Were the old days really that good?

[Super Monkey]

I don't see any more "realism" in the Iron Age, just a darker more cynical fantasy view...I like an upbeat, positive, and somewhat goofy at times fantasy view...

That is why young children are reading Harry Potter (huge complex fantasy books) instead of Superman.

[Gangbuster]

I actually don't mind comics that are geared toward an adult-only audience. I  love Swamp Thing, The Long Halloween, etc.

What I don't like is superhero comics geared toward an adult-only audience.  Superheroes aren't supposed to be like Sin City. They're supposed to be like...well, Superman.

Maybe it's true that more adults read comics now. It's also true that DC is still dependent on its Golden Age characters to make money...so they've tried to cram them into a more adult setting. It doesn't work, and I wish DC could make money doing something else and give those characters back to the audience to which they belong.

[ShinDangaioh]

Gangbuster Thorul, I think you hit it on the head.  

They are taking characters that by their very existence is part of one genre and trying to force them into a genre that they can't and never will fit.

It would be like taking the characters from Narnia and writing stories of them encountering the Cthulhu mythos.

[Kuuga]

Wonderful point Gangbuster. Like I said in another thread when talking about manga, in manga you have tons of genres each doing what they are best at wheras in american comics you have one genre trying to be everything for everybody and failing at what IT is best at in the process.

[ShinDangaioh]

Examples from the Golden and Silver Age of comics

Horror-Tales of the Unexpected

Sci-Fi-Lost in Space(This comic came out BEFORE the tv series and the characters are far different)

War-Sgt. Rock

Western-Jonah Hex

Romance-True Love

Kids-Hot Stuff, Richie Rich

Girls-Katy Keene

Teen Humor-Archie, Sabrina

Take al look at DC and Marvel now.

[Maximara]

Examples from the Golden and Silver Age of comics

Horror-Tales of the Unexpected

Sci-Fi-Lost in Space(This comic came out BEFORE the tv series and the characters are far different)

War-Sgt. Rock

Western-Jonah Hex

Romance-True Love

Kids-Hot Stuff, Richie Rich

Girls-Katy Keene

Teen Humor-Archie, Sabrina

Take al look at DC and Marvel now.

Well Modern Horror (Bronze age) actually go back to Gold Key who was doing those types of comics allt he way back in the 1960's. You are right that the genre of comics in general has shrunk but for some of the above there are reasons.

Wastern  - burn out pure and simple.

Romance - what comic market it had was killed by bad soap opera stories.

Kids - done by Disney LONG before Hot stuff or Richie Rich even existed and as a kid I found those character boring.

Girls - the marketing morons cannot seem to get the idea that girl focued stuff sells and so go as far as to mangle girl focused stuff like Cardcapture into a mess to make it boy focused.

Teen Humor - uh other than the digests when is the last time you have even seen a Archie comic? AFAIK they are bascily living on past stories like DC did near the end of the Bronze age with their digest reprints.

[MatterEaterLad]

I was never sure about "girl"-focused stuff...

Lionel came out with a "girl" O gauge model train in the 60s that was pastel colors and sold so few that they are collector's items today...

[Maximara]

I was never sure about "girl"-focused stuff...

Lionel came out with a "girl" O gauge model train in the 60s that was pastel colors and sold so few that they are collector's items today...

Ugh but that sound about the thinking (if it can even be called that) that the products managers do.