Writing Styles 3: A Picture Replaces a Thousand Words

Old comics suck.

Well, okay, they don't suck, but they can be very difficult to read and enjoy.

The early days of comics- from the original Golden Age through to the renaissance of the Silver Age- introduced a wealth of new ideas (see: superheroes) and allowed imaginations to run wild in a manner which I believe they were never permitted before. But for all the originality and creativity, these were the early days of the medium, incorporating many limitations and unnecessary  stylistic methods that both show their age now, as well as create difficulties for the average reader to simply enjoy.

Comics have grown drastically in the 100-odd years they have been around, and unexpectedly so. But even more than printing methods and artistic improvements, I find myself affected by the growth of the writing. I have tried to read some older comics- usually books that are considered classic storylines- and could not get through them due to the writing presentation.

Just as I have difficulty with novels being overly descriptive (I'm looking at you, Tolkien!), so too can comics provide far too many words to describe something. This was far more common in the old days (though it can still happen in some modern books), but the difference between my frustration with this in prose and my disdain for it comics is that it is completely unnecessary in a visual medium.

I was reading an old Superman comic, and it felt like the author was writing a novel and simply put pictures to his words. Superman punched the bad guy, and a caption read, "Superman let loose with a strong right hook!" This is completely unnecessary, redundant at best, as you can already see it happening. A comic should rely on the images to tell as much of the story as the words. Actually, the artwork should do more of the telling, as you can tell a compelling story in visual formats without ever utilizing narration or dialogue.

The wrong way to have Superman use heat vision...

... and the right way.

Likewise, the wrong way to smash through a wall...

... and the right way to smash through a wall.
(Although I bet you didn't know that was what he was doing until you read this caption)

Older comics were notorious for over-explaining. It is forgivable, as the medium was new and developing, but just because I can forgive it does not mean I can easily enjoy it.