Week 9: The Wide World Of Comics

    Comics come in all sorts of shapes, colors, languages and intense story-driven imagery. All over you can probably find a comic most anywhere in the developing world. While not as incredibly big in the US, comics are also popular reads in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. I'd like to focus on Europe for the rest of this post though because while the US was pumping out superheroes in gosh knows how many different comics Europe had its own thing where they practically made comics into event more of an art form than what it already was.

    From most of my readings of European comics I've come to realize that the form and dialogue in many of them is much more diverse and serious at times compared to US comics. I feel this might be because of how much more lax Europe is than the US when it comes to dark or complex topics and depictions about certain issues or events. 

    The main thing that I've always noticed is that the art quality is incredibly beautiful and unique. That's not to say the US comic industry is any less intricate but one can only take so many superheroes in spandex suits fighting bad guys. European comics can range from so many incredible styles and languages. Many comic creators experimented with the visual form so you were able to read through some incredibly visually rich stories that don't always rely on just dialogue to help tell a great story.

    For this week I had read Moebius. Definitely one of my favorites and an incredible work of art. It's a comic that in itself is what I think is a pure work of art. Although quite bizarre at times the stories told in Moebius are filled with fascinating ideas and complex metaphors or dialogues. The line-work and colors in the series are something completely unique compared to the other comics I've had the pleasure of reading. Going through Moebius is like looking into someone's dream as cheesy as it may sound but it really is an amazing visual feast that not too many comics are able to accomplish. I highly suggest giving it a read though.