Comic Books​—Should Your Child Read Them?

“WHEN wisdom enters into your heart and knowledge itself becomes pleasant to your very soul,” said Solomon, “thinking ability itself will keep guard over you, discernment itself will safeguard you.” (Proverbs 2:10, 11) A discerning parent takes an interest in what his child reads. So, what about comic books?

It would be unfair to make a sweeping condemnation of comic books. For one thing, there are so many different types of comics. Some still are what they purport to be​—comic, amusing, entertaining stories. Comics can also be educational. Some cultivate a child’s interest in classical literature. The comic medium has even been used to portray Bible stories. And with TV drawing so many youngsters away from books, some educators feel that comics can be used to rekindle interest in reading.

Fantasy​—Good or Bad

‘But is it healthy to expose a child to fantasy?’ some ask. Well, a certain amount of fantasy seems to be a normal part of growing up. Observe small children at play and you will notice how easily a cardboard box becomes a spaceship, or how they love to imitate an accelerating auto. So some exposure to fantasy may not necessarily be harmful.

You should, however, weigh what actually appears in certain comics. What is the fantasy your child will be entering? Is he enjoying the adventures of a character that manifests reasonably sound values, or is he being entertained by ghoulish or demonic villains? Is the emphasis on constructive approaches to problems, or is everything solved with a “zap”?

Some children have difficulty separating imagination from reality. The younger your child is, the less experience he has in this. So if your child reads comics, you might want to observe if he or she is adversely affected by them. Does your child dismiss comic heroes as mere entertainment or does he or she excessively talk about these characters?

Comic-Book Violence

Another concern may be comic-book violence. Dr. Wertham, author of Seduction of the Innocent, claimed that “comic books may have such diverse effects on children, from distortion of human values to nightmares and violent games.” However, a study made in 1976 on the short-term reading of violent comics failed to establish a link between the comics and aggression in children.

So it is really up to parents to determine if the comics are having a bad effect on their own children. If a child continually fantasizes about “zapping” or destroying, a parent may wisely conclude that other reading material would be more appropriate.

True, some would claim that comics “provide readers both with an outlet for hostile and aggressive tendencies and with a way of learning to control them.” But that is not the way the Bible recommends dealing with such emotions. Rather, it says: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable . . . continue considering these things.”​—Philippians 4:8; see also Colossians 3:5-9.

A Comic-Book Buff Speaks

Danny, a Christian in his late 20’s, still occasionally enjoys thumbing through comic books. But he also remembers a time when he was thoroughly addicted to them, spending 50 to 60 dollars a month on them! “I’m kind of a dreamer and so I liked the comics because they stirred up my imagination. I didn’t go for the way-out superheroes​—they were unbelievable. But I did like ones like Spider-Man who used acrobatic skills. I could see myself being like him. If you’re not careful they become your idols and you want to be like them, to imitate them. For example, my friends and I used to pretend we were Captain America. Captain America always had this shield that he would throw. We pretended garbage-can lids were our shields and used to hurl them at one another.”

But how did he get hooked into spending so much money on comic books? “They’re like soap operas,” he explains. “They end with your hero in trouble and you can’t wait till the next issue to find out what happens to him. Before I knew it I had a gigantic stockpile of comic books. And when I would go to the newsstand, I wouldn’t buy just one book but eight or nine dollars’ worth.”

Did such a huge diet of fantasy affect him? “I have to admit that it did,” Danny says. “Often I would go for a walk on a cold winter day and just let my mind go, thinking about the adventures I had read about in my comic books. Before I realized it, I would have walked three or four miles​—and wouldn’t even feel cold!”

Teaching Children to Be Selective

Some parents might react to this by simply ridding their home of comic books. Danny, however, says that “if kept in balance, comic books can be quite enjoyable.” And comics are so popular with youngsters it might be next to impossible to prevent their reading them. Some of your children’s schoolmates may collect them by the hundreds. Said one youth: “I have over 600 comic books in my collection. But some kids have far bigger collections.”

So rather than simply becoming a “censor” you might try a more positive approach​—teaching your child to be selective. Dr. Gary Stollack of Michigan State University suggested to parents: “Take the time to read the material and talk about it with [your] child. Outlandish and immoral material can then gradually be shown to be what it is, and the child’s understanding sharpened and his tastes improved.”

Find out how your child feels about the comics. What does he like about them? Is there any other reading material in your home that would interest a child his age? Rather than condemning all comics, might it not be more helpful to encourage your child to branch out in his or her reading? If some of your child’s reading material is objectionable, why not explain how you feel about what he is reading and why you feel that way? Helping your child to be selective in his reading is a lot harder than simply making the decision for him. But you may need to do that, too, as a parent who really cares about the welfare of your son or daughter.

Of course, comics are only a small part of the immensely popular “fantasy” industry that caters to children as well as adults. But is it wise to get too immersed in fantasy? Is there a danger of confusing fantasy with reality?

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Are you concerned if your children imitate violent comic-book characters?