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Manga fans find more of what they want out of American comics with Image Comics than superhero-specific Marvel or DC, according to superhero writer (and Image boss) Robert Kirkman
Invincible co-creator Robert Kirkman wants Marvel and DC to remember that comic books are about more than superheroes
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Imagine going to the library but the only section was mystery. Imagine if the only genre available on Spotify was metal. We expect variety when it comes to choices in our media, whether the medium is movies, music, television, or books. However, Robert Kirkman believes American comic books are dominated by the superhero genre, which he finds limiting.
Kirkman, who co-created The Walking Dead and Invincible at Image Comics, contrasts this with manga, which is popular because it covers numerous genres, like romance, science fiction, comedy, thrillers, and yes, superheroes. Kirkman believes Marvel and DC have neglected the manga audience, while Image Comics has given them a home.
“When you look at what Marvel and DC do in the grand scheme of the world, it’s actually kind of limiting,” Robert Kirkman says during a recent appearance on Robservations with Rob Liefeld. “Like there’s not an HBO Max that just gives you superhero shows. There’s not a Prime Video that’s just giving you superhero shows."
Warner Bros. did attempt a superhero-oriented streaming service in 2018, but it was eventually folded into HBO Max by 2020. And much like the DC superhero projects becoming part of a variety of genre entertainment on HBO Max, Kirkman sees Image as providing that - all under one company umbrella.
"And so, anything around the comic book industry that generates excitement is going to eventually funnel things to Image Comics because if people love manga and they decide to try American comics, well, manga mostly translates to Image Comics," says Kirkman. "Image Comics is horror, it’s sci-fi, action, romance, it’s a mixture of all."
At the end of the day, there is more to comics than capes and tights. That’s why manga is popular, and that’s why Image Comics continues to stay relevant.
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