A new mainstream
A new mainstream |
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Page 12 of 23  Cover to the graphic novel V tor Vendetta (DC Comics/ Titan, 1930). Art: David Lloyd. The story, about a sympathetic masked terrorist who takes revenge on the political leaders of a future fascist Britain, was brought up to date from its origins in Warrior For the same reasons, the time was ripe for regular comics publishers to capitalize on the situation. Now just about every new comics series was commissioned on the basis that it would eventually be collected into a graphic novel, while at the same time there was a rush to repackage runs of four, six or eight comics into album form even if they had no thematic unity (thus perverting the meaning of'graphic novel' into a marketing tool). Moreover, the emphasis was now on adult material: it was believed that this was where the sales would be in the future, so long as the media continued to ply the 'comics grow up' line. Thus, with perhaps an inevitable lack of imagination, new projects were heaped onto the shoulders of Miller and Moore, while a search was initiated for their successors. Similarly, a flood of titles was commissioned about revisionist superheroes, usually grim psychological portraits of established characters, in the now-familiar mould. DC Comics were the most anxious to plough ahead. They had published both Dark Knight and Watchmen, and had half-a-century's worth of much-loved characters that could be revamped in a similar way. Because these 'properties' had such potential, the company became the subject for a takeover by Warner Brothers, the multinational media conglomerate. Now, with extra economic clout, DC Comics were in a position to exploit various characters' copyright from top to bottom, and in more than one medium. This was especially true of Batman stories - now the hippest hero in the world due to Dark Knight. Many more adult Batman comics were commissioned, partly to maintain the momentum of that title, and partly to capitalize on the publicity surrounding Batman: The Movie (eventually released in 1989). This was a Warner Brothers production partly inspired by the Miller comic, starring Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker. In terms of the story, the grim feel of Dark Knight was retained, but not much else, and even Nicholson's wildly over-the-top performance could not disguise the flimsy plotting. Nevertheless, it would become the fastest-grossing movie of all time, and the focus for a merchandising campaign of unprecedented success.  Animal Man (DC Comics, 1991). Art: Brian Bolland. The hero takes on the powers of the animal kingdom, and has a well developed sense of its oppression. |