The boldness of the manga industry stands out in relation to that of comics, since, when a hero succumbed or a plot reached its conclusion, it was truly the end.
Marvel and DC Comics comics are always in a cycle of recycling characters , publishers refuse to create new things, always depending on a new issue of Batman, a new Spider-Man adventure, alternative universes, new magazine stamps , but never completely ending a character's arc.
This approach is not a problem. This is how iconic stories are born and these characters become enshrined as legends in pop culture. However, this approach also leaves the characters in a tedious cycle, how many times has Clark Kent learned to fly and how many times has Peter Parker developed an artificial web? In addition to the eternal suffering they go through to “develop the character”, overcoming traumas and personal problems, with events increasingly dramatic than those of the character's last appearance.
The biggest problem with this recycling of stories is the lack/restriction of creativity for new projects. Few publishers are able to invest in new ideas, and even fewer are able to publish independently.
The comics market is only used to Marvel and DC. There is no great incentive for new authors, as the public will not buy these stories.
But what about the manga?
The Japanese industry has never faced this problem because manga are extremely personal works, usually made by one or two people, of course, there are exceptions, like CLAMP .
When a comic is made by a big publisher, it needs to be a success, period. If the story does not fit the industry standard, it will be remade. The author and the illustrator work for the publisher, it's their job to make a product that matches the market, they can't refuse the publisher's suggestions and say “My story isn't like that!” or “But my line doesn’t follow that style.”
In this regard, does Japanese manga have more freedom, much more freedom? No, but at least you can choose your captor (publisher).
The mangaka offers an idea to the publisher and this idea will be developed with an editor, who will ensure that the idea aligns with the publisher and is profitable. The manga is an intellectual property of the author and the publisher, which is why we sometimes see the author participate in the production of the manga adaptation for anime, as the creator, he has a say in what happens with his work.
Batman comic book writer and Bane co-creator Charles “Chuck” Dixon talked about manga on his Ask Chuck Dixon #65 on YouTube, answering the question:
What's your theory/thoughts on why manga are wiping the floor with American comics?
“It’s not too hard to figure out, actually. There is a lot of dedication, passion and skill in manga. And that’s been missing, almost entirely, from Marvel and DC.”
Dixon also praises the manga's art. “It’s not hard to see. The art is attractive. It's different, engaging, interesting, varied. So there are many reasons to like manga.”
One of the most curious things about manga is the variety of different themes that the stories cover, with different options for each niche. There are a series of manga about reincarnating in another world, and sub-niches about reincarnating in another world and doing something very specific (no examples). In this regard, Chuck comments on the lack of variety in comics and how manga explore all types of stories, embracing any type of reader.
“In Japanese manga there are stories about golf. There is no story about golf. There are lots of comics about golf.”
He then talks about the stark contrast with the American market: “But here, what do we get? We have superheroes and bad superheroes. There really is nothing else in big companies. […] And they are all avatars of the writers’ political agenda. And they are kind of tiring. They are not particularly well designed. They are not particularly well realized.”
Chuck explains that the American market should learn from manga: “And I don't mean drawing people with huge eyes and lots of speed lines. I mean, make more varied stories. Make more complex stories. Put more effort into the art. Put more effort into the craft. Change the format, for God's sake. Stop making folio comics and see what manga does. Those big, fat phone books. Comics released weekly. Things like that. Just change the formula. See what the manga is doing. Why is the manga successful? Try copying that.”
The decline of comics has several reasons, including the artificialization of stories, recycling of characters, lack of creativity and novelty, the format of short monthly magazines, etc. In addition to overexposure following the popularization of hero films, which should hold back a large part of the industry.
What happens with manga on a smaller scale with anime adaptations, but instead of replacing the manga, they attract the public. Does a hero film have the same effect? The question remains.
Finally, I would like to contextualize that I love comics, and this text is in no way a criticism of the media, but rather of the American industry and the big publishers.
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