"Baby comics" could refer to titles such as Bongo Comics Group's The Simpsons whose issue three is out currently, "Summer Shindig." It attempts to include beer humor to reward the few adults brave or determined enough to peruse the issue: Drunken Doughnuts. Moe comes up with a new franchise and Krusty the Klown worries that it will threaten Krusty Burgers. A bigger problem looms on the horizon, Duff Beer is being used and the company and Duffman want credit. For that and two more stories, the focus is clearly on the adult Homer and his antics (including as a super hero). The last eight pages are devoted to "Moron Kombat!" -- a story featuring Bart, Martin and Milhouse. (No women are prominently featured in any of the stories thereby continuing The Simpsons well known sexism.)
Fans of Bart can turn to Bongo Comics Group's Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson issue 45. It will also reduce female characters to bit players, even in it's final story: "The Maggie & Moe Mysteries! In Color! Tonight’s Episode: Naptime For Murder!" Despite Maggie having her name in the title and comics' long history of devoting considerable attention to infants who cannot speak, Maggie's lost in her own supposed co-story. Reading it or the Simpsons Super Spectacular issue 9, is to assume that young readers really aren't all that interested in young characters. Possibly true?
DC’s Looney Tunes, issue 178, sticks to the world of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird and Foghorn Leghorn and while young girls will clearly be left out of the proceedings if they’re hoping to see themselves reflected on the page, young boys will be in heaven.
The sexism is a problem. Catering comics to young readers isn’t necessarily.
When does it become a problem?
When comic book characters who are allegedly going for adult readers are also the subject of titles geared to clearly young readers.
Tiny Titans is a comic series (currently on issue 20) which re-imagines the Teen Titans as toddlers. To its credit, boys and girls are both actors in the action. To its credit, the title should leave no room for confusion who the desired readership is. But for every Tiny Titans, there are others that confuse the issue.
Batman: The Brave And The Bold claims to be "STRAIGHT FROM THE HIT NEW CARTOON!" except that the cartoon is a bit more adult. It's our nominee for most embarrassing cover art for 2009. Issue 8 does at least boast a little better art within. But it's everything that drove away readers long, long ago. And when you combine it with another embarrassing and poorly drawn comic entitled DC Super Friends (see issue 17 especially), you're left to wonder how greedy DC is and how self-damaging?
It’s these type of comics that attendees of ComicCon were referring to. While DC may think that they're managing to serve all markets, the reality is they're cheapening the brand that was barely rescued not all that long ago.
Instead of milking a cash-cow dry by re-imagining heroes for young readers, novel concept, try creating new characters who can appeal to them. Until you can do that, don't blame us when the next wave of complaints comes in and readers walk away from titles you've worked hard to provide an edge to.
