More and more, modern comics and graphic novels seem to get wrapped up in a sense of literary pretension.  Whether it is a litany of “This is a graphic novel, but it’s okay because its literary,” or “This graphical novel is bad because it lacks literary merit,” literary snobbery seems to be on the rise with this growing literary art form.  Not that “literary” graphic fiction is bad; far from it, it has helped the genre grow, and presented some of its truest classics, from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman to Frank Miller’s Sin City, or Watchman, V for Vendetta, From Hell, or most anything else by Alan Moore (my personal favorite Moore is his run on Swamp Thing).  Yet, that is only a part of what the genre has to offer.  So, focusing on heroic fiction within graphic/comic literature, here is the beginning of the anti-pretension project, focusing on the least “literary,” and most downright fun, that heroic graphic fiction has to offer.

Westerns…and Aliens

Outside of Lonesome Dove, not many Westerns are lauded for their greatness, yet the popularity of the genre can’t be for no reason whatsoever.  Yet, if we take Westerns, we can add the one element that is even less “literary,” aliens, and what do we get?  The upcoming blockbuster film, Cowboys & Aliens, based on the 2006 graphic novel, created by Scott Mitchell Rosenburg, written by the brilliant Fred Van Lent with Andrew Foley, and penciled by Luciano Lima.  Cowboys & Aliens is a wonderfully fun idea, with strong heroic characters and a fast-paced plot.  Fans of westerns are hard pressed to find good graphic fiction (one exception is Gus & His Gang by Christophe Blain), and science fiction is growing into a market dominated by superheroics, but to find both together is a true treat.

Captain America

Captain America: The First Avenger is racing to movie theaters, and the availability of work on the unabashedly patriotic and brightly-costumed hero is at an all-time high.  Ed Brubaker (whose run can be found conveniently in Captain America Omnibus, Volume 1) had a very extensive run on the hero’s book, making huge changes that are impacting the character years later.  Cap has also been featuring in multiple Avengers titles (check out his role in the hardcover New Avengers, Vol. 1), and has been key in all of the major Marvel events, from House of M to Civil War to Secret Invasion.  New readers might jump on with the just-relaunched Avengers, or check out Avengers Prime for a more traditional Avengers book.  A new all-ages Captain America book is also available, Captain America: The Fighting Avenger.

Manhwa

Never heard of manhwa before?  Neither have most people.  This is digging deep into the “non-literary” bin.  Manhwa is a style of South Korean comic art.  If it helps to think of it, manhwa is to South Korea as manga is to Japan: a very popular, country-wide prominent comic art style.  A popular creator of manhwa is Hyung Min-woo, who is currently achieving an increase in popularity state-side for his comic Priest, which inspired the recent movie of the same name starring Paul Bettany.  While some of the earlier volumes have gone out of print, TokyoPop has recently released Priest: Genesis, an omnibus collecting the first three volumes of the series.  At a very decent price, this is the perfect jumping on point to the series, which is an engaging tale in its own right, as well as being a neat foray into a story from a region of the world that isn’t well-known for its literary output here in the United States.

Next time, in The Anti-Pretension Machine, Part 2, we will address other “less literary” masterpieces, such as Ed Brubaker’s Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire, some fantasy content, and a new work by the estimable Steve Niles, known for his breakout vampire hit, 30 Days of Night.  See you then!