Da da da da da da da da …
Dectective Comics 27
April 25th, 1939, saw the May issue of the comic book Detective Comics hitting the bookstands in America. It was the twenty seventh issue in a series which is still being published, (although when it reached No. 881 in August 2011, the title was re-launched as Volume 2, with the numbering stating again at No. 1). What was so special about this particular issue is that it marked the debut of one of the classic characters of the “superhero” genre: Batman.
The story of Batman has been retold many times and gone through many variations, (such as the Caped Crusader and the Dark Knight), although in essence the main details have been preserved. From the very beginning, there was a dark side to both his character and his mission, but basically he is a vigilante who, (with the collusion of some of those in authority), aims to bring criminals to justice.
Batman was not the first “superhero” … he was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in response to the appearance of Siegel and Shuster’s Superman – but there was one major difference which made him more appealing as a “superhero”: unlike characters such as Superman, the Flash and Green Lantern … he had no special super powers … he lived by his wits, relying on his knowledge, skills and experience.
I first came across Batman in the early 1960′s and was taken almost immediately. These comic books were totally different from most of the “comics” that I was used to. Apart from the fact that they were from America – everything about America was deemed as exciting and modern – and used colour rather than simple black and white line drawings, the typical eight, sixteen or twenty four pages devoted to a story were longer the standard British one or two page spread, which enabled them to tell a more complex story … often involving an element of fantasy … a considerable element of fantasy.
Part of that fantasy was the concept of a secret identity – indeed, not just a secret identity but a whole secret life. The concept was fascinating and opened many vistas for someone with imagination … I or any of the people around me … could be hiding a secret … what could it be? … but that’s another story – for another time.
Nowadays, although not many of the comics, (or Graphic Novels as aficionados like to refer to them), make their way to kiosks on the streets of Bishkek – there are some. The characters are almost as recognizable here as they are in the West … even if people are unlikely to have seen the comics, (sorry, Graphic Novels), they will have had plenty of exposure to the films … Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the X-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Avengers … I am sometimes surprised at how familiar the kids are with these guardians of “Truth, Justice and the American Way …”
The cover of Tumar
As it happens, there have been a couple of projects to try and introduce comics, (sorry, Graphic Novels), to Kyrgyzstan. One particular project is Tumar, which you can actually read online. (I have even seen a hard copy available for sale on Amazon.)
Tumar online
Tumar is not the story of a costumed crime busting “superhero” but tells of a simple boy and the trials and tribulations he faces as he seeks to unite his family and neighbours in order to deliver them from their enemies.
Although it is set in the Middle Ages, it’s hoped that there is sufficient material for the readers to identify with. Like most children his age, for example, Tumar is shy, awkward and often indecisive.
As the website for this project makes clear, the comics are designed for children of about 7-10 years old. That’s a stark contrast to many of the “superhero” comics, which are aimed at a mixed audience which comprises both youths and adults, (perhaps, adults like me who grew up reading stories of our favourite heroes in these Graphic Novels), and sometimes address somewhat “adult” themes.
As in the case with most literature, comics can be understood on several different layers. It is possible to see them as simply providing a form of entertainment, but on another level they can be seen as educative … and that seems to be what the authors of this particular project hoped to achieve. They say that they aimed to entertain their readers, but also to arouse curiosity in them, stimulating their imagination, promoting intellectual development and helping the reader to understand their own difficulties. They certainly seem to have taken this seriously getting advice from a variety of sources.
The graphics seem to me to be quite good, and “on a par” with the sort of graphics in many comic books produced in the West. Unfortunately, however, (at least as far as I can tell), only one issue of the comic has been produced; apparently, some 2000 copies were printed and distributed in November 2010. A second issue has been prepared, (written and drawn ready for printing), and storyboards, (or scripts), have been written for further issues, but we are still waiting to see if and when it will be forthcoming.
For the record: the title for this postcard is based on the theme tune for the 1960′s TV series of Batman: which went something like:
“Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, …
Da da da da da da da da … BAT–MAN!”
They certainly don’t write songs like they used to … Thank Goodness!
Bishkek