Intellectual Comics - would you read them?

Spidey Intellectual Stories:

So say a company did try to produce a line of superhero comics like this for highly intellectual readers.

The stories could still feature some physical action occasionally, but for the most part the plot and character conflict would be in the form of opposing views of philosophy and science, with characters defeating their foes through superior thinking and argument, much like Spider-Man and the Thinker here. The settings and tech would allow for the depiction and discussion of real-world scientific theories. The writing itself would more resemble high-brow literature than typical comic books, and instead of people like JMS, Whedon etc coming in to write, they would get Nobel Literature prize winners and such.

So, would you read... Intellectual Comics?

Most of the hero/villain conflicts in stories have a clear right and wrong side, with a few exceptions (Magneto and Xavier, when properly written), so in that sense, most 'intellectual stories' as you'd call them would be blatant logic-beatdowns from the hero's side. I can't say I'd be too interested in something that an averagely intelligent person would see as fairly obvious.

Most heroes and villains aren't sophisicated enough to warrant a philosophical storytelling and again, with a few exceptions (I'd like to see Superman's view on life and humanity be properly explored, through his eyes), they'd seem to be trying too hard, or just simply be too 'in your face' type of presentations.

Originally posted by Philosophía
Most heroes and villains aren't sophisicated enough to warrant a philosophical storytelling and again, with a few exceptions (I'd like to see Superman's view on life and humanity be properly explored, through his eyes), they'd seem to be trying too hard, or just simply be too 'in your face' type of presentations.

If we're actually delving into the idea and usefulness of the concept, what would the intellect win from being invested into a visual media?

Originally posted by Bentley
If we're actually delving into the idea and usefulness of the concept, what would the intellect win from being invested into a visual media?

Originally posted by Bentley
If we're actually delving into the idea and usefulness of the concept, what would the intellect win from being invested into a visual media?

Except that philosophy has always been extremely visual: Plato's Cave, Voltaire's blank book and extraterrestrial giants, Schrodinger's cat, Foucault's panopticon -- visual metaphors from early times to the present have been incredibly useful for articulating intellectual problems. We could also say that the comic's semiotic density will alter the meaning of any textual argument inserted into it -- an argument's meaning and implications could change according to whether it is made by Batman, Superman, or the Joker, and according to what context they make it in.

That said, I would like intellectual comics (hopefully more highbrow than the scan) to exist, just so that post-modern philosophers could appear as supervillains. They even look the part:

The question is silly. Philosophy already exists in comics, as do intellectual reads (though often not in the most popular titles).

The Spider-Man example is also farcical. It sacrifices believability for the sake of a verbal argument. Intellect is more than wordplay. Some of the most intellectual characters can and should resort to violence because it would be a faster means to their end.

If a comic existed like the OP though, no, I wouldn't read it. It would be dumb. A parody of actual comics that raise relevant questions. Amusing for a bit, but nothing more.

Originally posted by Digi
The question is silly. Philosophy already exists in comics, as do intellectual reads (though often not in the most popular titles).

Intellect is more than wordplay.

If a comic existed like the OP though, no, I wouldn't read it. It would be dumb.

This/these

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Is that scan supposed to be an example of an "Intellectual Comic"... Because it is anything but intellectual.

Originally posted by basilisk
Spidey Intellectual Stories:

So say a company did try to produce a line of superhero comics like this for highly intellectual readers.

The stories could still feature some physical action occasionally, but for the most part the plot and character conflict would be in the form of opposing views of philosophy and science, with characters defeating their foes through superior thinking and argument, much like Spider-Man and the Thinker here. The settings and tech would allow for the depiction and discussion of real-world scientific theories. The writing itself would more resemble high-brow literature than typical comic books, and instead of people like JMS, Whedon etc coming in to write, they would get Nobel Literature prize winners and such.

So, would you read... Intellectual Comics?

Things like the Watchmen and Sandman have won many awards previously reserved for traditional literature.

Intellectual Comics is an oxymoron. Unless you're an incredible doofus-arrongant 13 year old that thinks his/her brain is above everyone else. Comic Books are an entertainment medium...you bury yourself too deep into them you're a fanatic.

Originally posted by WanderingDroid
Intellectual Comics is an oxymoron. Unless you're an incredible doofus-arrongant 13 year old that thinks his/her brain is above everyone else. Comic Books are an entertainment medium...

Just like word-only books, really.

Of course, 'entertainment' and 'intellectual' aren't mutually exclusive.

An intellectual comic? For me that would mean a comic story that reads more like hard science fiction (eg, Stephen Baxter, Peter Hamilton)...basically what I aim for in my own 'superhero' short stories. Done like that -- minimizing PIS/CIS/whatever, as well as over-the-top hyperbole w/o 'sound' scientific backing -- yes, I would read them.

'Can't go any more intellectual that the Watchmen. And it's one of the best book I ever read.

Originally posted by Simbon
Except that philosophy has always been extremely visual: Plato's Cave, Voltaire's blank book and extraterrestrial giants, Schrodinger's cat, Foucault's panopticon -- visual metaphors from early times to the present have been incredibly useful for articulating intellectual problems. We could also say that the comic's semiotic density will alter the meaning of any textual argument inserted into it -- an argument's meaning and implications could change according to whether it is made by Batman, Superman, or the Joker, and according to what context they make it in.

That said, I would like intellectual comics (hopefully more highbrow than the scan) to exist, just so that post-modern philosophers could appear as supervillains. They even look the part:

But would an intellectual comic would be filled with examples of thought experiments or fallacies? If that was the case then the comic would be quite hard to produce, next to impossible. I'm not condemning the concept of intellectual art -I actually believe in esthetics and geometry as basis of our comprehension of the universe-, but the use of art is a legitimate question because just using pedagogical art would be dumb, as Digi's example of using arguments just as in a debate.

There are hardly enough hardcore intellectuals that aren't closet jerks to begin with. This kind of comics would likely serve no propose -other than keeping occupied the potential genius that must produce it-.

Originally posted by Simbon

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