Right. I'm fairly new to following comic books with any degree of compulsion. Until tweleve months ago my primary reading material was old school literature, having studied english at university until a few years ago. I'm a snob, it's fair to say. But a little while ago I was tempted into straying across to the graphic novel section of my local multi-storey bookstore. I am ashamed to admit that doing so made me feel dirty, like the first time you see porn. You know you shouldn't. You know people will think worse of you. At least this is how you can feel when you're doing this for the first time in your mid-twenties.
 
Anyways, there is a point to this blog post. I was compelled to sign up to Comic Vine by a new article posted just now about the University of Cambridge studying the cultural significance of comic books. My view on the quote in the post is that it is implicitly criticising comics - it's essentially saying that we should work out why kids read comic books so that we can give them the same feeling without the unwelcome elements (violence, hyper-sexualised women, lack of moral substance). Now, if you're reading this post then you will most likely agree with me that comic books have plenty of value without being gutted of it's essential innards.  To me they form a key part of our culture and will only continue to expand in influence. Here why I think this...
 
People must tell stories. It is key to life. Imagine growing up without being told stories by your parents and family. It'd be messed up if you've never heard of fairy stories or cat in the hat or alice in wonderland. Without stories lives cannot have aspiration or goals. We would be empty vessels. As time has progressed stories have changed to fit their surroundings. Read Homer's Odyssey or the Illiad. It's a comic book for Greeks! Even religions can read like comic books, with forices of evil fighting being defeated by the heroic powers of good. All that has changed is that these days so many of us aren't beholden to religion and our worlds are shaped by the world around us. It isn't unusual for people to have first hand experience of violence, drug and alcohol abuse and the darker side of life in general. Comics also cater to every life view - theres a hero/villain whose actions appeal to parts of your mind you never thought existed. Comics, as a form of entertainment, reflect our world and experiences, whilst also removing them from reality to the point where you can escape from your normal thoughts for a little while. It's escapism that can - at its best - be massively affecting and important to who you are.
 
What much of the opinion-formers in wider society don't seem to accept is that there is a real world outside of their comfortable academic lounges. People have a massive range of opinions and views and experiences. Whether you read Archie or Deadpool you are likely to relate to the material and gain joy and satisfaction from it. Why the hell people would try to belittle a medium rich in variety, colour, darkness and light...I don't really understand. But I'm really quite confident that the world in 30 years will be more accepting than the world was back in 1970. And if things progress like that, perhaps we'll have an environment in which the work of talented creators can be properly appreciated, to the enjoyment of a large and appreciative audience.
 
I'm going to stop rabbiting on now, but if you have suggestions for good Marvel or indie comics, send me a message or something as im new to this. Well into DC but need to expand beyond at some point.