Sherri in MI Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Am I the only one who has problems with some of the comic books? I'm not talking about The Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbs. I'm thinking more of Marvel Comics such as The "X-Men". I'm looking at a book my son wanted to check out and the pictures of the women make me uncomfortable. They are very revealing. They are completely clothed, but they are very buxom and the skin tight costumes are very revealing of the female form. The book is "Creating The X-Men" by James Buckley Jr. and it's for elementary school kids. It's about how to draw them and how they created the comic strip. I've let my son read a lot of comic strips, including Superman and Spiderman, but they were toned down from the original comic books. The few "original" comic books I've seen look very adult to me with adult themes. So, I'm not entirely anti-comic book. But many of them are definitely not wholesome. Personally, I'm not that thrilled with the whole X-Men story. Am I the only Mom uncomfortable with this? How do you handle it with your kids? Would love to hear your thoughts. Sherri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 my ds likes comic books too and I have the same problem as you; so he's very limited in what comics he reads....we have a (new) original spiderman book that he reads; and he has a comic book New Testament, and there used to be a publishing company that made comic books out of old testament stories, so he has 4 of those.....and then we do 'comic books' of literature - like the Marcia Williams books, and there are some of other greek myths that are in comic book form. Some of them are too graphic for him, but there are some that I let him look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 IF you have a good comic store near you, go in and talk to the owner/ worker (without your dc). I did, and the owner was so helpful! He pointed me to comics that were age-appropriate, many of which I would have never found on my own. Now when we go in he greets us warmly and directs the boys to the comics I have pre-approved. If anything is new he hands it to me, not to the boys. He also keeps an eye out for themes appropriately interesting to my dd, too. What fun to go in to the store! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I don't like those kind of comics. My boys do like the Adventures of Tintin, though. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 The comic book industry has changed as its primary audience has matured. Many titles ARE very mature, and it is hard to figure out which ones are "PG" rated and which ones are almost "R" rated because there are so many different X-Men and Batman series out there. Some Batman books are innocent and some are very dark, violent and full of "adult situations". I don't read them myself, but am married to them -- my dh is an artist for DC Comics and there are some of his works he wouldn't let the kids read. I agree with happygrrl that you need to make friends with someone in your neighborhood comic book store so that you can find the wonderful comics that truly are out there. Many of the "silver age" and "bronze age" comics are cleaner and more innocent than the current titles, though the women have always been in their tight costumes. Many of the earlier titles are reprinted in collections, which is what we gave our kids to read when they were growing up. There are also some great small press titles that you won't find at Borders, and there are Christian comic publishers -- they are just a bit hard to find. The story of the X-Men is actually positive -- they are "gifted" kids who are don't fit into society but are given a home and training because of Professor X who teaches them to use their powers for good. Fantastic 4 was my husband's favorite while growing up, and Spiderman is always great, too. I do have a recommendation for a current series called Mouse Guard, drawn and written by David Peterson. It is very much like the Redwall books as it features woodland animals who wield swords and shields. The artwork is beautiful and the stories are good, and the artist happens to be a terrific guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_claire Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 They are completely clothed, but they are very buxom and the skin tight costumes are very revealing of the female form. I don't see anything offensive about the female form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 My dh knows a ton about comics and this really helps. We let them read the ones we find appropriate for their age and spiritual understanding. Our design for that is sometimes different than our friends, but we're okay for that ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 My brother collected comics books for years and years. I always defer judgement to him when dealing with comic books and the movies that follow. He understands my standards and will just give me a thumbs up or thumbs down. I'm so lucky! I don't mind the way the women are drawn. And I don't mind some violence, just the graphic stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 My son got one of those recently (my husband has a tradition he and his brother made up when they were little -- on the last day of school dad takes you shopping for comics -- called Boys' Day :001_smile: - our sons definitely wanted to continue the tradition). Anyway, it is a really sweet looking comic and my 10 year old likes it, so I'd recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 We don't do any of that... we stick to Uncle Scrooge comic books. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I don't like those kind of comics. My boys do like the Adventures of Tintin, though. :) We LOVE Tintin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane in CO Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 How about trying out some of the older comics (Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, Incredible hulk) my boys really enjoy reading them and since the originals were drawn in the 60-70's the costumes are not inappropriate. Thanks! Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoffeeChick Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 My dh and ds both love comic books. They take a monthly trip to the comic shop to pick up the latest in their collection. Ds gets some from the Marvel Adventures series -- which are for all ages and aimed specifically for the younger ages. The comic shopkeeper helped us find these and we are very happy with them. The women are still drawn with shapely figures, but not as extreme as some of the adult-style ones. The storylines are appropriate for young kids. Now that dd is getting older she wants her own too -- I wish they had a Marvel Adventure series that was specifically aimed to girls, but she deals with what is there. Sometimes we let her get a Supergirl one if the story looks okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stansclan89 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I don't see anything offensive about the female form. The problem is that it's not a real female's form unless she's had a lot of plastic surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 The problem is that it's not a real female's form unless she's had a lot of plastic surgery. Well, I have to admit that I very rarely see a "real" man's form in comics either:D. We let my daughter read some, mostly graphic novels from the library at this point because comic books have gotten incredibly expensive! She also likes Japanese manga (and if you think you have to be vigilant about appropriateness in American comics, manga and anime require entirely different levels of attention:ohmy:). I also pretty much hand over that area to my husband in terms of appropriateness as he is more familiar with the genre than I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Dd is a huge fan of XMen the whole backstory is a metaphor for giftedness in a world that reviles and demeans intelligence. The older ones that are available in ominibus form are excellent , the writing is great . Here are some in a link http://www.amazon.com/Essential-X-Men-All-New-Graphic-Novels/dp/0785132554/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250189187&sr=8-1 certainly there are a range of different levels of comfort so YMMV but there is not anything intended to arouse in these comics. There are plenty out there that are waaay tooo much for my taste. Fables , Anita Blake etc are clearly intended for a teen /young adult audience and I would not let dd read them at 13. The essential collections of Iron Man, Spider man etc are the oldies but goodies. Not golden age but for my money a great bargain and there is a level of appropriateness found in the older versions that is not present today. I am really into comics and plan on attending the comic con in Cal. one of the years before I need a walker to get around... Anyway give these a look and only you can know what your own comfort zone is. Batman I always found to be far more gritty and violent not to my taste and others I am sure will feel differently in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 You could check out http://www.graphicclassics.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I don't see anything offensive about the female form.I don't see anything offensive about an honest-to-goodness female form, either. I do have a teenage son, however, who is sensitive about being respectful to women, not gawking or staring like some young men do. I don't think comics that accentuate a woman's figure in the way that they do are helpful to him, so we avoid them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I'm not talking about The Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbs. I am....talking about Peanuts and Calvin Hobbes. I am not okay with the attitudes and behaviors in these two. No to comic books. :lol: :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I am....talking about Peanuts and Calvin Hobbes.I am not okay with the attitudes and behaviors in these two. Same here - dc have plenty of ways to pick up rudeness, and I don't need to provide it in book form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_claire Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I don't see anything offensive about an honest-to-goodness female form, either. I do have a teenage son, however, who is sensitive about being respectful to women, not gawking or staring like some young men do. I don't think comics that accentuate a woman's figure in the way that they do are helpful to him, so we avoid them. What's wrong with a teenage boy looking at an attractive woman? I think that's pretty natural for that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I think that's pretty natural for that age. . Natural and wrong are not mutually exclusive. (Both terms probably defined by the beholder.) :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest realqueen Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Thank you for asking. This is my question too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest realqueen Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Jennifer, my 11 year old just discovered Red Wall. Will Mouse Guard be fitting for him to read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 What's wrong with a teenage boy looking at an attractive woman? I think that's pretty natural for that age. They don't look like real women any more than airbrushed Cosmo or Playboy models do. I am not interested in forming my son's notion of the aesthetics of the female figure on these kind of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 What's wrong with a teenage boy looking at an attractive woman? I think that's pretty natural for that age. I didn't say looking. I said gawking and staring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 My son loves graphic novels. Sometimes I use them to peak his interest in a classic novel (like the King Arthur one I borrowed from the library for him), and sometimes he reads them jsut for fun. He reads Naruto, Yu-gi-oh, and a few others that he enjoys. One of the library branches in my city is starting a reading and games club for kids aged 11-14 to get together and talk about graphic novels and video games, my son's favorite 2 things. We have also gone to comic book stores to allow the kids to chose an inexpensive comic. Currently Ds5 loves archie, ds10 is more into the graphic novels and spiderman. DD doesn't care either way. Certain titles I don't allow because the story/drawing are more risque but typically I don't worry too much. We talk about the artistry of certain images to see beyond the gore depicted or the skimpy clothes on a female, we will talk about the colors, or how well an aspect is drawn. He doesn't fixate on those images, most of the swears in the ones he reads are written with symbols not the actual word written out, but occasionally one will be there. He tells me if there is something he knows I would not approve of in the book kind of a "heads up" to me but then moves on. Once school is back in he will be reading enough real books as we are using 2 sonlight cores and a winterpromise pack, so if he wants to keep reading the comics or graphic novels in his bit of freetime I am fine with that. He also has a subscription to Nintendo power magazine so he can spend time reading about video games too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJB Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 The comic book industry has changed as its primary audience has matured. Many titles ARE very mature, and it is hard to figure out which ones are "PG" rated and which ones are almost "R" rated because there are so many different X-Men and Batman series out there. Some Batman books are innocent and some are very dark, violent and full of "adult situations". I don't read them myself, but am married to them -- my dh is an artist for DC Comics and there are some of his works he wouldn't let the kids read. I agree with happygrrl that you need to make friends with someone in your neighborhood comic book store so that you can find the wonderful comics that truly are out there. Many of the "silver age" and "bronze age" comics are cleaner and more innocent than the current titles, though the women have always been in their tight costumes. Many of the earlier titles are reprinted in collections, which is what we gave our kids to read when they were growing up. There are also some great small press titles that you won't find at Borders, and there are Christian comic publishers -- they are just a bit hard to find. The story of the X-Men is actually positive -- they are "gifted" kids who are don't fit into society but are given a home and training because of Professor X who teaches them to use their powers for good. Fantastic 4 was my husband's favorite while growing up, and Spiderman is always great, too. I do have a recommendation for a current series called Mouse Guard, drawn and written by David Peterson. It is very much like the Redwall books as it features woodland animals who wield swords and shields. The artwork is beautiful and the stories are good, and the artist happens to be a terrific guy. Thanks for this post. My daughter has been writing a series of comics for girls based on characters developed by DC Comics. Her heroine is a woman, of course, and the backstory relates to existing characters. She has a real love for the X-Men and you've made it easier for me to understand why. Can I ask you, for her, how did your dh end up as an artist for DC Comics? My daughter is really caught up in her story line and has been working on it for a couple of years. I've wondered if she should pursue publishing it but I'm sure that is a very difficult process. Thanks for any more information about your dh's career path. Dd would find it extremely interesting, I'm sure! (Feel free it PM me if you'd rather.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 AFTER they are addicted to novel-length books, I'm fine with it. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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