The Language Of Comics

Comics, like any medium, has a feel and/or a language that is unmistakably germane to that particular medium. With the number of writers increasing exponentially these days, it's less recognizable now.

But--certainly, if you've read enough comics, you can pick a few of these gems out. Here are a few of my faves, in no particular order.

In the old days of the 70s and 80s, you could pretty much have a quote read to you from an issue and determine who the writer of the book was without ever having actually read the book.

* This'll make my rep!

This classic was always one of my faves, based solely on it's overall stupidity. It was big in the 70s, especially in Daredevil and Batman. There was always some dumbass henchman who reasoned that killing Batman or Daredevil would cement his standing in the criminal community and vault him into that penthouse suite where he could finally be the one to call the shots.

* The Die Is Cast!

This truly is one of my favorites, and I don't mean this in a sarcastic way. It's such a great phrase and it perfectly captures the essence of what comics - mostly Marvel Comics - were like in the 60s. It's a classic, and it's a shame that phrases like this are not used nowadays.

* I'm The Best At What I Do, And What I Do Isn't Very Nice

I'll bet that just reading that phrase brought up a big belly laugh. And I'll further bet that many readers will know who the writer was, who the character was and maybe even have a clear recollection of what that first page that featured these words looked like. Of course, after this was repeated in each of the four issues and beyond, it got a bit tired.

* What The--

Ooops! Almost said it, didn't you? Somehow nobody ever finished that one. It's probably for the best. Gives us readers a chance to use our imaginations. It's also a phrase that doesn't work so well when actually spoken. It just sounds silly.

* Avengers Assemble!

This is also a classic staple phrase of 60s Marvel, and another pleasant reminder of how great comics used to be. Especially after the wretched "disassembled" storyline a couple of years ago, it is always great to be able to revisit a pre-Joe Quesada/Brian Michael Bendis Marvel Universe. Sometimes you don't need to destroy the foundation to fix up the house.

* The Storay At Hand

Just kidding. Wondering if you were paying attention anymore. Although, to those who know of it, this one is a freaking classic! Right up there with "Die Scum...."

How could I have forgotten these gems??

* Still Only 25¢ !

A classic to be sure - not only does it call attention to the inevitable price increase, but it reminds me of a time when nearly every comic on the spinner rack was a good one! For whatever reason, Marvel didn't decree 30¢, 40¢ or 50¢ to be worthy of this designation (interestingly, 35¢ also merited this treatment). Well, it's certainly better than "Still Only 299¢!"

* Not An Imaginary Story! Not a Hoax!

Then why publish it? Honestly, is there anything that screams "DC Comics" more than this? It's great. And the stories that unfolded were truly the stuff of legends...and explain a lot in terms of why Marvel was able to take over the comic book readership in the 60s. If not for Neal Adams, Dennis O'Neil and Frank Robbins, the 1960's would be a very barren landscape for DC. From a pure nostalgia and cool character introduction point of view, however, this was a very interesting time for DC.

* Because You Demanded It!

Who could resist this? Like "Not An Imaginary Story", this little gem quickly lost all meaning, as it became evident that, well, nobody demanded some of that stuff. And since the Marvel No-Prize comic book poked fun at this in such an amusing fashion, I'll stop here.

* 'Nuff Said!

Short and to the point. 'Nuff indeed...

I'm sure there are many others, but for some reason or another, I can't come up with them. Feel free to add your faves.