have evolved over the years, and they now deal with real world sensibilities and issues like the deliberate abuse of power by people in authority. They have also gone from juvenile characterizations to the deconstruction of the concept of the superhero in terms of the moral and psychological implications of their frankly bizarre lifestyles, at the same time delving into questions of free will and moral relativism. Some of the stories blend world mythology, literary reference, and classic sensibility into a beautiful, cohesive whole while others movingly explore the fragility and sublimity of love, life and friendship*."

A moment of deep, respectful silence. Then, "So do you put on red underwear at home?"

Even kids don’t read comics nowadays. Ask them if they would like to read the latest issue of Superman and they would look at you in disdain and go back to playing their xbox. “Superman is for wimps!” they would inform you as they blast some alien and splatter its bloody intestines all over the screen.

I would place comics in the same category as pornography. You try to avoid eye contact with the smirking cashier when you pay for them. You can’t tell anyone you’re reading it. You don’t want to be caught reading it because you will get ridiculed. The only difference is that if you are found out, no one is interested in borrowing your comics.

For some reason, comics just do not get much respect. There appears to be a perception that only geeks read comics. And we are not talking about the kind of geeks who have never been out on dates, but are actually absolute wizards with their computers and will go on in life to make a few billion dollars writing some software program and end up dating supermodels (not superheroes, supermodels); I am talking about real geeks - wimps who have never been out of dates, smell bad, have no real talent and can only relate to people who wear their underwear on the outside.

Well, I’m here to prove these people wrong. I read comics, and I’m a successful millionaire who hangs out with a superhero supermodel every... Sigh, who am I kidding? I’m a geek. A wimp. Who has no talent and smell bad.

Well... Never mind what other people think. I hope to be able to share my love for comics with my 2-year old daughter.

I hope she won’t give me a disdainful look and say, “Comics for wimps!”


* Jim Fingal, How to Enjoy a Graphic Novel, Havard Independent

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For those who’re willing to give comics (or graphic novels) a try, I recommend the following:

1. Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
"1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrated narrative of Holocaust survival, paints a perfect picture of the horrific events of the Holocaust in his phenomenal two-book series Maus."

2. Blankets by Craig Thompson
"Thompson manages to explore adolescent social yearnings, the power of young love and the complexities of sexual attraction with a rare combination of sincerity, pictorial lyricism and taste."

3. Astro City Vol.1: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek, Brent E. Anderson, Alex Ross
"ASTRO CITY was conceived not to explain, "what it would be like if superheroes existed in our world," but "what it would feel like if we could wander through theirs.""

4. Marvels by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross
“...a worm's-eye view of the spectacle of Marvel comics history... told from the perspective of (a newspaper photographer). Renowned artist Ross's rich, lush, nearly photorealistic style made his reputation—and the book—a landmark.”

5. The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Michael Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III
Volume 1 of one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels of our time

6. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley
“...one of the best told stories I have come across in any media...”

7. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd
“A frightening and powerful story of the loss of freedom and identity in a totalitarian world...”

8. Superman for All Seasons by Jeph Loeb
"Loeb and Sale restore a gentle humanity and dignity to the character... and a depth to his relationships which make this collection a timeless pleasure to read."

9. Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen
"Superman has remained popular for nearly 70 years because of the appeal of having powers "far beyond those of mortal men." Busiek gives us a glimpse of what actually possessing them would probably entail."

10. Kingdom Come by Mark Waid, Alex Ross
“...a book that no one with even a passing interest in comics, politics, or philosophy should pass up. It has a sophistication and intelligence that sticks in your mind and leaves niggling questions and doubts, as all good literature should.”