Level of Language

[Yoc]

Ha!  Mai was the first and only manga I collected when it first appeared in the late 80s I think?  Good stuff.

[narfstar]

I started reading Terry Moore's Echo but it soon started to feel like manga. Going too slow to fill up 30 issues instead of a six issue story arc which probably would have been great.

[Astaldo711]

I keep thinking of how in the early and mid 60's Stan Lee prided himself on trying to get kids to expand their vocabulary. I read many issues where adults wrote in and explained how they had wanted to see the "garbage" the kids where into and were surprised to find the language wasn't dumbed down.
I think part of the reason for the art to take more center stage in that it's just gotten better over the years. If you've gone to college to hone your skills and you're proud of your craft you won't want it to take a backseat to anyone else's work.

[paw broon]

Can I correct something I wrote earlier re. Corto Maltese?  There are 2 stories in the French Collection of Les Celtiques with a silent page in each and it's L'Ange a la Fenetre D'orient which is not in the Italian version.  The Irish story is in both and the silent page is seriously atmospheric. Sorry to cause confusion - reminding myself of such things before opening mouth is always a good thing. I'd try to scan the appropriate page to illustrate but I'm not sure if it would compromise the site, this stuff being non pd.
The point is that comics are an amalgamation of words and pictures and at their best are effortless to read, the mixture leading the reader through the pages without effort. Occasionally, as with silent pages, or stories, and if the artist really knows his stuff, the illos can do the job on their own.