Politics in my Comics?

I am sure I am not the first to address this subject, but why is there so much politics in comic books? Most of the comics I read instead of it being focused on the main villain or any sort of real challenge, its always politics. Something about the president or the government, not villains. I am well-aware that most comics are not for kids, but i'm sure even our older audience doesn't appreciate 20 static pages of politicans. I'm sure some get where I am going, right?

Im guessing you hated Ends of the Earth too huh?

Well comics try to emulate aspects of the real world and poltics are a part of our lives so it shouldn't be shocking that it appears in comics.

I think it all started when everyone lost their s*** when they found out about Wolverine and Weapon X.

Look at it this way comics can be similar to Dystopias in the sense that they reflect society (to a point) and since todays society mainly revolves around political influence it makes sense that it would be found in comic books to.

@Kiltro95 And this wasn't the case in the 60's and 70's?

My guess is because comics are trying to parallel the real world, which has political aspects all the time. Personally, I don't care for politics in my comics either because they take away my enjoyment of reading a comic and I tend to view comic books as being set in their own universes rather than trying to reenact the political issues going on in real life.

@Duke_Nasty said:

Im guessing you hated Ends of the Earth too huh?

No, I need to read it next time I visit a book store :)). But if theres boring politics parts Im just going to skip them, it may make me a little oblivious of the plot but it shouldn't take too much away from the experience.

Frankly, I'd be disappointed if writers never used comics to discuss politics, society, etc. I do agree, though, that it can get kind of annoying sometimes.

I don 't mind it as long as the politics aren't preachy. (Don't like that from either side.) The left tends to be, IMHO, a bit more self-righteous and preachy in the comic world. (Both sides are equally this in the real world, IMHO.) Fortunately I think it's fairly rare, and only a few writers tend to over-do it. I hated Ends of the Earth, but as I've said in previous post, I just think Dan Slott's a bad writer, whether he's being political or not.

@Manwhohaseverything: I agree with you on this. Most artists tend to be liberal, so that's probably why the left is more prevalent in comics.

As for me, I don't like politics shoe-horned in where they don't belong. For example, I think that acceptance of people of various backgrounds will always fit in X-men, just by the nature of the beast whereas going out and planting trees wouldn't. However, it fits in less with Batman, whereas you might have a story with Poison Ivy where an environmental issue might fit in very well, but talking about the 99% wouldn't fit at all.

Basically deeper messages are a good thing to have and should be considered, but it doesn't work when it's just in there because the writer/artist supports a given political view so the reader should too.

As long as they don't force any opinion down your throat, it should be a good thing.

Why are politics in movies? TV shows? Books? Video games? Music? Art?

The better question is: why aren't comics respected enough to be counted among the above media?

@crazey_spidey said:

@Kiltro95 And this wasn't the case in the 60's and 70's?

Yes it was the case in some books.

well its been done a lot look at x men, green arrow and green lantern, great pacific, think tank, c for vendetta etc i say go for it me and one of my freinds are making a comic over the summer and were defenently throughing some politics in there maybe a politcal alagory

@JediXMan said:

Why are politics in movies? TV shows? Books? Video games? Music? Art?

The better question is: why aren't comics respected enough to be counted among the above media?

What this fellow said.

Politics been in comics since comics were made.

That's were comics came from. Politics.

X-Men  -  People who are hated because they are different...  Gosh, that sounds sort of...familiar...  OH! Right.  RACISM.  That's not being political, is it?
Super Man -  Truth, Justice, and THE AMERICAN WAY...   Nope, no politics there....
Captain America -  Okay, this one is just too easy...
Marvel Civil War -   Trading liberty for safety... That's not a political type thing is it?
 
Should politics be in comics.   YES.  ABSOLUTELY.  NO DOUBT...   Why SHOULDN'T it be?
 
STAR TREK.  I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that many comic book fans love star trek...   The original Star Trek.  If you took the politics out of it, there wouldn't be much show left...  They had the first interracial kiss!  They had the prime directive.  They Xenophobia.  They had a show in which a civilization based their government on the U.S. constitution.  They had a show in which two species on one planet wiped each other out because, even though they were both half black and half white, the sides on which they were white or black was the opposite....  The show was almost entirely political.. and it was GREAT...
 
MASH was  a comedy that lasted for 11 years...  It was almost ENTIRELY political...
 
So much of life is dictated by politics.  How could politics NOT find its way into comics.

In the first years of super heroes they fight the nazis and that was a political problem. So the superheroes they were always related to politics

Agreed

Mhm. Yup.

Why did you bump this?

politics isn't bad

I don't mind veiled semblances.... but when its direct blatant political comentary... it kindof gets on my nerves

(like having the current president (irl) commit evil acts in a comic) (whether I like said polititian or not I hate it)

its Escapist Fiction... I don't want to read about someone elses political views in my Escapist Fictio