.jpg)
When Disney bought Marvel nearly a year ago, many fans were torn as to whether this would herald a new era for the company or a disaster for one of the leading comic book institutions. One thing no one questioned, however, was why the Mouse House was interested in Marvel. Disney wanted a property for boys as prolific as its Princess and Pixie lines for girls, and Marvel provides that in spades.
For the most part evidence of Marvel’s new ownership hasn’t been that obvious, at least to the more casual viewer. The most notable change was over the San Diego Comic Con: in a move that shocked many fans, there was no panel or major presence for the forthcoming “Avengers” flick at the venerable con. Instead, Disney debuted a panel on the movie at its own con, D23, later that summer.
Disney played a little bit nicer with the East Coast’s largest comics convention, New York Comic Con, which ran in October. The most interesting Disney/Marvel piece of news to come out of NYCC wasn’t more footage or spoilers from “Avengers,” but a much quieter event: the Disney/Marvel kids panel. Website Comic Book Resources has a firsthand report of the panel.
The main focus of the Disney/Marvel kids panel was to introduce a new line of Marvel-themed storybooks published by Disney. Writer Rich Thomas, one of the attendees of the panel along with Senior Editor of Disney Publishing Michael Siglain and Marvel Senior Vice President Ruwan Jayatilleke, described the approach they took to the books: “We went back to classic picture books like ‘Curious George’ and Maurice Sendak to try and get the pacing of a storybook and translate these classic Marvel Comics tales into picture books. We hope these storybooks can be an entry point for kids.”
The books feature the origin stories—the tales of how character become superheroes—for famous Marvel figures like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Thor. Other offerings in the new Marvel storybook line, soon to be released nationwide, include “Amazing Spider-Man Storybook Collection” and “Meet the Marvel Superheroes.” The former will be packed with Spider-Man lore, including his first meetings with many members of his rogue gallery (the comic book term for a superhero’s villains), and the latter contains introductions and facts to over 100 of Marvel’s superheroes.
On the one hand, it’s fantastic that kids are getting a literary introduction to these fantastic characters, but on the other, I’m uncertain why it has to be in storybook form. What’s wrong with a comic book? For decades children read them to get their superhero fix, so why does it need to come in book format now? There are plenty of other great stories kids can read that were meant for the format, but comic books introduced a new literary medium that in the digital age many are afraid is now dying out, and these storybooks aren’t helping to stop that.
Is it because the books are for a younger audience, one that’s more used to storybooks? That raises the question if the often dark or violent superhero stories are appropriate for storybook-aged children (I’m thinking 5 and under here).
Do you think comic book figures are appropriate storybook material? Should Disney be marketing Marvel to such a young audience, or should some stories just be saved for when a child is old enough for them?
Related Articles:
Disney’s Plans to Broaden its Appeal
Disney Launches New Digital Books Website
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg
Most Frightening Disney Moments
*(This image by Lunchbox Photography is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
