Comics for Kids- a scary proposition

I was asked on Friday (since I happen to be heading to my local comic shop after school) to see if I might be able to get some door prize donations for the school’s “Literacy Night.”  Teachers – you should try to build a good relationship with your local comic shop if you can.  So today I receive an email from Dan at Comic Carnival asking what he can do to help (thanks Dan).  He has some titles he could donate but wanted to check with me about their appropriateness.  Fortunately I happen to have copies of the comics in question and that leads me to this post and this question- “What is appropriate for elementary kids?”  The comics Dan suggested were Avengers #1, New Avengers #1 or Secret Avengers #1.  Marvel has their own rating system and two of the titles are rated “A” which means “Appropriate for ages 9 and up” one is rated “T+” or “Teenagers.”  The first answer was easy- throw out the T+ comic because I sure hope we don’t have any teenagers at our school.  So what about comics rated “A” what is in them and why the cut off of 9?  I looked at both comics and they actually seemed to be completely different.

Avengers #1 (Bendis & Romita Jr.) seemed pretty straight forward although it starts off with a death there really isn’t much to it that I wouldn’t expect from a comic.  Time travel story, lots of talking, and some fighting. No blood or dismemberment, no nudity, no “bad stuff” or things that kids will huddle around giggling over.

New Avengers #1 (Bendis & Immonen) You’ve got magic and demons and inappropriate language for school.  Now I’m not one to have and issue with magic or demons (it is fantasy), but words can cause problems.  I just remember giggling at George Carlin’s “Seven words you can’t say on television.”  That said- I can understand the need for using certain words, but I don’t know if a 9 year old (that’s end of third grade beginning fourth grade) needs to reading them or hearing them.  Can’t we just keep the world a little more candy coated for a few more years?

So how does a parent (or teacher) get appropriate comics for their kids?  The rating system doesn’t work- It doesn’t work in movies, in video games, or in comics.  We have to be the adults (“gasp!”) we have to read what the kids are reading, or see the movie, or play the video game to make sure it meets with our morals.  That we are comfortable letting it impress a young mind.  Everyone has a different belief as to what is “right.”  There are some great comics out there that I wouldn’t even think about letting a kid in my class read until they are much older and have the experiences and maturity to be able to understand the content.

Comic Shops what can you do?  Keep buying all ages stuff & don’t hide it in the back or behind a bunch a toys & lunch boxes.  Make a prominent display of stuff that is good for young kids in the front of your store.  Parents will appreciate it (most are scared to walk into a comic shop).  Work with your local school and see about getting titles into their library, classrooms, cafeteria, playground.  You are the experts in comics, team with an teacher and have them help you put together your “kid friendly- teacher approved” comic list. I would love to have every kid in the school reading good comics- it is still reading folks!

So is picking comics for  kids a scary proposition? Yes, just like picking a movie, or TV show, any form of media is, or at least should be, if you care about your kids and what kind of person they will grow up to become.

One thought on “Comics for Kids- a scary proposition

  1. I second that!! My first foray into a comic book store earlier this year, was very daunting, not having a clue how to shop for comics for our 8-yr-old son. When I was eight, it was all Archie and Wonder Woman for me. But the superhero comics of my youth weren’t dark and parents didn’t have to check them out. They were brightly colored and had (mostly) positive messages. And definitely no nudity or questionable language.

    But fortunately we had Bruce on our side and he tipped us off to a few GREAT titles to start with and now Milo is HOOKED on comics! But they’re still very difficult to find in the stores. I’ve pretty much given up on trying to find child-appropriate material on my own and just walk right up to the counter and have them take me by the hand to the display… usually in the back, behind a rack of toys.

    I would LOVE to see a more child (and parent) friendly display in some of our local stores!!! We would definitely frequent them more often, that’s for sure. 🙂

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