In the french/belgian world, we tend to consider "comics" very differently. There is a strong difference between "our" bandes dessinées and the american comic books. They are published on a better quality support (american comics feel very throwaway-newspapers to me), they don't constitute a huge industry of behemotic cross-referential corpus but more a series of distinct artist-focused universes, they are considered as more "civilized" as they are less about piff bam poom fights and more about problem solving by regular human characters (heroical in mindset and morality only), the whole tone, style, mentality, is different. It's like a very distinct art. You really can't compare the classic Spirou, Tintin, Asterix, Gaston, Lucky Luke, or even Thorgal, Ric Hochet, Blueberry, etc, with the classic Superspandex Supermuscular Superbiffonthenose. Even the silliest french/belgian comics are taking themselves less seriously, and thus seem to display more subtelty, than the marvel/dc epics. I'd say there is some contempt -that I obviously share- for american comics, except for "graphic novels" which seem more artsy than the standard superpowered superjock supercrap. And also some disinterest and ignorance.
There was also some contempt for asian comics (mangas), due to the tragic history of anime importations in France : they were introduced through shady distribution networks and producers, buying the cheapest ones and displaying them with zero regard for their targetted audiences (they were cartoons therefore they were for kids, whether it was mazinger, candy candy or fist of the north star). This has evolved better than comics, though, and after the myazaki wave of re-respectabilization of animes in France, I think that mangas are more easily viewed as diverse and potentially artsy or intellectual than american comics.
I find this situation quite cool, because it makes the american comics universe a very interesting terra incognita. And while I despise superheroes and their affiliated stories, I find them fascinating as a cultural phenomenon, as a mirror of social evolutions, and as a collective work of stories by 'shadow authors', articulated together in a very codified fashion. I might not have had appreciated them from the same angle, or distance, if they had been part of my cultural universe.
So, that's how I'd describe the situation, right now, in francophone Europe. To answer the personal aspect of the question, I know by heart the Tintin, Luke, Spirou (Franquin's), Asterix (Goscinny's) series and their ilk. I hate anything that has to do with superheroes. That's on the consumption level. But on a different, analytical, level, I adore reading about comics whatever the style. I have books about the french/belgian schools of comics, and books about the american superhero genre, and I devour both with the same pleasure, amusement and interest.
Also, I love the works of Alan Moore, which merge quite well both universes, by using american tropes through a very european sensitivity. And of course, these are just broad categories. There is, nowadays brilliant stuff from the USA (Peanuts, Calvin&Hobbes, Hellboy were awesome, The Walking Dead still is) and a huge collection of godawful stuff in the francophone world, even during the classic times where my favorite authors were defining comic books and operating (through hilariously lame series) the same sort of evolution that happened around Gwen Stacy's death.
Post edited July 11, 2014 by Telika
