“Two pretty okay articles for the length of one”
- The Big Two Debate: Who’s Actually Better?
Being a relative newcomer here at Graham Crackers, I feel like the world of working in comic retail is still fresh to me. However, as I approach my first full year at ye olde local comic shoppe, there are certain questions that get thrown at me more frequently than the rest. “What are the best comics for someone just getting into them?” “Why isn’t the new Saga issue/trade paperback out? Why do they keep going on breaks? Why, Brian K. Vaughn, why must you torture us like this?” “Do you repair Gameboys here?” Okay that one was only asked once, but it’s weird that it was asked in the first place. One common question I get a lot that I didn’t mention was “Who’s better, Marvel or DC,” which I think is a funny thing to ask. A lot of people only read books from one or the other because they feel like they can only like one publisher, and when people ask me this question, it’s normally because they want to know which publisher they should read from exclusively.
While it’s hard for me to imagine reading from only one publisher, I know that, for many years, I read comics almost exclusively from Marvel (except when I had a short DC phase around the age of 9). It wasn’t until a few years ago a wise old man told me some advice I’ll never forget: “Why limit yourself to just one publisher? It’s like only watching movies released by Warner Brothers or Lionsgate. Just because the comics are coming out from different companies doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them all.” This is now my general take on the question of who’s the better of the Big Two. You should be able to enjoy comics for their content, not who published them. Don’t limit yourself to just the Big Two, either. Read from indie publishers too! Image, Boom, Dynamite, Dark Horse, IDW, DSTLRY, Ahoy, Magma, all of them releasing some really dang good stuff. Heck, check out some Manga. I mean, they’re all still comics. And if you don’t like the stuff you’re reading from them? It’s fine. You tried it out, and that’s what matters! The most important part of reading comics is enjoying them, so don’t restrict yourself to just one publisher, read from them all. You may just discover some of your new favorite books.
- Best of the Best: Two of My Favorite Titles From the Big Two
Hello, my faithful readers, thanks for sticking through the first half of what’s sure to go down as a legendary article (maybe even an eventual column?! Stay strong, true believers. If they did it with the Snyder Cut, we can do it for Arthur’s Two-in-One). Since the first half of this segment was dedicated to talking about which of the Big Two is a better publisher (answer: both), let’s talk about two of my favorite books from Marvel and DC, respectively, and why you should read them.
Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics)
Fantastic Four is THE Marvel book for you. “Woah, Arthur! Slow your horses,” you might be thinking, “what makes you say that, and with such confidence I might add?” Well, readers, it’s because of the genius of one man: Ryan North. Ryan is the current writer of the series (and is also writing the amazing event series, One World Under Doom, which you should also read), and his run on Marvel’s first family is my favorite of all time. He moves the FF away from traditional super-heroics, instead placing them in a plethora of science fiction scenarios that have never been done before in comics. As ingenious as the plots are, they’re still easily accessible, oftentimes based on actual science and science theory, and not bogged down by random sci-fi jargon. But wait, there’s more! He also manages to nail the voices and characterization of every character in the series, which leads to some really beautiful, heartfelt moments (without spoiling too much, #15 made me cry over a fictional artificial intelligence that was just introduced, that’s pretty dang impressive). If I haven’t sold you yet, let me tell you one last thing: every single issue of the series is standalone, so you can just pick any issue off the rack and still enjoy a complete story. For those of you who like longer, built-up stories, don’t worry, Fantastic Four has that too! Threads from other issues are referenced later on, leading to some crazy stuff along the line. Trust me gang, this is one book you don’t want to miss.
Superman (DC Comics)
Superman can be a tricky character to make interesting. He’s almost completely undefeatable, he seems to have few character flaws, and he has a great life. You have to have a really talented writer on Superman to make the series interesting without sacrificing the preestablished rules that make him so dang hard to write. Thankfully, with Joshua Williamson at the helm, we’re in great hands. Joshua is one of two writers I credit for getting me into Superman (the other being Grant Morrison for their work on All-Star Superman, which just had a compact edition release). He taught me that Superman isn’t just a boring, godlike being. He’s a symbol of hope. He inspires others to be better, and while doing so, tries to become better himself. Although Superman was born on an alien planet, he’s just as human as the rest of us, and he sometimes struggles with the weight of his responsibility and the image of infallibility created of himself. If Joshua was only good at writing the character of Superman, the series would already be great, but what pushes it to amazing is the writing of Superman’s supporting cast. Lex, Lois, Jimmy, Perry, Mercy Graves, Silver Banshee, Parasite, everyone is just written so superbly. Everyone is complex in this, there’s no one-dimensionality, they feel like actual people and not just comic characters. The series will have you rooting for some of Superman’s classic rogues as they try to turn a new leaf, and will have you cry in dismay when some of his allies turn out to be hiding more than you might expect. Right now, the series is reaching the end of my favorite arc yet, a great Doomsday storyline that’s enhanced even further by the art of the effervescent Dan Mora. I have no clue what’s going to happen, but I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next few issues to be released.