Dreg
03-22-2006, 09:00 PM
There are comics I buy simply to tread water...to figure out what's going on here and there so that I can understand a larger, company-wide crossover; there are comics that I buy because they struggle to elevate the art form away from superheroism, books like Y: the Last Man and a lot of Ellis' books; and then there's The Thing.
I read the Thing because it's a comic very much in the mold of Ben Grim. It knows exactly what it is, and even though it's set in a universe filled with flashier, more dramatic, and more iconic books, it maintains its unique charm by never being too ashamed of itself to help out those who need it. And I am am one comic fan who seriously needed this book. With the all-you-can-angst buffet that has recently opened in most major titles, it is so refreshing to have at least one that understands "big events" in a character's life don't always have to include death and despair.
"Big events" can be happy, too, like when Ben got a new pet, learned a valuable lesson about wealth, and shared a picnic lunch with his family in issue #4. Things like that, they're moments that people remember, whether we're talking about fictional characters or not. Nothing lasts forever, even in the world of comics, and when we lose someone or something we care about, it's the good times that always rise to the surface of our memories.
Therefor, making sure that there's plenty of fun times and lighthearted moments that scream "comic book" as a warcry rather than an apology are twice as important as reminding people that bad things happen. Bad things will always happen. That cannot be avoided. But it's the good times and the hope of good times to come that keeps us turning the pages. The good times roll in The Thing, and they show no signs of gathering moss.
I read the Thing because it's a comic very much in the mold of Ben Grim. It knows exactly what it is, and even though it's set in a universe filled with flashier, more dramatic, and more iconic books, it maintains its unique charm by never being too ashamed of itself to help out those who need it. And I am am one comic fan who seriously needed this book. With the all-you-can-angst buffet that has recently opened in most major titles, it is so refreshing to have at least one that understands "big events" in a character's life don't always have to include death and despair.
"Big events" can be happy, too, like when Ben got a new pet, learned a valuable lesson about wealth, and shared a picnic lunch with his family in issue #4. Things like that, they're moments that people remember, whether we're talking about fictional characters or not. Nothing lasts forever, even in the world of comics, and when we lose someone or something we care about, it's the good times that always rise to the surface of our memories.
Therefor, making sure that there's plenty of fun times and lighthearted moments that scream "comic book" as a warcry rather than an apology are twice as important as reminding people that bad things happen. Bad things will always happen. That cannot be avoided. But it's the good times and the hope of good times to come that keeps us turning the pages. The good times roll in The Thing, and they show no signs of gathering moss.