Superheroes and mythology

In ancient times it was the myths of heroes and adventures that were kinda of like the comic books of today. They were made from stories told as songs or what I consider early comics (pottery, plates and tapestries). Today our heroes are in comics and are considered the ancient heroes of our time. I think with superheroes today they take us on these grand adventures and images that take our imaginations to a different level. I guess with superheroes can make us want to be or inspires the reader as well.

With some of the comics I have read the most relatable superheroes that revolve around ancient hero mythology would have to be Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. With Superman It kind of reminds me of the story of Moses and the myth of Hercules. Batman represents the great tragedy stories such as Hamlet, and Wonder Woman in some ways reminds me of Joan of Arc, combined with some of the heroines/ goddesses of greek mythology. It's kind of ironic how that some of these superheroes have similar qualities to these great myths and stories from long ago.   

Graphic Novels

In the late 80's early 90's is when we actually see the beginning of the graphic novel coming to the scene. What is interesting about graphic novels is that they are one stories and can be non cannon to the main weekly issues. What I like about graphic novels is that I could just jump into the story and will not get confused with the situation in the plot. I think that with graphic novels you can relate with the character's and to the events or situations that happen in the stories.

One of the graphic novels that I read was Watchmen by Alan Moore. Not only that it had great visual movie it centers around with politics and the re-imagining the mythos of the superhero. What I enjoy about the story is that the superheroes are not all super, more psychotic and I find that to be a nice change of pace for those who are use to the traditional superheroes. It also dives into politics and and to some of the current events that have been happening in the world. A definite recommend to anyone.

European Comics

As a fan of comics I only knew about the mainstream comics like Marvel and D.C comics. It never crossed my mind that their were other comics from across the pond and that other countries had their own stories. I think it wasn't until I started college is when I actually started to research about euro comics. I think it's interesting on how some of the writing is so much different than the writing in american comics. I feel that british writing seems more elegant and has some much more depth in character development than in american comics.

I really got into the sci-fi comics for example 2000 A.D. magazine. My favorite would have to be the Judge Dredd series, probably because I saw the 2012 reboot and it somehow sparked my interest in reading the comics. It is interesting to see a character that does not have a secret identity and is one of the most feared judges in megacity one. What I like about the comics is how vast the world of Dredd is from being centered in one city to fighting robots, and facing the dark judges. The thing that makes the character dredd relevant is that he one of the only comic book character to age over the years.

Webcomics

With the use off printed comics declining web comics have become more and more popular in recent years. Printed comics to me feel as though they are still popular are for the sake of nostalgia or collector's items. I think with web comics its a good way for ammeter artists and writers to show their work. With web comics they also are more accessible to tablets, computers, and cellphones. I think that web comics are not a temporary phase but in my opinion I still prefer printed comics.

The web comic series that I have been reading, and have been reading for a while is Megatokyo by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston. The comic started in 2000 and continues today with merchandise, and huge fanbase. What I like about this series is that it was relatable to what my interests were growing up. I also enjoyed how the two main characters were based off the creators and putting the characters in these crazy adventures that the creators always fantasized. Definitely recommend This web comic series to anyone.

Manga

Manga Has become such a culture phenomenon from being a comic media in japan. At first when Manga was introduced in the united states it had a little fan base in the early years but blew up into the mainstream audience in the late 90's and continues to gain a wide fan base. In my honest opinion I feel that with manga the stories and artwork seem to be more original and have a lot of symbolism behind them. When reading manga you feel as though you are watching a afternoon drama. Sometimes with manga their are whole list of genres and styles of art.

The Manga that I read was Deadman Wonderland written by Jinsei Kataoka and illustrated by Kazuma  Kondou, and boy might I say this is one intense series. Imagine if the SAW franchise was mixed with an amusement park, the story itself is interesting but it has that traditional conspiracy with torture horror. Throughout the series it goes from horror to a complete left turn into a battle manga and I find it to be a great change of pace to the story. I would recommend Deadman Wonderland to anyone who is into horror stories and gore.