Comic Books Should Be Cleaner

Sometimes when I got a little extra time I like to sit down, kick back and read. Sometimes I want something with a lot of substance like a book and sometimes I want something a little bit more fun like a comic book.

I love comic books but I've noticed a trend lately that I don't like. Whenever someone mentions a comic book to someone else who isn't really a comic book fan the non-fan automatically thinks that comic books are for kids, they're childish. Now I don't have a problem with having a hobby that is seen as childish, that's not the issue.

The issue is comic books aren't for kids. Most of the people buying comic books are 20 and 30 year old males, although there is an increasing amount of females also. The people who make these comics aren't stupid. They know who is buying them and they cater to those fans. So since comic books are being read by 20 and 30 year olds, comic books are being written for 20 and 30 year olds.

The problem comes when a parent, who isn't a comic book reader, buys a comic book for their kids, because they are still under the impression that comic books are for kids. Then that child opens up his comic to read stuff he shouldn't be reading.

This bothers me, not just because I'm a super prudish person who thinks kids should be locked away in their room and never ever see or hear anything bad. It bothers me because if today's kids don't get into comics, then the comic book industry is going to die once people my age are no longer reading comics.

I know there are some comic books directed towards kids, like the Adventures comics or something like Spiderman Loves Mary Jane, but in all honesty, those comics are inferior to titles for 20 year olds. Why should younger kids have to read inferior material?

The comic book industry should do a better job of making all their comics suitable for people of a younger age. I'm not saying you have to get rid of every panel featuring a superhero punching a villain. Obviously you can't have Spiderman without punching somebody. What comic books should get rid of is swearing, painting smoking and drinking in a positive light and most importantly, stop dressing every female character in the skimpiest outfit in the known universe.

It is possible to write comics suitable for younger kids and still make it good enough for adults, just like it's possible for television shows, books and movies.