I've noticed a strange trend in comics in the last ten years or so: any comics put out by Marvel and DC that are labeled "All Ages" are dumbed down, out of continuity and generally insulting to most readers. I make certain exceptions, of course. Chris Eliopoulos' excellent Pet Avengers comics certainly can be enjoyed by readers of any age and manage to blend a light mix of current continuity with a timelessness that only adds to their charm. Another title that deserved a much better shot than it got was Roger Langridge's Thor: The Mighty Avenger. It was a re-telling of Thor's first adventures on earth meeting Jane Foster in a fun and interesting way without treating the reader like an idiot. Very few modern updates were added outside of the truly bizarre concept of Jane giving Thor a cell phone to reach her, and even that fit well without standing out as an "updating".
I've read many of the titles labeled "All Ages" over the years and seen lots of diehard comics fans and newbies turn their noses up at what they call "Kiddie Comics". I've even read interviews where the editors use that term and I wonder if the inmates are truly running the asylum. Both Marvel and DC have been publishing comics for over 70 years and until the early/mid-1980's, ALL of their output was considered to be entertainment for people of all ages. Then with the advent of Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns as well as "mature" imprints such as Epic and Vertigo, the audience somehow decided that they were "sophisticated" and above basic, fun story-telling and escapism. DC went to great lengths to emphasize that their comics were not just for kids anymore. Even going so far as to manufacture and distribute free buttons to fans to wear saying just that. Many people think that the medium grew and gained a great respectability during this era. I can agree to a point, but I also think we lost something, as well: accessibility.
Multi-part stories and writing for the trade collection have become the standard. Single issue stories are considered shallow and compressed. I've read reviews of wonderful done-in-one-issue comics that were described as "too fast", and "too tight with too much going on". I've also read one reviewer advise a writer who has been in the business longer than the reviewer has been alive to "slow down and give the characters room to develop". This kind of stuff really bothers me. Why is it that you can pick up virtually any comic produced before 1980 and not only get entertained, but get that ever important context to understand who the characters are and what's going on? And why is it that you can give that same comic to a person of any age and they can still receive the same courtesy? Granted, your mileage may vary on whether not you actually like the art or dialogue, but I think it's pretty inarguable that the material stands on it's own.
Marvel tried an experiment in 1974 and in conjunction with the Children's Television Workshop, created Spidey Super Stories (SSS). CTW had introduced Sesame Street five years earlier and followed it with The Electric Company in 1971. The Electric Company was aimed at slightly older children and focused on the process of learning to read. Marvel had granted the use of Spider-Man to the CTW and they featured him in live-action segments much to the excitement of the viewers. Marvel in turn created Spidey Super Stories as a tie-in and created a title that told stories in very simple dialogue. At the same time, the character was appearing monthly in Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up, and the reprint title, Marvel Tales. Those books were created for "All Ages", while SSS was specifically aimed at learning readers. Notice that I said that SSS was aimed at a specific demographic, but yet it could be read, understood and even enjoyed by persons of any age. The book lasted 57 issues and served its purpose justly.
Next time, I'll rant some more and examine the DC series Batman: The Animated Series and how it helped push us down the hill we're sitting at the bottom of now.
