One minor difference between Japanese manga and general superhero comics like D.C. Comics or Marvel Comics (aside from the black and white nature of manga), is that manga are usually the vision of a single writer (though editors have a large say, and sometimes direct the story). Unlike the general superhero type, where many writers tend to do different plots and stories, manga are more like novels, complete and detailed worlds that are the vision of a single author. The characters remain consistent, and they are allowed to grow and develop. On a related topic, manga also tend to be drawn for a weekly or biweekly publication containing numerous other comics by other authors --- and the editors expect cliffhangers/you-really-want-to-read-the -next-issue endings each time. So the plot HAS to develop and HAS to be interesting at a fairly rapid clip. (There are, after all, crowds of hopeful would-be manga-ka waiting in the wings). (One last difference is the onomatopoetic characteristic of the Japanese language; sound effects fit in much better, and look less stupid, than in English comics. This is just a facet of the language; translated manga sound effects also don't work as well.) Perhaps it is the mix of harsh reality with the tantalizing world of fantasy that makes Japanese manga and anime so appealing. Many popular series, such as Doraemon, Ranma 1/2 and Kimagure Orange Road, follow the lives of seemingly ordinary people --- they go to school, do homework, get reprimanded by parents --- who have a shadow life that makes them somehow special, whether by psionic talent or friends who are rather different (robots from the future, or aliens from other worlds). I suppose all this serves to allow the reader to sympathize with the characters, and yet escape from bland, normal daily life to a fantasy world that is far different.