I took the opportunity to read Mirakelman because it is in Dutch language, and although I saw it on newstand shelves in The Netherlands and Belgium before, I never opened one, because I have avoided superhero comics like the plague, since reading a few during the late 1940s and beginning of the 1950s. I see that my first impressions were correct. This genre is not for me. The stories are just too far from real life. The magic powers are not explained, and are too far from plausibility. As comic book writer, my editors have ALL told me that we have to write each story, as if the reader has never read a story from this series before. Unless the writer KNOWS for a fact, that ALL the stories in the given book will be written by himself, he must include (either in pictures, narrative or dialogue), a clear explanation or way for the reader to understand why things happen. Rather than providing a pseudo-scientific explanation for how the medallion works, and how and why Chapman changes into Mirakelman in each story, I would have an "info page" providing that explanation in an abbreviated history, including how Chapman got the medallion on the inside front cover of each book in the series. It is a bit interesting to see an ancient non-human hominid come into contact with modern humans in industrial society, and also to come across ancient giant octopus species from the ocean's depths, potentially being used by a Communist Cold War enemy of The West. But, I would rather tell or read that story in a more realistic setting, with as much true science as possible, and with no super-hero, and with the science fiction, at least seeming somewhat plausible without thinking too deeply. Superhero plots are too similar and the end is always so predictable.
Most people think funny animal comics are for babies, and ALL comics with realistically drawn humans are on a level much above that. But I disagree with that. To me, Superhero comics have plots that are totally unrealistic, way too predictable, way too simple, and, at least in the case of this Mirakelman issue, offer way too little in the way of human emotional involvement and feelings with which the reader can identify.
Stories my colleagues and I write with funny-looking anthropomorphic humanlike "animals" are stories about people, dealing with many issues that we all face in our daily lives. I can identify with Donald Duck, an everyman (not-so-inteligent (about average-but, who sometimes be brilliant, and sometimes act like an idiot), who is sometimes energetic and purposeful and industrious, but is often lazy, and finds it difficult to hold a job, but is a loyal true friend, generally has good morals, but once in a while can act selfishly -and is later sorry, and will risk his life to help the needy and endangered, and to right a wrong)). He has a co-dependent relationship with his ladyfriend, gets terribly jealous, is quick to anger (explosive temper), but doesn't really have a mean bone in his body. The two of them have lots of problems, but always come back together again (probably because once other relationship candidates get to know them intimately, no one else will have them, and they don't want to be alone. Donald is in his early 20s, but has been saddled with the custody of his 3 triplet nephews (Huey, Dewey & Louie) by his sister (Dumbella), who disappeared (probably ran away from her responsibilities), and he's muddling through, trying to do the best he can with that awesome responsibility, and getting little help from his filthy-rich uncle(Scrooge), his selfish ladyfriend(Daisy), the seemingly inept local (Calisota and Duckburg) social service authorities, and even his adoptive "Mother" (Grandma Duck). His over-Trillionaire uncle, treats Donald terribly, taking advantage of the lad's inability to carve out a career for himself, paying him even less than minimum wages (like an illegal alien) and using him for a "pack animal" on dangerous safaris all over the undeveloped world, on illegal missions to steal resources and riches from underdeveloped nations.
All of the above situations are "real-World" situations, we human readers understand and most of which we can have an empathetic relationship with the main character. When Carl Barks and I, and other responsible writers place science-fiction into our stories, we work hard to ensure that the premises aren't so ridiculous that they defy any possible connection to reality, and so are somewhat plausible (at least on the surface) without too much deep thinking, so that the reader won't stop living in the flow of the story to think ("This is ridiculous! That couldn't happen in a million years! It's just too stupid!").
To me - The Super Hero stories (Especially the stories in this Mirakelman issue, are supposed to be taken as is. with no attempt at explanation, because EVERYONE knows the story of Superman, so they will understand this is a similar situation, so they will be satisfied that Mirakelman's situation is somewhat analogous, so they can enjoy the story without knowing the backstory history and details of how and why things are the way they are, and work the way they do. But, I must admit that EVEN IF I were to have read an information page introducing me to Mirakelman, I'd likely have thought the "magic" effects of the medallion to be too silly, and too far from the way The Universe works.
One might make a similar analogy about anthropomorphic animal/people, and a duckman who has more wealth than can possibly exist, and an inventor that can invent anything that is needed, and a super-lucky person who never needs to work. But these are just grossly exaggerated cases of people we all know. Everyone to his or her own taste.
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Topic: Week 205 - Mirakelman #1503 (Read 1105 times)
